Let’s examine several other factors that are often not considered when comparing “price per square foot”.
Numerous other factors can affect costs going into the price per square foot conversation. The first factor we will discuss is something builders refer to as development costs. This specifically relates to what it costs to construct a new custom home on one site compared to another. Items such as soil condition, topography, vegetation, utility location and availability, city and community requirements are all examples of variables which greatly affect the cost of a home. For example, a flat lot with average tress, no fill, sewer, water, power and cable TV stubbed to the site, in the county (vs. an incorporated city) will typically produce the lowest possible construction cost. Moving away from these variables can increase the cost to build a new home, without adding any additional footage, features or any fun stuff to the home.
In addition to home site variables and the overall building size, building designs also play a significant role in the cost of a new home. Let’s begin with this basic geometry example. If you draw a perfect square with 10′ on each of the four sides, the box contains 100 square feet. Easy! If you drew a rectangle that had 50′ on the long sides and 2′ on the short sides, the rectangle would still contain 100 square feet. Easy again. However, to build the first 100 square feet the builder must pay for 40 linear feet of exterior wall space (framing, drywall, insulation, stone, baseboards, etc). To build the second 100 square feet the builder has to build 104 linear feet of exterior walls. While this example is extreme, it still proves a point. No one can build 40 feet of walls for the same price as 104 feet of wall space. When you connect these dots it’s easy to understand how production builders offer homes at affordable prices. They build square homes on level lots.

Zbranek & Holt Custom Homes is a Hall-of-Fame, 2 Time National Master Home Builder and renovation specialist serving the greater Austin and the Texas Hill Country areas with over 38 years of building experience, we offer fixed-price full service and collaborate closely with skilled architects to expertly deliver on our client’s individual preferences.
Every Zbranek & Holt Home is designed and built for the way you live!