House Plan of the Week & Cost to Build




Craftsman home plans

Craftsman house plans reflect the thinking of English designers, including John Ruskin and William Morris, who launched the Arts and Crafts Movement and its celebration of handicrafts and use of simple forms and natural materials. Most popular in America from 1920 to 1942, Craftsman style homes sprang up by the thousands, thanks to mail order plans published by Gustav Stickley. Natural materials such as wood and stone are used combination with each other. The Craftsman house features a low-pitched, gabled roof (often hipped) with a wide overhang and exposed roof rafters. Its porches are either full or partial width, with tapered columns or pedestals that extend to the ground level. The appeal of the Craftsman home style can be found in its rustic appearance which embraces the hands-on craftsmanship of the turn-of-the-Century Arts and Crafts movement. The Craftsman house plans in this collection stay true to these ideals, offering variations of the Craftsman style home from simple one-story home plans to elaborate two-story estate floor plans.


Homeplans.com, PLAN 21-294


Plan Details: bedrooms: 4, baths: 2.5 garage stalls: 2, levels: 1, width: 69' depth: 59' 8", walls: 2"x4", roof pitch: 10:12 & 12:12, square feet: 2118,
main floor: 2118, garage: 714, bonus: 335, ceiling main: 9”



Lifestyle Features: great room, covered rear porch, volume/vaulted ceiling peninsula/eating bar, covered front porch, storage area, split bedrooms, walk-in closet, side-entry garage, bonus room, nook / breakfast area, suited for corner lot, den/office/computer, open floor plan.

To estimate cost, I'll use my resource #5 , “Building Costs by City & State”, on "Getting Started" on www.byoh.com., using “average" quality.



Using this "shape" on the "cost to build" calculator for the Spartanburg, SC area, I came up with $203,981 for an owner/builder. That’s an approximate cost of $96.30 per sq. ft.

I determined this amount by deducting the General Contractor’s Markup, equipment rental, and allowed only $2,000 for insurance.
Keep in mind, one level homes cost more per sq. ft. to build.

Breakdown of Building Costs For This House. PDF
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You should keep in mind that the cost to build for this example, or any house plan, can vary considerably depending quality of materials selected, and on actual bids for labor and material.

The estimate for this house is an approximate one based on “average” quality materials.

Until you actually start getting bids and entering them into your own spreadsheet (see my spreadsheet page for FREE spreadsheets), it will remain approximate.

Remember: By being the General Contractor (GC), determining building costs & hiring professionals (subcontractors) to do the actual work (That’s what a GC does), YOU can be your own General Contractor for ANY type of construction: New homebuilding to build your “Dream House”), room additions, remodeling older homes; Build log homes, kit homes, even renovate foreclosures. Since you are the “Boss”, YOU can chose your own house plans or home plans, YOU can design your kitchen, YOU can decide to build “Green”, build with Solar, Wind, geothermal heat pumps, or anything else YOU desire, and YOU can do it for a lot LESS!