Why Can't a Builder Give Me an Exact Price From an Internet House Plan?

Why Can’t a Builder Give Me an Exact Price From an Internet House Plan?

 

Almost every week, someone sends us a house plan they found online and asks a very reasonable question:

“How much would Two Structures Homes charge to build this?”

Sometimes it’s a plan from Architectural Designs, Houseplans.com, Pinterest, or another online plan website. Other times, it’s simply a rendering or floor plan someone has saved because they love the way the house looks.

And while we can usually look at the plan and help determine whether it appears realistic for your overall budget, there’s an important difference between giving you a preliminary budget range and giving you an exact construction price.

That’s because an internet house plan usually doesn’t contain everything a builder needs to accurately price the home.

Before you spend money purchasing plans, send us the link. We may be able to help you determine whether the home is a realistic fit for your budget before you make that investment.

 

THE FLOOR PLAN IS ONLY PART OF THE HOUSE

When most people look at an online house plan, they naturally focus on the things they can see:

  • Room sizes
  • Kitchen layout
  • Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
  • Garage configuration
  • Exterior appearance
  • Overall square footage

Those things are important, but they don't tell a builder everything required to determine an exact construction cost.

A floor plan shows us where things go. It doesn't necessarily tell us exactly how everything will be built or what materials will be used.

And those details can make a significant difference in the final cost.

 

THE PICTURE YOU LOVE MAY NOT BE FULLY DEFINED BY THE PLANS

This is one of the biggest misunderstandings we see with internet house plans.

You may fall in love with a beautiful exterior rendering showing large windows, stone or brick details, decorative beams, elaborate rooflines, upgraded garage doors, outdoor living areas, or other architectural features.

But a rendering is primarily a visual representation of what the home could look like.

It doesn't automatically tell a builder the exact manufacturer, material, size, finish, installation method, or specification for everything shown in the picture.

The same issue can occur inside the home.

A floor plan might show a kitchen island, fireplace, shower, built-ins, or cabinetry without fully defining:

  • Cabinet construction and finishes
  • Countertop materials
  • Appliance packages
  • Plumbing fixtures
  • Lighting
  • Flooring
  • Interior trim
  • Shower systems
  • Fireplace materials
  • Ceiling treatments

Those aren't small details when you're trying to establish an exact construction price.

 

EVEN THE PLAN PACKAGE MAY NOT ANSWER EVERY QUESTION

Purchasing the construction drawings is an important step, but it doesn't necessarily mean the plans are immediately ready to price and build exactly as shown on your property.

Depending on the plan, the homesite, local requirements, and the changes you want to make, additional information may still be needed.

That can include structural engineering, foundation design, site-specific modifications, energy-related details, mechanical considerations, or revisions to the original plan.

And in our experience, most people who bring us an internet plan want to change something anyway.

Maybe you want to: Make the garage larger, Add a third garage bay, Increase ceiling heights or Enlarge the kitchen?

At that point, we're no longer pricing exactly the house shown on the website. We're pricing your version of that house.

 

WHY WE CAN GIVE YOU A RANGE BEFORE WE CAN GIVE YOU AN EXACT PRICE

This distinction is important.

We don't need every final selection to have a useful conversation about your budget.

An experienced builder can look at the size, architecture, general specifications, desired finish level, and homesite information and often help determine whether a particular house is reasonably aligned with your budget.

For example, we may be able to tell you that a particular design appears to be in the general range you're considering—or that the design is likely to require substantially more investment than you expected.

That conversation can be extremely valuable before you purchase the plans or spend significant money modifying them.

What we don't want to do is create false precision by giving you an exact number before we have enough information to support it.

A preliminary budget is an educated estimate. A fixed construction price should be based on defined plans, specifications, allowances, selections, and site information.

 

WHY TWO BUILDERS CAN GIVE YOU VERY DIFFERENT NUMBERS

Let's say you send the same internet plan to two builders.

One builder gives you a substantially lower preliminary number than the other.

That doesn't automatically mean one builder is less expensive.

The more important question is:

Are both builders actually pricing the same house?

One estimate may assume different windows, insulation, HVAC equipment, foundation specifications, cabinetry, flooring, appliances, plumbing fixtures, exterior materials, allowances, or other construction standards.

One number may include items that another number excludes.

And one estimate may simply be based on more assumptions than the other.

If an early estimate is based on incomplete information or optimistic assumptions, the actual costs don't disappear. They usually surface later as the plans, specifications, selections, and site requirements become clearer.

That's why comparing builders solely by an early bottom-line number can be misleading.

You need to understand what is actually included in the house being priced.

 

WHAT ABOUT PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT?

Square footage can be useful for establishing a very broad starting point, but it isn't enough to accurately price a custom home.

Two homes with the same living area can have very different construction costs depending on architecture, garages, porches, roof design, windows, finishes, specifications, and many other factors.

We've covered that subject in much greater detail in our guide to how much it costs to build a 2,000-square-foot house in Oklahoma.

Rather than duplicate all of that here, the important point is this:

Square footage tells us how big the house is. It doesn't completely tell us what we're building.

 

YOUR HOMESITE MATTERS TOO

The exact same house can cost differently to build on two different properties.

Site conditions, utilities, grading, access, foundation requirements, septic systems, wells, driveway length, drainage, and other property-specific conditions can affect the total project cost.

This becomes especially important when you're planning to build a home on your own land in Oklahoma.

That's another reason an internet plan alone isn't enough to establish the final cost of the project.

 

WHY WE DON'T WANT TO “GUESS LOW”

We understand why homeowners want an exact number as early as possible. Building a home is a major financial decision, and you need to know whether the project fits your budget.

But there's a difference between helping you establish a realistic budget and giving you an artificially precise number before enough information exists.

At Two Structures Homes, our goal is to identify as much of the cost as reasonably possible before construction begins.

That's particularly important with a fixed-price building process.

We would rather have the detailed conversations early—about plans, specifications, allowances, selections, construction standards, and the homesite—than surprise you later because something important wasn't accounted for.

There are always circumstances in construction that can't be predicted perfectly, particularly unknown site conditions or changes requested by the homeowner. But the more information we establish before construction, the fewer financial surprises there should be during the build.

 

A GOOD BUILDER SHOULD ASK YOU A LOT OF QUESTIONS

If you send us an internet plan, don't be surprised if our response includes more questions than answers at first.

We may ask:

  • Where are you planning to build?
  • Do you already own the property?
  • What changes would you make to the plan?
  • What level of finishes are you expecting?
  • What features in the rendering are important to you?
  • What is your target investment?
  • Are there specific items you absolutely want included?

Those questions aren't intended to make the process more complicated.

They're how we make the pricing more accurate.

There are also things experienced builders know to look for that may not be obvious when you're evaluating plans online. We discuss several of those issues in What Your Builder Wishes You Knew About Building a Home in Oklahoma.

 

FOUND A HOUSE PLAN ONLINE? SEND IT TO US BEFORE YOU BUY IT.

This may be the most important takeaway from this article.

You don't necessarily need to purchase the plan before talking with us.

If you've found a house online that you love, send us the link.

We can take an initial look at the design, talk with you about what you like, discuss the changes you're considering, learn more about where you're planning to build, and help determine whether the project appears reasonably aligned with your budget.

If the house isn't realistic for your budget, it's much better to discover that before you purchase plans and begin paying for modifications.

And if the design is a good fit, we can help you understand what additional information is needed to move from an online concept to a home that can actually be accurately priced and built.

 

THINKING ABOUT BUILDING A CUSTOM HOME IN OKLAHOMA?

Two Structures Homes has been building homes in the Oklahoma City metro since 2009. We build customizable and custom homes throughout the metro and can also build on land you already own.

If you've found a house plan online—or even just a picture of a home you love—we'd be happy to take a look.

Send us the plan before you buy it.

We'll help you start with the right questions and determine the next step.

Contact Two Structures Homes or call/text 405-509-9435 to start the conversation.

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