Building a ranch house: What Costs Can You Expect?

Some people like the ranch style of home. It has a charming look that families have enjoyed for centuries. While some modern ranch-style homes come with upgrades and updates, the original designs haven’t changed much since this style’s inception.

If you’re one of the home builders in Liberty Hill thinking of starting construction on a ranch house soon, you may not know what costs you can expect. We will talk about some of the more common ones in the following article.

The Average Total Cost

Let’s start by talking about the average total cost for ranch-style homes in the US. You can expect to pay $315,000, on average, for a ranch-style home that is 1,800 square feet. However, you can pay as little as $150,000 or as much as $600,000, depending on several factors.

If you cut down on the square footage, you can expect to pay less. More square footage, and you can raise the total price tag.

For the most part, you’re looking at paying $100-200 per square foot, but for a more luxurious house with all the trimmings, you might pay as much as $400-500 per square foot.

Lumber, Concrete, and Drywall

Building costs have soared in recent years, and you’ll want to consider that when thinking about whether you should build your own dream house or buy an existing one instead. Using the 1,800-square-foot house as a model again, you can expect to pay anywhere from $25,000 to $65,000 for lumber alone.

Concrete will run you anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 in total. Drywall is not generally all that expensive. You can usually install it for about $10 per sheet.

Roofing Materials, Insulation, and Siding

Expect to pay from $1,000 to $3,000 for roofing materials. Insulation costs from $0.10 to $1 per square foot. Siding can be yours as cheaply as $2 per square foot in some instances, or you might pay as much as $10 per square foot.

Labor Costs

If you can spearhead the project yourself and do all or some of the labor, that can save you a ton of money. Most individuals don’t have that skill set, though.

You will likely pay your construction manager anywhere from $3,150 to $50,000. Usually, they base their pay on a percentage of the home’s total cost. 

You will need to pay a plumber, an electrician, someone to do the roof, and someone to handle the house framing. You must factor in the money for house planning, land clearing, and building permit costs. There is also the cost of demolition if you need to knock down existing property where you’re going to start your new construction.

If you have the money and patience to tackle a project this ambitious, there’s no reason not to do so. You can have your dream home, provided you find a place to put it and individuals with the skills to see your project through to completion.