What a Per Square Foot Number Actually Means
A custom home cost per square foot figure is the most quoted number in homebuilding and is also the most misunderstood. It is worth knowing what it is and how it actually works. The biggest price difference comes from whether or not the land the house is on needs work.
Usually inside the home: the house. Foundation, framing, roof, windows, siding, insulation, drywall, trim, cabinets, flooring, fixtures, mechanical systems, labor.
Usually outside the home: the land. The well. The septic system. The driveway. The power run from the road. Site prep and grading. And anything you choose above the standard finish level.
Two builders can quote very different custom home construction costs for what seems like the same house, and they both could be telling the truth. One is quoting the house. The other is quoting the house plus everything it takes to prep the plot of land for building. Ask which you are looking at. Any builder worth hiring will tell you plainly.
There is one more thing about per square foot pricing that surprises people. A smaller house often costs more per square foot than a larger one. Kitchens and bathrooms are the most expensive rooms in any home, and they do not shrink when the floor plan does.
A 1,600 square foot house and a 2,700 square foot house may have the same kitchen and the same two and a half baths. Spread that cost over fewer square feet and the rate goes up. If you are comparing a small plan to a large one on rate alone, that is why the small one looks expensive.
What It Costs by Size
Rough ranges for the sizes we build most. Custom built homes prices move with size, but not as steeply as people expect, for the reason in the section above. These assume you already own the land and cover the house itself.
| Home Size | Typical Layout | Range |
| 1,600 sq ft | 3 bed, 2 bath, garage | Starting from $300k |
| 1,800 sq ft | 3 bed, 2 bath with a larger primary suite, garage | Starting from $400k |
| 2,000 sq ft | 4 bed, 2.5 bath, garage | Starting from $500k |
| 2,700 sq ft | 4 bed, two story or larger single level | Starting from $700k |
Our 1,600 square foot rancher is the home we have built more than any other. We designed it around how we actually wanted to live, and it turned out a lot of people want the same things. Single level, no stairs, a garage, and every square foot going to something useful.
There is no ceiling on the other end. If you want something considerably larger, we will build it. Sit down with us and we will tell you whether it is a project we should take on right now.
What Your Land Costs Before the House Starts
If you are building on your own lot, the land needs work before a house can go on it. These are real costs and they vary more than anything else on this list, because they depend entirely on your parcel.
- A perc (percolation) test, to make sure the soil can hold a septic field and where it can go
- A septic system, sized to the house
- A well. Public water is the exception in Louisa, Goochland, and Powhatan
- A driveway, built so a concrete truck can actually get in
- A power run from the road. Often the longest lead time on the whole project, and the cost depends on the distance
- Site prep and grading, which depends on how much the lot slopes and how many trees have to come out
What Makes One Custom Home Cost More Than Another
This is the part most cost articles skip. Two homes of the same size can be tens of thousands of dollars apart, and a custom home builder’s cost that looks high next to a competitor is often just a different set of standards. It is worth knowing where the money goes.
Some of it is decisions we have already made for you, because we do not build to the bare minimum. Every home we build gets:
- Nine foot ceilings. More framing, more drywall, more trim, more paint. It costs more on every wall in the house, and it is the single biggest reason our rooms feel the way they do.
- Double hung windows. More than a single hung unit costs, and worth it every time you want to open one.
- A Vantech subfloor instead of standard OSB. You feel the difference walking across it in year ten.
- Oversized 1×8 base trim throughout the house, not just the rooms guests see.
- Floor joists 12 inches on center instead of 16. More lumber, more labor, a floor that does not move.
None of those are upgrades on our price sheet. They are how we build, and they are already in the number I gave you at the top.
Then there are the choices that are genuinely yours:
- Kitchen and bathroom finishes. The widest swing of anything. Cabinets, counters, and tile can move a build by tens of thousands depending on where you land.
- Roof complexity. Every valley, dormer, and change of pitch adds labor and material.
- The shape of the house. A simple rectangle costs less than the same square footage with eight corners. Corners are expensive.
- Garage size, porches, and covered outdoor space.
When somebody tells you they can build cheaper, the list above is usually where the difference is. That is a fair trade if you know you are making it, and we’ll always be transparent on your home’s features.
Custom or New Construction Home?
Building custom is not the right answer for everybody, and we will let you know where you stand
If you want to be in a house in a few months, if you would rather not make several hundred decisions, and if you do not want to manage a well and a septic field, one of our available homes is probably the better fit. They start lower than a custom build because we buy the land in quantity and build a plan we have built before. Same specifications, same crew, same phone number afterward.
Custom makes sense when you already own land, when you want control over the layout and the finishes, and when you have some flexibility on timing.
If you are weighing the two, [look at what we have available now].
Common Questions
How much does it cost to build a custom home?
In Central Virginia, generally $300k to $700k for the house with land and site work. Where you land inside that depends on size, the shape of the house, and your kitchen and bath selections.
What’s the real price range if everything depends on the lot and finishes?
Fair question, and the honest answer is that the range narrows fast once we know two things: how big, and whether you own the land. Tell us those and we can usually get you inside a $50,000 window in one conversation. Precision after that comes from selections.
Is it cheaper to build or to buy?
Usually buying, at least on the sticker. An existing home has already absorbed its site work and its finish decisions. Building costs more up front and gets you exactly what you want, built the way you want. Both are reasonable choices, but which one is better depends on your situation.
Does building on land I already own cost less?
It removes the land from the purchase price, making a big difference. It doesn’t remove the site work, and an unimproved plot needs a well, a septic system, and access before anything else happens.
What’s the most expensive part of building a house?
Framing and the structural shell are the largest single line. But the part that moves a budget most, once you are underway, is kitchen and bathroom selections.
Can you build to a budget I give you?
Tell us your number and we will tell you honestly what it will and will not get you. If what you want to build is misaligned with your budget, we will say that in the first conversation rather than the fifth. A low budget has never led to major problems, and we can always adjust accordingly.
Come Talk to Us About Your Number
You can read about how much to build a custom home all week and still not know what yours costs, because yours depends on your lot and your selections. One conversation gets you closer than ten articles.
Come meet with us. Bring a plan, a sketch, or nothing at all. We will look at what you are thinking, tell you what it will take, and give you a real number. If it turns out we are not the right builder for you, there will be no hurt feelings.
We build in Goochland, Powhatan, and Louisa County, and have been building in Central Virginia for three generations.