How Much Does it Cost to Build a House in Florida
Hi Carl, I am half-way through your book. I am catching myself reading each chapter 2-3 times! It has been a great help as I start to build my dream home.
I was hoping you could help me determine the cost to build in Broward County Florida (zip is 33325).
I have purchased an acre lot and am eager to start building but want to make sure I am budgeting properly.
Thanks for your expertise! David
Hi David, You didn’t give me much to go on as to what size and style house you were planning to build, so I chose a house I found on houseplansandmore.com that I liked.
It has a stucco veneer, 3 bedrooms, 2/1/2 baths, and 2,324 square feet of living area and a nice floor plan. Houseplansandmore.com has this to say about Florida house plans:
“Florida style homes mirror the design of Spanish or Mediterranean architecture with features including tile roofs, arches, stucco siding and contemporary lines. But, unlike Mediterranean or Spanish homes, many Florida homes use pastel hues rather than vivid ones.
Although Mediterranean and Spanish styles are popular, another Florida style is the home raised on piers seen in beach/coastal areas. These homes are casual and relaxed with many windows and verandas for enjoying seaside breezes.
One thing that all Florida homes have in common is their durability to strong weather conditions and high humidity.”
Colonade Prairie Style Home from houseplansandmore.com
• 2324 Total Square Feet
• 1st Floor 1599
• 2nd Floor 725
• Width: 58’-0” Depth: 51’-8”
• 3 Bedrooms
• 2 Full Baths, 1 Half Bath
• 2-Car Attached, Front Entry: 420 sq. ft.
• Concrete Slab Foundation - Striking exterior with stucco and hip roof
• Ascending flared stair adds drama to open foyer with second floor balcony
• Sunken two-story great room with balcony overlook enhanced with arched transom windows and opens to octagon-shaped breakfast room
• Master suite enjoys an opulent bath overlooking private walled garden
I ran a cost to build using the construction estimating software from Craftsman Book using Quality Class #4.
Estimated cost to build using the cost to build calculator = $319,253 including the General Contractor markup of $38,983.
David, this will give you an approximate idea as to how much a new home will cost.
Until you actually start getting bids and entering them into your own spreadsheet (see my spreadsheet page for FREE spreadsheets), it will remain approximate.
Everyone should keep in mind that the cost to build a house for this example, or any house plan, can vary considerably depending on actual bids for contractor labor and building materials. The cost of land, land development, local government fees, impact fees, etc., are not included in any of my cost to build examples.
Important Notice:
Cost estimates change with time. YOU can update this 2019 estimate to see if it has, as well as experimenting with different building quality inputs that affect the cost to build.
Carl Heldmann
