ROUGH ballpark cost to build from ground up?
I’m just curious what the VERY ROUGH ballpark cost would be to build a townhouse on a vacant lot in prime Brooklyn? Not counting the land cost, what do you think the construction cost would run per floor, assuming a normal sized lot and home, and standard specs (not super fancy but not totally, totally…
I’m just curious what the VERY ROUGH ballpark cost would be to build a townhouse on a vacant lot in prime Brooklyn? Not counting the land cost, what do you think the construction cost would run per floor, assuming a normal sized lot and home, and standard specs (not super fancy but not totally, totally bare bones either).
I know this is ridiculously vague, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin getting a handle on how to price something like that, and I’m just curious.
We are a design-build team, so we’ve been able to keep costs down by involving the contractor from the very start. This is exactly the kind of project we try to do; good, solid design with the client’s goals and budget in mind.
http://classyclosets.com
Last year, I found a vacant lot that I was considering building upon. I spoke with 4 architects and the range was $500 – $1,000 per sq ft. The absolutely rock bottom price we got was $500K to build … but that was low-end finishes without a lot of the finishes and bells & whistles we wanted.
When all calculated, the final construction costs (w/ architect’s fees) were $880K-$1M. Add the purchase price of the lot and it would have brought the total cost to almost $2M which was beyond our budget.
We wound up finding a beautifully gut-renovated brownstone in Carroll Gardens for considerably less. No building hassles, no cost overruns or delays.
Jim’s $800K number seems like a good starting point, but Christopher is right to point out that there are so many variables it’s really hard to put a number on anything without having a specific site and program.
I’d be happy to discuss this further and go over some of the specifics in terms of what’s involved as far as cost, process and estimated timeline.
jordan@jpda.net / 718.312.3130
http://www.jpda.net
Jordan Parnass AIA RIBA LEED AP
oops. that should have read “$30k in shoring and underpinning” $30 would be a little tight.
We’re in the beginning stages of a new brick town-home on a vacant lot in Clinton Hill. It’s a cellar, basement apartment, and triplex above, with a garage, (about 4,000 sf, not including the cellar). Currently the construction budget is around $800k plus expediting, engineering and architectural fees. This has a basic allowance for tiles and other finishes, and something like $30 just in shoring and underpinning, but does not include appliances. We expect to be able to stick with these numbers.
We are a design-build team, so we’ve been able to keep costs down by involving the contractor from the very start. This is exactly the kind of project we try to do; good, solid design with the client’s goals and budget in mind.
Jim Hill, RA, LEED AP
Urban Pioneering Architecture
That’s interesting about the insurance replacement value. I had to argue to get up to $600,000 for a three story over a cellar. I’m sure they’ll use cement block, but even so that sounds super low.
Seems 10 years ago the editor of Dwell was saying how difficult it is to build a place for under $200 a square foot or, even more so, $100 a square foot.
when we had to put “replacement value” on insurance form for a 4 story building it was $800,000.
I think the one on 2nd street btwn 6/7th was around a million to build. I seem to recall a nytimes article on it as first row house built in PS in 100 years.
$500 per square foot? Could be as low as $200 as high as $1000.
Define “normal size” and elaborate on the overall dimensions and it could be easier to ballpark.
“Prime” Brooklyn has 25×65 brownstones and 17×30 brownstones.
There is a wide range in “normal” when it comes to building sizes.