Roughly how much can I expect to spend, on a per sq ft basis, to build a brownstone on vacant land in Boerum Hill?
I know this is a very general question, but I am looking to gain a ROUGH extimate on how much it may cost me to build a 4 story brownstone (single family) on a vacant lot in Boerum Hill. I realize it would depend on type of fixtures, appliances, finishes etc we chose, but lets just say all middle of the road…not cheap, but not high high end. Is there any “formula” I can use to see how much I can expect to spend on a per sq foot basis? Thank you in advance!

samsam
in Brownstoner Renovation 12 years and 8 months ago
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cate | 12 years and 8 months ago
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These numbers all sound perfectly reasonable. Can someone please explain why insurance companies believe the replacement value of an entire house is about $100 a square foot? Even if they use the cheapest materials and labor known to mankind, it sounds impossible.

masterbuilder | 12 years and 8 months ago
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I don’t bid by the square foot. A quick guesstimate is $1.5 million based on actual hard bids. FYI: special inspection and progress inspections costs are on the rise. Anyone going ground-up should also seriously consider superinsulation and high-efficiency mechanical systems (which are not very expensive).

dazednconfused2 | 12 years and 8 months ago
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dork: depends upon which lot. The lot sizes vary, but they’re typically about 20 feet wide and 100 deep. The zoning varies a bit, too, but mostly it’s R6B with a little R6\. Assuming a 20 x 100 lot in R6B, you can have times the lot area. So 2 x 2000 would get you 4,000 sq ft max.

dorkofwindsor | 12 years and 8 months ago
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I was going to rough it in at $1.2 Could you get 4800sf under BH far?

curated | 12 years and 8 months ago
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The figures above are spot on as far as costs.

samsam | 12 years and 8 months ago
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thank you both very much – very helpful!

dazednconfused2 | 12 years and 8 months ago
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We’re doing a new construction brick row house inspired by the local historic carriage houses on the same block in Clinton Hill. It’s a little over 4,500 sq ft, and we’re coming in a little lower than $300 a sq ft. We didn’t have underpinning, or environmental remediations, and maybe our soft costs were less, but I think the $500/sf is a bit high. I should think $450 would be pretty safe.

brooklynarchitect | 12 years and 8 months ago
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For the building itself I would think a modest budget would start at $300 per square foot. A 4-story single-family might be 20′ x 60′ x 4 = 4800 sf x $300 = approx $1.44M. Then start adding in soft costs (professional fees, expediting, carrying costs, etc) and it goes up. Then add in Pre-Construction costs for excavation, SOE, underpinning, etc. (unknown amount). Then add in environmental remediations. You’re probably at minimum $450 per sq ft. Then add a contingency. Say $500/sf in the bank.