Plan the whole budget, not just the house

House, demolition, site work, design, permits, loan interest and a cushion.

1. The project

Tear down and rebuild Vacant lot I own Buying a lot

House size finished sq ft Finish level Your price per sq ft Lot price

Ranges are the midpoints of prices New Urban Homes and AZA Builders publish (checked Oct 2026). New Urban says its price includes soft costs and permits; ask each builder what theirs covers.

2. Costs outside the house price

Builders’ per-square-foot prices often leave these out. Enter what your builder excludes; leave a line at 0 if it’s included.

DemolitionHomeAdvisor’s national average is $15,800 (range $6,000-$25,000). Asbestos and big houses cost more. Site work, excavation, utilitiesNationally, site work averages 7.6% of construction cost (NAHB). Architect and engineeringDesign-build firms often include design. Ask for the fee in writing. Permits and feesIncludes grading plan review and utility connection fees. Your builder or the permit office can estimate them. Landscaping, driveway, fencing, pool Furniture, window treatments, moving Rent while you build per month

3. Financing and cushion

Cash you’ll put in Construction loan rate % a year, from your lender Months of construction Contingency your cushion for surprises

Loan interest assumes the loan is drawn in steady stages, so on average about half of it is borrowed during construction. Construction time: 26% of contractor-built homes took 13 months or more in 2025 (Census).

Where the house money goes

How construction cost splits across stages nationally (NAHB 2024 Cost of Constructing a Home), applied to your house price. Useful for reading a builder’s draw schedule.

A builder’s price per square foot is only part of the cost of building on your lot. Add the lines builders often leave out, your loan interest and a cushion for surprises, and see the total and what it works out to per square foot.

What goes into a whole-project budget

The house. Start from what local builders publish: builder-grade custom $250-$275 per sq ft, executive finishes $275-$350 per sq ft, architectural custom $375-$500 per sq ft, luxury estate $550-$800+ per sq ft. Switch to “my builder’s number” once you have a real price.
Demolition. HomeAdvisor puts the national average at $15,800, with most jobs between $6,000 and $25,000 (HomeAdvisor, house demolition cost guide (updated June 2026)).
Site work and utilities. Excavation, grading, erosion control, water and sewer or septic. Nationally, site work averages 7.6% of construction cost (NAHB, 2024 Cost of Constructing a Home survey (published January 2025)).
Design, engineering and permits. Some design-build firms include them; others bill separately. Ask.
Outside the house. Landscaping, driveway, fencing and a pool rarely sit in the base price.
Living costs. Rent while you build and moving.
Loan interest. A construction loan is drawn in stages, so you pay interest on a growing balance. The planner assumes about half the loan is outstanding on average.
Contingency. A cushion for what nobody can see before digging: rock, bad soil, changes you decide to make.

The stage split below the planner

Below the planner, your house price is split across the stages the National Association of Home Builders tracks: site work 7.6%, foundations 10.5%, framing 16.6%, exterior finishes 13.4%, major systems 19.2%, interior finishes 24.1%, final steps 6.5% and other 2.1%. Builders’ draw schedules follow the same order, so this helps you judge whether a payment request matches the work done.

The planner saves on your device, and the link holds your numbers so you can send it to a partner, lender or builder. Nothing you type is sent to us. When you’re ready, get introduced to builders and bring the plan to your first meeting.

Frequently asked questions

Does the house price include site work?

It depends on the builder. New Urban Homes says its published price includes soft costs and permits; others quote the house alone. Ask each builder for a written list of what is included.

How big should my contingency be?

That is your call and your lender’s. A bigger cushion makes sense for teardowns, sloped or wooded lots and cost-plus contracts.

Is construction loan interest really that much?

On a large loan over a year or more, it adds up. Ask your lender for an estimate based on their draw schedule.