Costs & Planning6 min read
Why Cost Per Square Foot Is Misleading
Cost per square foot is the most quoted and least useful number in home building. Here is what it hides, and how to build a budget that survives contact with a bid.
Costs & Planning
Budget and planning articles: what drives the number on a construction estimate, and where homeowners consistently underestimate.
4 articles published
Costs & Planning5 min read
How Much Contingency Does a Build Need?
Why a construction budget needs a contingency line, how to size it for your project, and the surprises it most commonly absorbs on custom and rural builds.
Costs & Planning6 min read
The Hidden Costs of Building on a Rural Lot
Driveways, wells, septic, power extensions, clearing and crane access — the rural site costs that rarely appear in early budgets but reliably appear in final ones.
Costs & Planning7 min read
How to Read a Construction Estimate
Allowances, exclusions, unit prices, builder fee and the fine print — how to read a construction estimate closely enough to compare two bids honestly.
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