How much does it cost to build a house?

How much does it cost to build a house per square foot?

New single-family houses sold in 2025 went for a median of $154.79 per square foot of floor area, not counting the lot (average $171.95), according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In NAHB's 2024 builder survey, construction alone averaged $162 per square foot — 64.4% of the average sales price.

How much does a 2,000 square foot house cost to build?

At the 2025 national median of $154.79 per square foot, about $309,580 before the lot. Add the land and any site work — a well, septic system or long driveway can add a lot on a rural lot.

Does it cost more in some parts of the country?

Yes. The 2025 Census medians per square foot, lot excluded: Northeast $229.55, West $212.50, Midwest $155.19 and South $144.89. Pick your region to see the difference.

What does the price per square foot include?

The Census figure is what buyers paid for new houses, minus the lot — so it includes the builder's overhead and profit. NAHB's 2024 survey split the average $665,298 sales price into construction 64.4%, finished lot 13.7% and builder profit 11.0%, with the rest in financing, overhead, marketing and commissions.

Why is my builder's quote different?

Finishes, the design, site work, local labor and whether the builder builds many similar homes all move the price. These are national and regional medians — use them to sanity-check a quote, and enter a builder's own price per square foot to compare.

Is the lot included in the estimate?

Only if you enter a lot price. The per-square-foot figures from the Census Bureau leave the lot out, and NAHB’s survey lists the finished lot as its own share of the sales price. The result shows the house and the lot separately so you can see both.

Why do the Census and NAHB figures differ?

They come from different surveys that measure different things: the Census figure is a median of sale prices per square foot without the lot, while NAHB’s is an average of what builders reported spending on construction. For a 2,400 sq ft house they give $371,496 and $388,800. Treat them as a range, not as a contradiction, and ask local builders for their own price per square foot.

How the estimate is built

The calculator multiplies the floor area by a price per square foot, then adds the lot. The default prices are the Census Bureau’s 2025 median sales price per square foot of new single-family houses sold, by region, with the lot excluded; you can enter your own price per square foot instead, for example from a builder’s bid. Area is the finished floor area you enter, so garages, porches and unfinished basements are usually priced differently and are best handled separately. The numbers are medians, so half of the houses sold for less and half for more.

Worked example: a 2,400 sq ft house

At the national median of $154.79 per square foot, 2,400 sq ft comes to $371,496. With a $90,000 lot the total is $461,496. The same house at the South’s median of $144.89 is $347,736, and at the Northeast’s $229.55 it is $550,920, a spread of $203,184 for the same floor area. These are market medians, not a quote: a custom design, difficult site or high-end finishes can sit well above them.

Common mistakes

Treating a per-square-foot figure as a bid is the main one. It is an average over many houses, and the variables that drive real cost, such as site work, foundation type, the number of stories, rooflines, fixtures and permit fees, are not in it. Another is comparing a sales price per square foot with a contractor’s construction-only price: the first includes the builder’s profit and overhead, the second may not. Finally, include a contingency in your own budget; the calculator does not add one, and prices from the survey year may be out of date by the time you build.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Characteristics of New Housing (2025 median sales price per square foot, lot excluded, by region); National Association of Home Builders, 2024 Cost of Constructing a Home survey (construction cost per square foot and share of the sales price). Related: mortgage calculator, home affordability calculator, square footage calculator and price per square foot calculator.