Choosing your builder is like choosing a new car
When it’s time to buy a new car or truck for your family or business, do you start out by determining how much per pound you are willing to pay? Of course not. You choose the right make and model for you based on your needs, what you will be carrying in the vehicle, and the features and upgrades you can’t live without.
As Peter Scholl explains in this video, the same considerations hold true when choosing your builder for your home or commercial construction project. With so many variables in play, comparing cost per square foot between builders becomes meaningless.
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Scholl Construction is ready to answer all your questions to help make your vision a reality. Call us today at 815-479-0910 to get started, or contact us online to arrange an appointment.
Transcript
How much will my house cost per square foot?
Square foot is one of the most common questions I get ask, but it’s probably the most irrelevant to the cost of a construction project. I relate it to how much is a cup of coffee per gallon or per ounce? It depends if you’re going to a gas station or you’re going to Starbucks. Or, how much is a car per pound? Is it a Mercedes or is it an F 250 truck? It really depends what you put into the house.
Front porches are not typically included in the square footage, but there’s a huge cost associated with those. The back porch, deck and screen rooms are typically not included. There’s a cost associated with those too. Sometimes an architect will draw a bonus room on the top of the garage and the bonus room square footage isn’t included in the square foot cost. Basements make a big difference. Is the house built on a slab? Does it have a crawl space? Is it built on a basement or is it a walkout where there’s a whole other set of windows. Is there a big wall in the back and a concrete patio? To get an accurate cost per square foot, we need to talk about the design of the structure. We haven’t even gotten into the materials yet. You know, is it vinyl siding, regular siding; do you have a full masonry fireplace or a metal box fireplace that’s covered in masonry. All those things have dramatic swings in the cost per square foot. It really depends on what you want to build, where you’re building it and the design of your house. As we get further into the process of working together, we will nail down all those things and work your home into whatever budget you have.
