Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Applies a regional labor-and-bid multiplier to the whole job.
Result
All-in project cost incl. land
$691,730
Build cost excluding land
$591,730
Cost per finished sq ft
$269
Structure and finishes
$440,300
Builder overhead and profit
$57,636
Contingency reserve
$53,794
Low end of realistic band
$608,722
High end of realistic band
$843,910
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How to use this
- 1Enter finished (conditioned) area (sq ft).
- 2Enter garage, porch and unfinished area (sq ft).
- 3Enter base build rate for your finish grade ($/sq ft).
- 4Enter region — Applies a regional labor-and-bid multiplier to the whole job..
- 5Enter site prep, driveway, well/septic or utility taps ($).
- 6Enter permits and impact fees ($).
- 7Enter builder overhead and profit (%).
- 8Enter contingency (%).
- 9Enter land cost (0 if you own the lot) ($).
- 10Read your all-in project cost incl. land on the right — it updates as you type.
- 11Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Most 'cost to build a house' numbers you see online quote a national cost per square foot for the structure alone, then quietly omit the land, the site work, the utility hookups, the permits, and the 8–12% a builder charges to run the job. That is how a $250,000 quote becomes a $400,000 project. This calculator builds the number the way a construction loan officer does: a finish-grade base rate per finished square foot, multiplied by a regional index, plus garage and porch space priced at a fraction of conditioned space, plus explicit line items for lot, site prep, well or sewer connection, permits and impact fees, builder overhead and profit, and a contingency. Worked assumption for the defaults: a 2,200 sq ft mid-grade home in a national-average market at $185/sq ft finished, 400 sq ft attached garage at 45% of that rate, $28,000 of site and utility work, $12,000 in permits and fees, 12% builder margin and 10% contingency — about $592,000 before land, and roughly $692,000 all-in with a $100,000 lot.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Finished (conditioned) area: 2200 sq ft
- Garage, porch and unfinished area: 400 sq ft
- Base build rate for your finish grade: 185 $/sq ft
- Region: US national average — 1.00×
- Site prep, driveway, well/septic or utility taps: 28000 $
- Permits and impact fees: 12000 $
- Builder overhead and profit: 12 %
- Contingency: 10 %
- Land cost (0 if you own the lot): 100000 $
Results
- All-in project cost incl. land: $691,730
- Build cost excluding land: $591,730
- Cost per finished sq ft: $269
- Structure and finishes: $440,300
- Builder overhead and profit: $57,636
- Contingency reserve: $53,794
- Low end of realistic band: $608,722
- High end of realistic band: $843,910
What each field means
Inputs
- Finished (conditioned) area (sq ft)
- The finished (conditioned) area used in the calculation, measured in sq ft. Starts at 2200 sq ft so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 400–12000 sq ft.
- Garage, porch and unfinished area (sq ft)
- The garage, porch and unfinished area used in the calculation, measured in sq ft. Starts at 400 sq ft so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–4000 sq ft.
- Base build rate for your finish grade ($/sq ft)
- The base build rate for your finish grade used in the calculation, measured in $/sq ft. Starts at 185 $/sq ft so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 90–700 $/sq ft.
- Region
- Applies a regional labor-and-bid multiplier to the whole job.
- Site prep, driveway, well/septic or utility taps ($)
- The site prep, driveway, well/septic or utility taps used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 28000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–400000 $.
- Permits and impact fees ($)
- The permits and impact fees used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 12000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–150000 $.
- Builder overhead and profit (%)
- The builder overhead and profit used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 12 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–35 %.
- Contingency (%)
- The contingency used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 10 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–30 %.
- Land cost (0 if you own the lot) ($)
- The land cost (0 if you own the lot) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 100000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–3000000 $.
Results
- All-in project cost incl. land
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Build cost excluding land
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost per finished sq ft
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Structure and finishes
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Builder overhead and profit
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Contingency reserve
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Low end of realistic band
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- High end of realistic band
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Where does the regional multiplier come from?
It is a job-level index against a US national average of 1.00, built from the spread contractors quote between low-cost rural markets and the highest-cost coastal metros. Materials vary less than labor, but bids move together, so one index tracks real quotes better than splitting them. Swap in your own multiplier by picking the tier closest to two bids you already have.
Why does the tool add a contingency?
Because renovation scopes change once walls are open. On finished-space work 10–15% is normal; on anything touching foundations, sewer lines, or 1970s-and-older wiring, 20% is the honest number. If your contingency is never spent, you finished under budget — that is the point.
What base rate should I use?
Builder-grade tract finishes run roughly $130–170/sq ft nationally, mid-grade custom $175–240, high-end custom $280–500+. Steep lots, complex rooflines and tall ceilings push you a tier higher than the finish level alone suggests.
Does this include landscaping and window coverings?
No. Final landscaping, fencing, blinds, and appliances beyond the builder allowance are the usual sources of the last $15,000–40,000. Add them to the site line if your builder is not carrying them.
Will a lender use this number?
A construction lender underwrites off a signed builder contract plus an appraisal, not an estimate. Use this to sanity-check the contract and to size the cash you need above the loan.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Cost to Build a House Calculator (Regional). Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-to-build-a-house-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-to-build-a-house-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cost to Build a House Calculator (Regional) — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Cost to Build a House Calculator (Regional) — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-to-build-a-house-calculator) (2026).