In the two plus decades that we have been in the home building industry, we have yet to meet the client to whom “cost” was not a significant issue. A home is typically the largest investment that a couple will make, so naturally there can be much anxiety about the costs involved.

Let’s look at the four main areas of “Project Cost”

1. Construction Contract - This is the actual cost of our Fixed Price Contract to build the house.
2. Site Costs - These are the costs that you will incur during the project which ARE NOT a part of the Construction Contract for the House itself … for instance, they are the lawn, the driveway, the leadwalk, the shrubs, the utility hook-ups … in other words, everything that is happening OUTSIDE of the house … Under the terms of our Contract, we contract out for these services on your behalf and then get reimbursed on a cost plus basis through your construction loan.
3. Financial Costs – These are the costs associated with your acquisition and construction loan. These costs might include paying a point to the lender and/or paying the monthly interest on the construction loan borrowings.
4. Lot Costs - These are the costs associated with acquiring the property. Even if you currently own the property, there may be some costs involved in paying off an existing mortgage.

There are many differences between the price structure of custom home building companies. The variation of price points across custom home building companies derives from several different elements. Much like all steaks do not cost the same in every restaurant, so too all home builders do not have the same cost and price structure to their businesses. At JP Brehony Homes we tend to build true custom homes (generally in the size range of 2,800 SF to 5,000 SF above grade) of exceptionally high quality. Our Standard Specifications include such items as engineered floor systems for stiffer, sturdier floors and constructing all interior walls with 2x4s at 16” on center (not 2 feet) for sturdier walls. There are many additional items such as these that define our quality standards. While the price of a new custom home also depends greatly upon the interior selections by the owner, our in-Town homes tend to price out in the neighborhood of $225 - $250 a square foot above grade, not including lot and site costs.