I just built two identical ranch homes in a subdivision. One had icf basement and stick first floor. The other was icf from footing to eave. The entire icf cost 5.1% more to build. 5% of 180,000 over thirty years is minimal when you figure in all the benefits. We put in a 180,000 btu furnace in the stick, and 50,000 btu in icf house. When you factor in utilities, icf is same or cheaper than stick and you get all the benefits. I think the cost to build with icf may vary significantly depending on location and familiarty.

Bunt

Tony, it appears you are comparing the shell only in your comparison when you say 30-100%. In a wall for wall comp 40% may be the case. When we compare ICF to stick we are talking the overall cost. i.e. 200k stick house x 1.05% = 210k ICF house.
This is truly accurate in our area. In your comp your saying 200k stick = 260k-400k ICF house.????????????????????????????

Dave

I am comparing the cost to build the entire house. Not including the LOT cost.

2100sq ft living, 1000 sqft garage, slab, 2.5 baths,single story, 9ft ceilings, 16 corners, 11 window/door openings, brick veneer exterior, concrete tile roof.

Stick built: 195-220K

6in ICF with wood interior: 280-295K, + one at 390K

6in ICF with steel interior: 420K

10in Composite ICF with wood trusses and steel interior: 265K

It is really meaningless to compare, but the icf house I mentioned previously was about 2180 square feet. All brick exterior. 8' basement and first floor (10' family and cathedral in master bed). Basement drywalled and painted (except for clg), Granite countertops, Floor trusses, kraftmade cabinets. 96% furnace, 12seer ac, 24x24 garage (stick),  R60 cellulose in attic. 195k (not including lot) in Michigan.  (Tried to attach pictures, but freeking file size is too large!!). I've built this home several times and I have it optimized, but still gives you an idea) First time I built it cost me about 3k more.

Bunt

Wow, well maybe there isn't much ICF going on in Tony's area. Maybe the few builders who do ICF there figure they've got the market cornered?

I think I am working too cheap?

Strip topsoil
Dig foundation
Footings with formadrain, 10 corners, simple roof system
4ft. ICF crawl space, air gap damproof, weeping tile and sump pit no pump
Wood subfloor and interior bearing walls
9 ft. main floor ICF walls, ICF partition between garage and home.
Engineered roof system with 5/8 cdx plywood, hurricane straps
Dry in roof with sharkskin
Marvin integrity type windows maximum 10 of them, installed.
Backfill foundation.

Within 15 miles of our location, $40.00 per sq. ft. under roof for a client who pays on time.

Where are you again irnivek? I don't suppose you're 15 miles from southern Louisiana? :)

In Tony's area, construction costs are as a norm "cheap". One can buy ICF forms delivered to site in the 11.00 per block range. Labor is low cost compared to other areas, products made in Mexico sell for lower cost or can be brought over the border easily.
Based on my limited experience (about 50 ICF builds in the valley), ICF is more money to build, but figure the average cost to build ICF.....say 10.00 per sf of wall for labor and material which is higher than the valley....

Now, a 2100 sf house, say the wall area is 52x40 and ten feet tall, so 52+52+ 40+40 = 184 lf, don't deduct 20% (avg) for openings, you end up with wall area of 1840 sf.

Multiply that gross wall area by ten bucks (cost per sf of ICF wall L&M) and you get a total cost of the ICF at 18,400, round it up to 20k,

so how this adds 70+K to the cost of the house is not really explainable.

Maybe I'm just wrong, so we'll refigure this.... just say that the 2100 sf house is "cut up" with taller walls than 10', so the wall area is "double", that would result in a wall area of 3680 sf, ok, so maybe my knowledge is lacking in costs based on the supplied info, the cost then must still be near 20.00 per sf of wall in order to make it a minimum of 70k more than stick.....

Recap costs:

Rusot block is 11.00, but let's use higher "brand name" cost of 18.00, that's 3.38/sf

A 2100 sf house could be 4" concrete, but let's use 6", cost per yard of 80.00/54 = 1.50

pump....this is a 2100sf house, so pump will be minimum, say it's 800.00/2000 sf of wall, say 40 cents

Bar, figure #4 bar 16" oc hor and 12" on center vert, so 2.0 lft per sf of wall a bar costs less than 5.00, but use that for ease ....50/sf wall area

Bucks, they somewhat wash out because there is a net savings in form and concrete in the openings, but we'll figure the buck costs for this house at 1000.00 just to put a figure in.... so say about .50/sf

Anchor bolts and miscellaneous we'll say costs 500.00, so add .25/sf

We are now at 6.53 per sf of wall for all the materials......that basically leaves 3.50 or more in labor to keep the cost below 10.00....chop 1/3 the concrete and go with a 4" wall, go with RUSOT block, rebar will stay the same, could go helix or Novomesh 700....

Jelly:
We're in N. Wyoming, around $100 yd. concrete with mileage surcharges.

Kevin

Kevin,

What is the mileage surcharge from Wyoming to Louisiana??? Oh don't forget the retarder.

ICF Contractor

LOL! I bet you could make it in 48 hours if you drive non-stop :)

Seriously though, contractors in Louisiana are charging twice what Kevin is charging per square foot - and to build with sticks.