Home addition cost per square foot, and why small additions cost more per foot
Home additions run about $80 to $210 per square foot. Why small additions cost more per foot, the joins to the existing house, and heating the new space.
The QuickBuildCost Blog
Guides to the real cost of building a house in the US, checked against NAHB and US Census data.
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A backyard greenhouse: decide the season first, then the size
A backyard greenhouse averages about $9,640 to build, but heat sets the running cost. What temperatures crops need, and how to size and price a hobby one.
Paver patio cost, and the part under the pavers that matters more
Paver patios cost $8 to $25 per square foot installed. Why the base and slope decide if it stays flat, what the code says on drainage, and permeable pavers.
Sunroom addition cost: three-season or four-season, and which way it faces
A sunroom addition averages about $47,000, but a three-season room costs far less than a four-season one. How to choose, and why orientation decides its use.
How tall does a privacy fence need to be? Work it out before you buy
A privacy fence only works if it blocks the right sightline. How to work out the height you need, what wood and vinyl cost per foot, and when plants do better.
Painting a house interior: work out the paint, then the labor
Labor is 75% to 95% of an interior paint job, so prep and scope matter more than paint. How to measure walls, how many gallons you need, and painting safely.
Tiny house cost: the price is the easy part
A tiny house can cost $30,000 to $70,000 to build, but where you can live in it matters more. Wheels or foundation, the tiny house code and costs people miss.
Whole house renovation: the order of work that protects your budget
A whole house renovation runs $15 to $60 per square foot, and a gut job $60 to $150. The order of work that avoids paying twice, and older-home hazards.
Raised garden beds for a new yard: size, soil and what they cost
New-build yards often have compacted soil, which makes raised beds a smart first garden. How wide and deep to build them, what to fill them with, and the cost.
Retaining walls: why the 4-foot line changes the price
Retaining walls look simple, but height and water decide the cost. What the building code says about walls over 48 inches, why drainage matters, and budgeting.
Building a garage with an apartment above: what the second floor adds
A garage with an apartment costs $200 to $350 per square foot, or $115,000 to $200,000 for a 24×24. Where the money goes, the fire code and what to check first.
Garage construction cost in 2026: the research behind our garage calculator
How we priced every part of a US garage for 2026, from slab and framing to doors, wiring and a room above, with the sources, code rules and state labor data.
Garage doors for a new garage: one wide door or two, and what each costs
A new garage door costs $754 to $1,707 on average, plus about $379 for an opener. How width, height, material and insulation change the price before framing.
Garage slab cost: frost footings, thickness and the slope rule
A garage slab costs $4 to $14 per square foot, up to $16 with frost footings. What changes the price, the code rule on floor slope, and what to settle first.
Wiring a new garage: circuits, a subpanel and room for an EV charger
Wiring a garage costs $4 to $9 per square foot; a buried line to a detached garage $10 to $25 per foot. What a new garage needs, and planning for an EV charger.
Prefab, steel or stick-built garage: comparing the price once it is standing
Prefab garages cost $5,000 to $30,000 before the slab, delivery and wiring. How kit, steel and stick-built garages compare once installed, and what each omits.
What you are paying for when you build a deck
Why deck quotes run far above the price of the boards: the footings, ledger, guards and hardware the code requires, and the choices that change the cost.
Before you price a fence: the five decisions that set the cost
Fences are priced by the foot, but the real cost is set earlier by the line, the purpose, the height, the gates and the ground. A plain guide to planning one.
Replacing siding: when it is worth it, and the upgrade most people skip
When siding needs replacing, what a fair quote includes, the lead-paint rule for pre-1978 homes, and why re-siding is the cheapest time to insulate the walls.
Updating the NAHB 2024 building costs to 2026: our research
How QuickBuildCost updates every NAHB 2024 cost line to 2026 with BLS price indexes, what finish levels add, and when NAHB and BLS release new data.
Being your own general contractor: what you save and what it costs you
Acting as your own general contractor can save the builder’s markup, but owner-built homes take longer. What the job involves, the real savings and the risks.
Building a house in a flood zone: rules, extra costs and how to check a lot
What a FEMA flood zone means for a new house: elevation rules, mandatory flood insurance, the extra foundation cost, and how to check a lot before you buy it.
Change orders and cost overruns: how to keep a new build on budget
Why new-home budgets grow after the contract is signed, how change orders are priced, and practical steps to control overruns from design through move-in.
Construction loans explained: draws, interest and what they really cost
How a construction loan works: interest-only payments on money drawn, draw schedules and inspections, one-close vs two-close loans, and how to budget for it.
Cost-plus vs fixed-price contracts: which is better for building a house?
Fixed-price and cost-plus contracts split the risk of building a house in opposite ways. How each works, what can go wrong, and which clauses to check first.
Driveway, landscaping and final steps: the last 6.5% of a new house
The final steps of a build, driveway, landscaping, decks and clean-up, averaged $27,710 in the NAHB 2024 survey. What they include and why not to cut them.
Framing costs for a new house: wood, steel or concrete?
Framing averaged 16.6% of construction cost in the NAHB 2024 survey. What it includes, why 94% of new homes are wood-framed, and what moves the framing price.
Garage cost when building a house: one, two or three cars?
Two-car garages are on 65% of new homes. What drives the cost of an attached or detached garage, how size affects your budget and lot, and what to plan for.
House size and cost per square foot: why bigger is cheaper per foot but not overall
Cost per square foot falls as houses get bigger, but total cost keeps rising. How size, shape and stories change the price, using NAHB 2024 and Census data.
How long does it take to build a house? Timelines and what they cost you
Census data says a new house took 8.8 months from permit to completion in 2025. See how timelines vary by builder type, size and region, and what delays cost.
How to choose a building lot: 12 checks before you buy land
The land decides much of what a new house costs. Twelve checks to run before you buy a lot, from zoning and utilities to soil, slope, flood maps and access.
How to compare builder bids line by line (and spot what is missing)
Builder bids for the same house can differ by thousands. How to line them up stage by stage against NAHB averages and find exclusions and low allowances.
HVAC for a new house: heat pump or furnace, and what drives the cost
Heat pumps now heat nearly half of new US homes. How heat pumps, furnaces and central air compare in a new build, what drives HVAC cost, and how to size it.
Interior finishes: the biggest stage of a new house, item by item
Interior finishes are 24.1% of construction cost in the NAHB 2024 survey. What insulation, drywall, trim, paint, flooring and fixtures cost, and where to save.
Kitchen costs in a new build: cabinets, counters, appliances and allowances
What cabinets, countertops, appliances and fixtures cost in a new home, using NAHB 2024 averages, and how builder allowances and upgrades change the price.
Plumbing and electrical rough-in costs: the systems inside the walls
Plumbing and electrical rough-ins averaged over $27,000 each in the NAHB 2024 survey. What rough-in covers, why its share keeps rising, and what to plan early.
Roofing costs for a new house: what you pay for and what drives the price
Roofing averaged $16,732 in the NAHB 2024 survey. What a new roof includes, how shape, pitch and materials move the price, and how to compare roofing quotes.
Siding for a new house: vinyl, stucco, fiber cement or brick?
Vinyl, stucco, fiber cement and brick each clad a quarter or less of new US homes. Compare them on cost drivers, upkeep, climate and the NAHB benchmark.
Slab, crawl space or basement? Choosing a foundation for a new house
Most new US homes now sit on slabs. Compare slab, crawl space and basement foundations on cost drivers, climate, lot conditions and what each adds to the house.
Well and septic for a new house: what to check and what drives the cost
Building where there is no public water or sewer? How wells and septic systems are permitted, what drives their cost, and the tests to run before you buy land.
Hidden costs of building a house: the complete list
The builder's price per square foot leaves out a lot. Here are the costs people forget when building a house, from land and utilities to permits and move-in.
Cost to build a house vs buy: how to compare
Is it cheaper to build or buy a house? We compare the latest US Census figures, explain what each price leaves out, and show you how to compare them.
The cheapest ways to build a house
The cheapest ways to build a house, from smaller simple designs to factory-built homes and sweat equity, with US government data on what each option costs.
Prefab and modular homes in the USA: costs explained
What prefab, modular and manufactured homes cost in the US, what the price leaves out, and how financing and zoning differ, using government data.
Land clearing and site prep: what it involves and what drives the cost
What land clearing and site prep involve before building a house, the federal rules that apply, what drives the cost, and how to get quotes you can compare.
Permit and architectural fees when building a house
Every permit, impact fee and design fee you may pay to build a house in the US, how each is calculated, and how to find your local amounts before you budget.
