I don't know pricing in Oklahoma, but I don't think it would be possible where we are building in the Pacific NW.

Framing was (so far) our biggest expense.

My husband is acting as the GC in our home build and we are running around $85 dollars a square foot- but it's not done. It's a small home 1900 sf, 55 X 50 single story. We did our own excavating, electrical, and HVAC (ductless). We have subcontracted out most of it. We found some local, affordable (and talented) subs for framing,roofing, siding, cabinetry, carpentry, drywall, concrete flatwork, plumbing, and insulation- so most of it.

I think when we are done we will be at $95-$105 per square foot (excluding land). It has three bedrooms, 2-1/2 bathrooms and a 10 X 20 mudroom. We spent more on insulation and air sealing of the home..R60 blow in the attic, r38 floors, r24 bibs in walls. It will have hardwood floors throughout, better than average lighting and plumbing fixtures but everything else will be mid-grade; solid surface countertops, white appliances, fiberglass showers/tubs. The exterior is hardie lap and shingle siding, This pricing also includes a large concrete patio, a small covered patio out back, walkway and garage apron.

Even if you were half the cost of us, you are looking at 185k to 200k. But ask around- I started at the local lumber yard. If you have a good set of plans they might be able to do a material take off quote for you. And this websitehelped me understand the order of things- the county you're building in might also have a website with building code/permit information. If you build, you'll probably be speaking with them a lot.

Good luck!

How much are 3,700 - 4,000 sf new homes selling for in your area of OK? That should be the starting point of your deliberations. Are they in the ballpark of $165,000?

A GC does more than just contract workers, meaning that they're not glorified schedulers. The way to save money is to trade labor for money - the more work you do yourself, the less you have to pay subs but this comes at the expense of delaying your build and likely a reduced level of quality. Also keep in mind that you'll have a greater challenge in finding subs and managing subs if your build is just a one-off for them.

If you're asking folks here to tell you what your major costs are going to be then perhaps you should reexamine your desire to be your own GC. You can answer that question yourself by going out, right now, and soliciting bids for all of the work you need done and find out, to the penny, how much you're going to have to pay to build your house. Then you're going to have to deal with all of the unforeseen events and errors and cost overruns, just like a GC does.

Wow it sounds like an amazing house! definitely good advice on the lumber yard bc i honestly dont know where to start first. i did call some builders and ive been quoted from $90 a sq ft to $125 a sq ft. and thats excluding land. like you,i also want hardwood floors instead of carpet. and how did you subcontract people? did you find them craigslist?

@alex house.

3700-4000 sq ft house are definitely NOT going for $165,000. it does seem like a huge challenge but hey if at the end of the day if i can get a 4000 sq ft house for around $165,000-to $200,000 it'll be worth it. i might go a little crazy trying to manage the subs i get that but my budget is tight so this seems like the route i might need to take.

No, I didn't find our subs on Craigslist. Ask your lumberyard- the one that supplies home builders in your area. They will have references and sometimes they'll know who to stay away from.

And my home might have good bones, but it is very modest home. 4000 sf would intimidate me - especially if I had never done it before. Me and my husband are in the construction industry (not homes) and we have built before. It takes a lot of knowledge and I read and studied for a few years before taking the leap. And we still make mistakes. If you don't have any experience, I would proceed cautiously. I think after receiving some numbers, that will let you know if this is a reality for you or not.

good luck!

What's the differential in price? This is the implied equation that you're using:

$XXX price of house = $165,000 + your effort as a GC.

If a 4,000 sf house in OK is selling for $365,000 (for instance) then you are saying that you believe that your effort at general contracting your house is going to save you $200,000.

I would be surprised if you could build it yourself for that price. We did an almost completely DIY build, only hiring out excavation, concrete, and drywall, and we were around $75 a square foot, or $300K on a 4000 square foot house.

I don't see how a 4.000 sf home can be built for close to $165,000.00 but the only way it will happen is if you use the cheapest materials available in your build and do a bunch of the labor yourself. When I say cheap I mean cheap/low quality and not just the best price of a quality material or product.

When you say 3700 to 4000 sf home does that include the basement?

I do think Oklahoma is cheaper to build in than a lot of the rest of the country, but I, too, am hard pressed to see how you'll get your home price down that low without really cutting corners.

A couple things to consider:

Will either you or your spouse be able to be on site during most of the construction to oversee? (Will you know what you are looking at, or at least be able to fake it in most cases?) Are you able to take the time to go pull permits and be around for inspections?

Is it possible to scale down your house size, and/or go with a kit? (How many people are you planning on housing?)

I considered being my own contractor for my current build. I got a couple of detailed books and read up on exactly what is involved -- I'm glad I did, because I have a handle on the steps as they are ongoing anyway -- but ultimately I decided, NOT.

1) the general contractor has contacts. He knows, too, whom to shy away from. He's able to be on site during most of the construction, which will help keep corners from being cut (obviously, you'd check references and builds done by your GC first).

2) subs want to know they'll have a second job if they do a good job -- your GC is in the business to provide them with that.

You may be able to cut down some of the fees by doing some of the work yourself -- I plan to do the painting and the interior trim. I will likely help on basement sheetrocking to divide up the space - I've assisted on this work before -- and in the basement, I'm not as apt to care what it looks like. Discuss this with your GC. This won't save much, but every bit helps. Go with stock cabinets, maybe consider shelves that you can later on convert to cabinets when finances flow better. In my build, I am doing softwood pine rather than hardwood. (If you are prone to dragging furniture or have heavy dogs with heavy claws, maybe not...)

You may be able to find supplies and even wood from tear downs. Find a contractor who can work with that.

But if you don't have real construction expertise -- don't do it yourself. You'll spend more than you'll save.

You're asking if you can build a large house for around $40/square foot.

No, not possible, even with DIY, GCing it yourself, and builder-grade everything -- and I live in the land of low prices.

My suggestions:

- Start reading about building so you can learn what's inexpensive /what's expensive. For example, a simple rectangular house will cost less than one with lots of jigs and jogs in the footprint. A simple roofline will cost less than a complicated roof with lots of gables. Consolidating your plumbing will save you money.

- Plan to reduce your square footage. Fifty years ago an average house was around 1000 sf. Today average is 2400-2600. If your budget can't increase, choose a size appropriate to your budget. You might also consider buying and renovating; that is cheaper than building from scratch.

- Read a book on acting as your own General Contractor and decide whether this is something you'd be able /willing to do. (It's not for me.)

- In general, just educate yourself on building. Rushing into this will cost you money.

i honestly dont know where to start first.

There is your answer. You're ripe to be ripped off and wind up with a house going well over your budget. If you came on and said you wanted a house that was 1200 sq feet, we might have said it's possible. But no, you cannot build a 3700 square foot house today for $165,000 even in the cheapest area. An open barn maybe. A house with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, no.

And you want hardwood floors? LMAO. Even at $2.00 a square foot, that comes out to over $7000.

I'm inclined to agree with Sophie on this one.

I'm assuming that you own the land already and that it's not part of the $165k. In addition to all the feedback above, you need to check on availability and costs of utilities - is the site already hooked up to sewer/septic? Electric? Water? Is the lot flat or is there terrain? (Terrain could cost more for digging/shoring up etc.) Length and type of driveway? (20 ft of gravel is a whole lot different than 100 feet of concrete.) What types of permits does your area require, and how much are they? Cost of insurance during build?

IMHO you're way better off buying existing.

Your name is perfect because it's a total pipe dream with no basis in reality. I could write a book detailing why that's totally unrealistic even in OK (I live in North Texas so I'm fairly familiar with OK.) but other people have done that for me. Sometimes things cost more for a reason. Building a house is one of them.

i came across this thread from a few years ago thats why i am thinking a 4000 sq ft house might be doable for my budget http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2286924/newbiecost-to-build

I am planning on researching reading up and then taking the next step. Obviously not going to build tomorrow maybe in about a year. see how to cut cost. I might not do hardwood floors rt off the bat maybe get linoleum that gives appearance of wood floors then later on get hardwood floors put in or maybe marble. i know theres ALOT of error in construction thats why i was wanting to know what is the biggest cost. what to look out for? just wanting to know peoples personal experience. and we are purchasing the land separate it has a slight slope to it so i know thats additional cost.

@tcufrog goodluck on your book. and thats why im on this forum to find out about the cost of my "pipeline" dream.

I agree that you need to find a house similar to what you want to build and check its price. Find one for $165,000? Is it brand-new? No? Well, brand-new COSTS MUCH MORE THAN USED. And, like chicagoans said, if your land is not improved (in other words, already has water, utilities, access driveway, etc. in place and ready to hook up to a new house), you need to add lots and lots of $$$ for that. And I don't mean just that water is available at the street in front of the house - YOU have to pay to bring the water to the house.

And I'd also agree that if you've never GC'd a new house before, your skill as a GC will not take $200,000 off the price of building a new house. No offense intended.

@artemis_ma Thats really helpful advice. I will look into looking at building kits.planning on housing 4 people. i can get all the permits and be around for inspection. i think ill go to the library and read up too. and you are right oklahoma is cheaper to build than most states

My land cost $185,000 so thats why im wanting to reduce the cost of building significantly. if it cant be done than ill wait and save up more. obviously not going to the lot today with a shovel and digging myself. and yes @littlebug zone5 missouri im well aware that newer shinier things cost more.

"Well, brand-new COSTS MUCH MORE THAN USED" & "If you can't afford tobuy existing then you can't afford to build. Building isn't less than buying existing"

Neither one of these things are true, while they may tend to be true, they are in no way absolutes or even common enough to be a general rule. Existing house prices depend on the supply and demand of acceptable housing in an area, while build prices are dependent on the supply and demand of land and labor. Because of the relationship between existing homes and building they can become closely correlated. But economic ebbs and flows can, and do, upset even that.

In my area building is significantly less than buying existing homes. I mean like 30% cheaper.

You wrote: AND also I've been looking at homes to buy for a while now some existing homes price per sq foot varies. some 4000 sq ft homes selling at $70 a sq ft some are selling for $182/sq ft (built in the same year).

So why in the world would you think you could build a house for $41.25 a square foot which is almost half of what houses that are already built are selling for? Building costs MUCH MORE than buying what is already there.

BTW: Do you have any DIY skills? Can you swing a hammer? Hang drywall? Hammer nails? Lay down flooring? If not, that costs for the labor.

Have you ever owned a house before? Do you know what is needed in a house?

As for your comment: i came across this thread from a few years ago thats why i am thinking a 4000 sq ft house might be doable for my budget http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2286924/newbiecost-to-build

That was 3 (actually almost 4) years ago as the country was still coming out of the recession. Back then I could have built my home in my neighborhood for 1/2 the cost it is costing me to build now and people were begging us to buy their vacant land.

Thats really helpful advice. I will look into looking at building kits.planning on housing 4 people.

Quality kit homes cost the same as building directly when you add everything in. I know because I looked into it. Of course there's the old saying you get what you pay for.

If you truly want to build on your land, build a 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath 1000 - 1200 sq foot house house for now and in a few years consider adding to the house. If you build a small house like that, you'll be able to put in your hardwood floors now. Eventually you could build up and out. That would be reasonable. What you are looking to do is a dream.

BTW: How large is your family right now that you need a 4000 square foot home?

i came across this thread from a few years ago thats why i am thinking a 4000 sq ft house might be doable for my budget http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2286924/newbiecost-to-build

Looking over that old thread, it seems to be a bunch of people saying, "Your budget is too low", while one outlyer says, "I did it for $53/sf." Even if that's true, which it probably isn't, how does that translate to you doing it three years later for 20% less? I mean, the outlyer guy claims to have paid $16 for his permits. Why would you believe his doesn't-mesh-with-reality story?

Don't get the wrong idea: You absolutely can build a house for 165K. You just can't build a 4000 sf house with high-end materials like hardwood for that price. I also live in a low-cost-to-build area, and this is what 165K buys in a new subdivision in my town -- it's 2100 sf, everything builder basic, cheaper because it's in a long line of similar houses and has no custom-ordered items. If you go with the upgrade package -- which gives you hardwood, granite and to-the-ceiling cabinets, and a patio out back -- it adds about 25K to the finished product. A decent house? Yeah, but nothing special.

I should add to my post that our land (which was less than half the price of yours) already had a water meter, perc test and graded pad. So, there's that.

Our big single rectangle garage/shop that we personally built with our own four hands cost $43 a square foot in today's money, materials only. No labor but around 3K for the dirt work and concrete. It is heated and cooled, with an epoxy floor, and 10' ceilings, but it has no plumbing, cabinets, or anything that a house needs. That's the expensive bits.

Doubling that price might get you interior walls, and some basic plumbing like a cheap fiberglass shower insert. So, if you hands on built it yourself and reduced the size by at least half, you might be able to build something. Not 4K square feet. And certainly not hiring any labor at all. You'd have to at a minimum triple your budget for that. Then it would still likely be a real pinch with your wants.

So, quadruple your budget and that will give you some contingency funds when the excavation goes 10K over what you expect because you encounter an underground stream that no one expected. Etc. It's important to note that "Etc." will be a frequent occurrence that you should be prepared for.

dreamhouse311, that plan you posted above is way over $165K to build. Could be double that I am talking about just plain basic bone.

Good luck!

How many acres did you get in Oklahoma for $185,000.00 or what makes the cost of your land so high? I owned a home near Enid, Oklahoma in the mid 90's and building costs were much lower and you could get a heck of a nice home for $100,000.00

Actually if you only have $165,000 to build you can really only afford to build a house for $140,000. Why do I say that? Because you'll need a contingency of between 15-20% for the "what if's". And trust me, there will be the "what ifs".

So now on a 4000 square foot house you're thinking of building for $35 a square foot? Even at the depths of the recession back in 2008-2010 in LCOLA areas, the price wasn't that low to build.

@summersatthelae its half acre in a gated community. its a very desired community so thats why it was so high. another neighborhood we were looking at was $220,000 for a 9 sq ft lot. so this seemed like a better deal. there are new developments that are for $55,000 to $75,000 for about 8,000 sq ft lots but its not a gated neighborhood

its half acre in a gated community.

And the plot thickens - I would guess that the community has rules about what types of homes may be built in it, such as square footage minimums, a minimum amount of brick/stone on the front exterior, etc. Do builders already own some of the lots? If so, what do they advertise as the price for building a home in this neighborhood?

@alley2007 yes it has to be 3700 sqft or bigger. and builders are advertising their price at $125 per sq ft. There is only one lot that is purchased by a builder other ones are purchased by people wanting to build on their own or through their own builder

Before you do anything, you need to find out what requirements the home owners' association places on houses built in this community -- and from your description, I'm sure you'll have some requirements.

Typical requirements -- obviously, this is an example, and you should investigate your own community's specifics: Must build within X amount of time, must include a certain percentage of brick or stone on the front of the house, all vehicles must be housed in a garage, no front garages (though that one's probably not true with such a small lot). You may also be required to choose among a certain set of colors, you may be required to use a certain mailbox or certain shutters. Bottom line: In an expensive community, you're less likely to keep to the strict budget you've set.

$220,000 for a 9 sq ft lot.

Um, your bathroom is bigger than 9 sf ft. I think you're being sloppy with details here.

I don't think it is realistic to try and build a house for less than half the price a builder may charge in the same neighborhood. But, let's put a positive spin on this:

If you are in a position to buy the lot now and hang on to it, then that is a great position to be in (although be sure to find out if the community allows that or if you have to build within a certain time from purchasing the lot).

Then, save money until you can afford to build a house that will work for you, you will like, and also will fit in with the neighborhood.

And, you can use that time to research, learn and plan your home so that when you are ready to build you can specify almost everything in the contract and avoid some of the pitfalls other folks post about, such as going over on allowances.

Is this 3700 sf above grade (meaning not including the basement?)

@summersatthelake its including the basement. doesnt include garage though.

but still...I read this far!

Have you looked at the HOA agreement and the contract you signed? Have you looked at any architectural guidelines enclosed in it? You say this is an exclusive community. These days they often have rules about setbacks, building material allowed, roof pitch, landscaping, etc. under the guise of keeping up property values for the neighborhood. For example, you probably couldn't plop down doublewide that's big enough (if one existed) without being in violation of the HOA rules. Also, have you checked what they were including in the sq ft minimum? In some places the basement isn't included in the stipulated sq ft. Just above ground air conditioned space is included. All of the things you haven't mentioned can and will increase the cost per sq ft.

When we looked at neighborhoods to build in the first thing I did was request a copy of the HOA covenant. I then used a highlighter and a pen to go through the agreement with a fine tooth comb and mark every single thing that would affect the cost of building our home. I'd already chosen a builder so I went over everything I marked and discussed with him how the things I found would affect the cost of the build. if you haven't done that yet you should do that ASAP. It may be very eye opening.

And gated community is a common thing now MOST new neighborhoods have it.

No, not true. In my area we have exactly one gated community, and it's a couple decades old apartment complex. I'm not sure who'd try to break into it. No, the newer neighborhoods don't have gates. No, the expensive neighborhoods don't have gates. No, the historic district doesn't have a gate. It's far from common. Someone's sold you a bill of goods.

@mrspete well in oklahoma most of the newer developments (we looked at 5) are gated. ALL the new apartments are gated. so it probably depends on the city/state. and why would decades old apartments be gated and not new ones? all the OLD apartments HERE are not gated at all.

@tcufrog Im going to print out the hoa agreement and go over it like you said. Either we will have to double or triple our budget and wait a bit longer to start building or i can always put it up for sale and get a smaller lot

Sell your lot - either you bought something that you didn't understand or the neighborhood is going to go to hell.

Seriously, I thought you were considering building a very simple center line 1.5 story on a basement (something like a simple cape cod kit from 84 lumber). 1600 sqft. mainfloor and 800 in attic rooms, with a basement, that was going to be vinyl sided and, most importantly, set on your own land somewhere that has no HOA (even then it is highly unlikely you would get in it for less than $200k). There is no gated community that will let you build anything approaching the simple home you would have to build, and if there happens to be one, get out of it. A development that badly planned and managed is more likely to cause you pain and cost you money.

Good advice, Bry911.