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How Much House Can You Actually Afford to Build?
How Much House Can You Actually Afford to Build?
The number from a mortgage affordability calculator is not the number that governs a construction budget, because a construction loan works differently from a mortgage on an existing house, and... Read more...
Whole House Generator: How to Size One and What It Costs
Whole House Generator: How to Size One and What It Costs
A whole house standby generator costs roughly $9,000 to $20,000 fully installed for a typical 14 to 26 kilowatt system. Most 22 kilowatt installs, the size that covers a larger... Read more...
What Can You Fit in a 3,000 or 3,500 Square Foot Lot?
What Can You Fit in a 3,000 or 3,500 Square Foot Lot?
A 3,000 to 3,500 square foot lot will typically hold a single-family home of roughly 900 to 1,400 square feet, sitting on a footprint no wider than about 40 feet... Read more...
One Story or Two? The Cost, the Comfort, and the Resale Math
One Story or Two? The Cost, the Comfort, and the Resale Math
For the same total square footage, a two-story house generally costs less to build than a one-story house, because two of the most expensive systems in a home, the foundation... Read more...
Metal Roof or Asphalt Shingles? Cost, Lifespan, and the Noise Question
Metal Roof or Asphalt Shingles? Cost, Lifespan, and the Noise Question
A metal roof costs $500 to $1,600 per square installed and lasts 30 to 80 or more years, according to 2025 data from HomeGuide. An asphalt shingle roof costs $300... Read more...
Owner Builder: What You Save and What You Take On
Owner Builder: What You Save and What You Take On
Building a house yourself, meaning acting as your own general contractor, can save you the general contractor's fee, which typically runs 10 to 20 percent of the total construction budget.... Read more...
What It Actually Costs to Turn Raw Land Into a Buildable Site
What It Actually Costs to Turn Raw Land Into a Buildable Site
Turning raw land into a buildable site commonly costs $20,000 to $60,000 or more before the first slab is poured, covering clearing, a driveway, a well, a septic system, and... Read more...
Allowances Are Where Home Budgets Quietly Break
Allowances Are Where Home Budgets Quietly Break
An allowance is a placeholder budget in a construction contract for an item you have not selected yet, such as cabinets, flooring, or light fixtures. The risk is not the... Read more...
How Much Land Do You Need to Build a House?
How Much Land Do You Need to Build a House?
How much land you need to build a house comes down to four things stacked together: the septic system, the well, your property line setbacks, and the driveway. Septic is... Read more...
Fry Design Co. modern farmhouse shown transitioning from architectural sketch to finished home, with rolled blueprints and a pencil in the foreground, representing the design-to-build process.
Stock Plans vs Custom Design: Which One Fits Your Build?
Stock plan or custom design? One is faster and costs less, the other fits exactly. Here is how to tell which one fits your build, plus the middle path most... Read more...