Hi all, long time lurker, new member.

I'm looking to build an ICF colonial in NH and am in the research phase right now.  I'm just a homeowner (not a builder) and need a GC to oversee pretty much everything (septic install, lot clearing, rough in driveway, building the house, etc.).  I'll have my approved septic and plot plan shortly.  Getting this was the first step because I need this in order to be 100% certain I can even build on our lot.

I'm rapidly finding out that I'm in a buyer's conundrum:  I cannot get written bids for this project until I have full house plans, but I cannot determine how much house I can afford until I buy expensive house plans (anywhere from $2500 - $10,000) in order to get firm bids. 

The neighborhood where our lot is located has stick homes averaging 2400-3000 sq ft on 2.0 to 3.5 acres.  The most expensive recent sale was $399,000, so $350,000 - $400,000 is the target cost for our project. 

I've spoken to three builders thus far for a ballpark quote (not firm, of course) and here's what I'm hearing:

Builder One:

• ICF (Nudura) can be built for roughly the same cost as stick-frame
• Approximates the total cost at approximately $125-$140 per square foot (this is within my budget)
  
• To build below $125 sq ft would require buying 50-cent tile, laminate floors, laminate counter tops, bare minimum plumbing and electrical, etc.
  

Builder Two:

• Says ICF (also a Nudura builder) costs approximately 25% more
  
• plan on approximately $200/sq ft (way out of my price range)

Builder Three:

• ICF houses cost between $195 - $250 sq ft (way out of my price range)
• Told me to downsize my planned 3,000 sq ft house down to 2,200-2,400 sq ft to meet budget--not an option.
  

I plan to speak with more builders but based on my first three interviews, someone isn't being entirely truthful with me.  At $200/sq ft two of these builders are telling me a 3,000 sq ft house costs $600,000 to build.  That seems insane to me considering I already own the land.  That means it costs 50% MORE to build a new house on a lot I already own than it would be to buy an existing house of similar size including land.  

Any thoughts on what it costs to build per square foot in the NH area?  Thank you in advance for any tips, suggestions, ideas, etc..

Posted By B2L on 21 Feb 2015 10:00 AM
  I cannot determine how much house I can afford until I buy expensive house plans (anywhere from $2500 - $10,000) in order to get firm bids. 

Builder One:

• ICF (Nudura) can be built for roughly the same cost as stick-frame
• Approximates the total cost at approximately $125-$140 per square foot (this is within my budget)
  
• To build below $125 sq ft would require buying 50-cent tile, laminate floors, laminate counter tops, bare minimum plumbing and electrical, etc.
  

Builder Two:

• Says ICF (also a Nudura builder) costs approximately 25% more
  
• plan on approximately $200/sq ft (way out of my price range)

Builder Three:

• ICF houses cost between $195 - $250 sq ft (way out of my price range)
• Told me to downsize my planned 3,000 sq ft house down to 2,200-2,400 sq ft to meet budget--not an option. 

Builder two is insane and builder three is smoking some kind of drugs. In all seriousness, builder #2 and #3 are way off and you should not contact them ever again. Walk away and don't look back.

First things first, you are approaching this the wrong way. You shouldn't state, " I cannot determine how much house I can afford." That is the wrong approach. You should ask:
1 - How many people will live in the home?
2 - Will I retire in this home or sell it off in 5-10 years?
3 - What is my budget?

Once those items are determined, you can make a decision on the home size and style you want. Not based on how much you can afford but how much house do you really need? If you will have 2 people living in the home, then nothing more than 3 bed/3 bath is needed. One bedroom can be used as an office and the 3rd one can be used as a guestroom. If 2 people then 2,000 - 2,500 sqft is more than adequate.

ICF costs are determined on wall square footage (including window and door areas) not based on floor square footage. ICF costs range between $12-$18 per wall square footage. This includes rebar, concrete, labor, ICF window and door bucks, etc. So if you had 2,000 square feet of wall space then it would range $24k - $36k for the ICF portion.


My advice: Hire the ICF contractor to do the ICF alone and have him price it out for the ICF walls. IF he comes in the $12-$18 wall sqft range, you are good. Then just hire a GC to finish out the home.

 

Hi Lbear,

Thank you for your reply. I realize now I should have been more clear in my post. I have my budget and my house plan in mind. What I'm trying to figure out--without buying expensive plans up front--is whether I can afford to build that house within my budget. I was hoping to get a somewhat accurate quote before buying an expensive plan.  (I realize I need plans for an exact quote) Apologies for the ambiguity.

Excellent advice on cost analysis of the ICF portion of the house. I never considered hiring a builder just for the ICF shell and then hiring a GC for the rest. Good idea!

Posted By B2L on 21 Feb 2015 09:55 PM
Hi Lbear,

Thank you for your reply. 

Excellent advice on cost analysis of the ICF portion of the house. I never considered hiring a builder just for the ICF shell and then hiring a GC for the rest. Good idea!

No problem, glad to help. Any contractor can finish off the interior of a home but ICF contractors (good ones) are very rare. Better to have an ICF contractor do just the ICF and then just hire the dime a dozen GC's who can finish off the roof and interior.

I would NEVER have a wood frame contractor with no ICF experience do an ICF home. I've seen it happen and it wasn't pretty. My view is would you have a podiatrist conduct brain surgery on you? Just because someone is a doctor doesn't mean they are specialized in everything. Same with building. Someone can be an excellent framer/carpenter but doesn't mean they know how to do ICF.

1- You can get a 2600 sf house plan for $75 with a complete materials list and elevations with a floor plan to get bids.
2-I might be missing something but I don't see any dirt costs in here-what did the land cost you?
3-You need soft costs to be added into there.
4-Are you trying to come out with equity? 3000sf x 125=365k plus soft costs (site work, engineering, blueprints, etc etc). that's usually 35k minimum. up to 50k on raw land. 3 months chasing your tail, 3 months in permits, 3 months construction.....6-9 months interest carrying cost on your financing is 15k....

As said, you should be able to get study plans fairly reasonably. They are one copy, and you can't legally build from them, but they are enough to get quotes on. Price-per-square-foot is so hard to determine that it's not really useful anymore. Everyone has a different idea of what basic, medium, and high-priced finishes are. Just be sure to get detailed quotes in writing, not a casual 'about $300K'. Some builders are set up to knock out homes cheaply and quickly, while others are full-custom, and not even interested in trying to find a price-point. It might be useful to see some of the existing homes that the various builders have completed, so that you can see what you'd be getting for your money. Make sure that the basic structure is in keeping with the ICF construction. What would be the point of an ICF home with the cheapest builder-grade windows and HVAC system? You can upgrade interior finishes, but the basic bones of the house need to be quality.

I'm building my own house, but I've learned a lot about house building after 7 years of study. Around here, they're still slapping impressive-looking McMansions out of 2X4's and R-13 insulation. They look great, but are really cheesy under the pretty skin. It takes a lot of research to build a quality home that will perform well and last.

To add to what others have said, a nice picture can get you a very close quote from a reputable contractor that knows his trade. Unless your house has some very unique features, a good builder with a good track record has probably built one similar.. I help people everyday by sitting down with them and their contractor to get a handle on the ICF costs, I also sit down with the sub trades if they have never done an ICF home. I feel it is part of the service. Also keep in mind this is your home, get the best you can afford, you won't regret ir.

Hey all, great tips and advice...thanks!

The cheapest study plans I've found (and maybe I'm not looking in the right place!) were $875, a far cry from $75 mentioned above. I'll keep searching but are these study plans internet-based or something a local designer may offer?

Septic perc test being done tomorrow... not sure how they plan to negotiate almost 40" of snow on the ground but it's being done. We'll see...

Posted By B2L on 24 Feb 2015 09:47 PM

The cheapest study plans I've found (and maybe I'm not looking in the right place!) were $875, a far cry from $75 mentioned above. I'll keep searching but are these study plans internet-based or something a local designer may offer?

You get what you pay for. $75 for a set of house plans is beyond a joke. I've never even seen such a thing and good luck passing permitting/plan inspections with a set of $75 prints. I would not want to be the homeowner building/living in a home that was assembled using a $75 set of prints.

RULE#1 of the internet: Don't believe everything you read on the internet. That person who posted the $75 post only posted one time and hasn't returned to the forum.

Custom plans can be very inexpensive, comparable to the $1500-$3000 plans on the internet. A local designer should know your code and your plans will be exactly what you need and, since they are custom, will be exactly what you want. It is worth thinking about!

Hi TheScott... I've begun talking with a couple local designers. I sent them a few different plans we have in mind and they're going to help me with build cost estimates by shopping those plans to local builders to see if they can give a rough estimate. Here's hoping...

I'm also finding out the hard way that vendors get excited about my project when I first talk to them, then I hire them and they don't return my calls or emails. So far the lawyer and the engineer (septic, plot plan, surveyor) have both ignored me for two weeks.

If you don't enjoy frustration, sell the lot and buy an existing house.

Posted By jonr on 16 Mar 2015 09:33 AM
If you don't enjoy frustration, sell the lot and buy an existing house.

Nah, I'm loving it!