Since 2019, based on stats in the annual National Construction Estimator on-site construction costs have risen between 52% and 63%, depending on the market.
Today’s turn-key building costs in Seattle range from $500 to $600 per square foot not including site prep (which can run from $50,000 to $150.000 per lot. On Long Island (NY) the range is $675 to $775 per square foot.
Let me answer a few more questions that I am sure are swirling around in your head:
Why do Lindals cost more than builders’ production houses? Short answer: Because they’re better.
Lindal houses are each designed to enhance the homeowners’ lifestyle and are married to their sites. Lindals are built of architectural grade woods of the Pacific Northwest that cannot be matched in quality, beauty and durability: western red cedar, Alaskan yellow cedar, Douglass fir, IPE. Fir entry and doors and solid core fir interior doors with Baldwin hardware; Viewrail floating stairs and stainless steel rod railings. Beautiful clear cedar or fir interior trim, laminated Douglass fir beams. Lindals typically have 75-125 premium windows; (count the windows in the next spec you visit.) And finally, every Linda is covered by the industry’s only lifetime structural warranty. Lindal’s goal is not to produce a less expensive home; rather it is to build a better home at competitive prices.
Why do small houses cost more per square foot than large houses? Small houses (1000 SF) topically have two full bathrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, heating and cooling system costs, more than one third the cost of those same items in a 3000 SF house. The smaller house may have nearly the same site preparation costs as the larger house. These major cost centers account for a larger share of the total cost in small houses, contributing to higher costs per square foot.
What factors affect the cost of a new home significantly?
The efficiency of the design. A sprawling one level house may require 40% more material to frame than a two-level home with the lower level built into the contours of a gentle slope. And 40% less material translates into 40% less framing labor.
The cost of site preparation. An in-town lot with utilities in the street and a short driveway will cost a fraction to develop compared to a large multi-acre site requiring private septic and well, a geothermal heat pump, ledge to excavate and a long driveway.
To cost of finishes. In the last five years I’ve done projects with allowances designated for cabinets, countertops, kitchen appliances, flooring, plumbing and light fixtures, and fireplaces totaling $75,000 to $350,000. Photovoltaics can add another well-spent $50,000 to $100,000.
Regional building costs. Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island in New York tip the scales at 30% above the national average. Seattle and the islands of Puget Sound are 16% above the national average where just a few hours away in Bend Oregon, costs are 8% below the national average. These figures are published annually for over 700 US and Canadian markets in the National Construction Estimator. You might find small variances to the reliable researched costs.
So what do Lindal and Warmmodern Living do to ease the pain of increasing home building costs?
We design every client’s Lindal to their budget. The budget is not an afterthought.
Our design costs are not profit centers.
If we don’t succeed in designing a home that is within your budget and you do not purchase our materials, Lindal and Warmmodern Living generate no income (in contrast to architects who collect up to 75% of their fee, even if you don’t build).
We estimate cost from the first iteration of Lindal design and throughout the process.
The Lindal building system enables us to estimate and to value engineer (if necessary) quickly and efficiently.
When you sign a contract to purchase Lindal materials your price will be locked for up to nine months, long enough to obtain permits and take delivery.
The Lindal Quick Ship program offers discounts for purchasing a home with minimal changes (and minimal drafting and engineering costs).
Warmmodern Living will guide the planning process of your build, including a basic but informative evaluation of the suitability of your site before you purchase it; obtaining builder estimates early in the process, and using the Lindal building system to design efficiently.
Our rigorous architectural training and nearly fifty years of industry experience will serve you well.
Finally, What can you do to contain the cost of your build?
Increases are not necessarily the result of greed. New buildingcode requirements that help ensure home safety in the event of fire, hurricanes, or heavy snows, that provide better insulation or generate electricity to power your home adds cost. And yes, items you covet because they are damned cool…those floating steel stairs, a six-burner two-oven induction range, green products that will help heal the environment but cost more to produce than the toxic products they replace. Many products we are required to use or those that we can hardly wait to own….allof these can contribute significantly to increased building costs.. And lastly, be conscious to build only what you need and will use. Reducing the size of your planned home by 200 square feet could save you over $100,000 (conversely a 200 square foot addition can add over $100,000 in cost), and if the reduction is skillfully designed you may not even notice it’s gone!
Building a new home involves hundreds of decisions and Lindal and Warmmodern Living offer more predictability and information to inform your choices than other approaches. Choices that reduce cost can be difficult, but they most certainly are preferable to the alternative of doing nothing.
Our clients are more than satisfied; they are delighted with the living environments that we’ve created, the home of their lifetime!
Contact us for a complimentary discussion about Lindal’s and Warmmodern Living’s design and building system, and to help you determine if it will meet your needs. Call or email us to schedule a session.
844- WARMMOD
info@warmmodernliving.com