Build a House in Houston

Average Cost per Square Foot to Build a House in Houston

Last Updated: 2022-02-16By

The average cost to build a house in Houston is $ 178 per square foot. This price is valid for a 2500 square foot custom home without a basement. Depending on the area of the city, the average price may vary by 10%. The lowest price using cheap materials will be $ 126 – 130 per square foot.

The climate and infrastructure in Houston attract more and more new residents every year. Because of this, the construction of new houses is very important in the city. Many companies are operating in the city that provides services for the construction of houses.

Because the cost per square foot to build a house in Houston may differ significantly, the Remodel on point team has collected all possible information for a detailed description of prices for each stage of work.

Detailed Cost per Square Foot to Build a House in Houston

When it comes to building a house, we are often told only the total cost of the entire house. Because of this, many people who want a new home for themselves sometimes do not understand why they are paying that kind of money.

Remodel on point have prepared for you detailed information about the cost of each process associated with building a house. In my example, we are based on a standard 2500 square foot home with no basement. For convenience, we have divided the table into two parts, external and internal work.


Cheap/EasyAverageExpensive/Difficult
Drawings & Documents$17000$19000$22000
Site Preparation$1.1 per sq/ft$1.5 per sq/ft$1.8 per sq/ft
Demolition$3.3 per sq/ft$3.5 per sq/ft$3.8 per sq/ft
Excavation$2 per sq/ft$3 per sq/ft$5 per sq/ft
Foundation & Footings$5.3 per sq/ft$5.6 per sq/ft$6.2 per sq/ft
Framing$28 per sq/ft$39 per sq/ft$46 per sq/ft
Exterior Façade$8 per sq/ft$14 per sq/ft$23 per sq/ft
Deck$11 per sq/ft$19 per sq/ft$35 per sq/ft
Roof$4 per sq/ft$6 per sq/ft$10 per sq/ft
Windows & Doors$8000$16000$35000
Landscape$5.5 per sq/ft$8 per sq/ft$9.5 per sq/ft
Total Cost$78.2 per sq/ft$113.6 per sq/ft$163.1 per sq/ft
Prices for Custom Home – 2,500 square feet.

If in the case of external work everything is quite simple, then it is much more difficult to understand the cost of interior decoration. This is because each homeowner has different preferences and needs. Therefore, we advise you to use the information provided as an example, and for detailed information, you should contact the general contractor.

After talking with you and knowing all your preferences, he will be able to calculate in more detail all the necessary costs that will be needed to build your house.


Cheap/EasyAverageExpensive/Difficult
Plumbing$4.5 per sq/ft$5 per sq/ft$5.5 per sq/ft
HVAC system$5 per sq/ft$6.5 per sq/ft$7.8 per sq/ft
Electrical$5.5 per sq/ft$7 per sq/ft$9.5 per sq/ft
Insulation & Drywall$1.8 per sq/ft$2.3 per sq/ft$2.6 per sq/ft
Floor$3.7 per sq/ft$5.6 per sq/ft$10 per sq/ft
Bathroom Tiles$2.2 per sq/ft$2.6 per sq/ft$3.5 per sq/ft
Kitchen & Countertop$9.5 per sq/ft$11 per sq/ft$14 per sq/ft
Casings & baseboards$4 per sq/ft$5.5 per sq/ft$7.1 per sq/ft
Interior Painting$3 per sq/ft$4 per sq/ft$5 per sq/ft
Stairs$6000$14000$26000
Plumbing fixtures$8000$10000$14000
Appliances$9000$14000$26000
Total Cost$48.4 per sq/ft$64.7 per sq/ft$91.4 per sq/ft
Prices for Custom Home – 2,500 square feet.

Factors that Affect Cost to Build a House in Houston

The prices shown in the table above are average. Also, in each city, several factors can affect the increase in the cost to build a house in Houston. Since the city is close to the ocean, sandy soil is found in some areas of the city. The foundation on such soil may not be reliable, because of this, builders may resort to installing additional pillars underneath to give the building stability.

Such additions to the foundation can increase the value of the home by $ 6,000 – $ 8,000. Likewise, if the home is in an area prone to flooding, the foundation may need to be raised a foot or more. The need for this is determined at the stage of planning the construction of a house and is regulated by city law. Depending on the height of the rise, the cost to build a house in Houston also increases.

These are the main reasons for the increase in value that are specific to the area. But it is worthwhile to understand that during the design of the future home, you may have your additional wishes, which will entail an increase in costs.

How Much is It to Build a House in Houston in Different Areas

The cost to build a house in Houston can make a big difference. First of all, this is because it is a rather large city in which there are many different areas. In the central part of the city, the cost of construction work may increase up to 10 -12%.

This is because construction work is much more difficult in densely populated areas. The possibility of using large construction equipment and the delivery of building materials is hindered. In addition, due to the proximity of neighboring houses, more serious safety measures are required.

The cost per square foot to build a house in Houston will be much lower if you choose areas such as Greater Inwood or East Houston as your new place to live. Plenty of free space contributes to the ease of construction work. This will slightly reduce the construction time of the house and, accordingly, you will need less working time for which you pay as the owner of the future home.

Cost to Build a House in Houston without a General Contractor

Involving a general contractor in the construction of your future home will relieve you of a lot of responsibility. A general contractor will take care of the planning of the construction works and all the necessary documents. Also, you will not need to worry about finding teams to perform each type of work and the supply of material.

In general, the presence of a general contractor will significantly reduce your involvement in the process of building a house. Accordingly, you will have to pay a lot for the provision of such several services. What is the cost to build a house in Houston with a general contractor? Depending on the services provided, you may hear rates in the range of 9-10% of the total project cost.

Depending on the size of the house, this may not be a small amount. If you are ready to handle all the processes yourself, then you can save 50 – 70 thousand dollars. It is also worthwhile to understand that in this case, in addition to saving money, you will also assume full responsibility for the upcoming project.

Remodel on point advises you to think it over and weigh the pros and cons first. And if you decide to do this on your own, then you should take the time to sort out all the issues before starting construction.

What Better Build or Buy a House in Houston?

When it comes time to buy a new home, people often wonder whether to buy it or build it. Undoubtedly, if you urgently need housing, then buying a house will be the right option because you will not have to wait about a year until the house is built. However, when you build a house and think over all the details, you can get your dream home that will meet all your desires.

The cost to build a house in Houston will be slightly cheaper than buying a ready-made option. The price difference is usually 5-10%. In addition, if you want to change something in the house, it will be additional costs.

Therefore, if you have the time and desire for the house to meet all your needs, Remodel on point advises you to consider building a house instead of buying.

Are Houston Costs Different from the Rest of the Country?

Houston is considered one of the largest cities in the USA. In addition, the temperate climate in the southern states attracts many new residents. Despite this, the cost per square foot to build a house in Houston is significantly different from most other big cities.

The average cost to build a house in Houston $ 180 per square foot. For example, in New York, the average prices for the same house range in the range of $ 210 per square foot. The same can be observed in other big cities such as Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, and others.

Based on this, we can say with confidence that building a custom home in Houston is a pretty profitable solution if you like the local climate and the infrastructure that is growing every year. In addition, a pleasant factor is that the price will be 10% cheaper compared to other big cities.

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Each building has some sort of driveway or at least should have. The main reason is for vehicles to come closer without need to walk all the way. Some homes are residential with small driveway for their car to come in and park before garage or front entrance, and others can be large commercial buildings with loading docks, delivery entrances and casual parking entrances. On Point Remodeling was asked for suggestions on residential driveway for new home construction, and we decided to write detailed article for all our readers. Using this guide you can select the material for your driveway and see what works for your budget. Here are the materials for driveway we will be discussing in our guide:
  • Asphalt
  • Concrete
  • Paver Stone
  • Crushed stone
  • Brick
  • Seashell
  • Gravel
To find good contractor for your driveway, you can either ask our team by email or try to find someone local that worked with neighbors or nearby buildings.

Installation process of any material surface on your driveway

a) Demolition and Excavation – Before anything is done, your contractor will get heavy machinery and scratch off old layer of driveway. They need to go down at least 5-6 inches to insure proper layering before your final layer of material is installed. b) Material Purchase and Delivery – At this point your contract is signed and you already know how the surface will look. Contracting company purchases necessary materials and delivers them to site. Double check if material is correct and not damaged. c) Preparation of Sublevel – Whatever you place as final material, it cannot just be installed directly on top soil. Gravel is the first choice of material that goes down at this stage. Other preferred material is screen sand that can go on top of gravel and works better with stone and bricks. d) Compaction of Ground – To prevent your driveway from moving and changing shapes, all the layers from bottom up have to be properly compacted. Do not leave any spot untouched while doing this or you can get small holes and cracks in driveway after installation. E) Final Installation – This is when all the magic happens. After all preparations and dirty work the final installation is made literally within hours and you can enjoy new driveway. Stone and brick is set up by hand, while other materials require some sort of machinery with manual labor to even out surface.

1. Asphalt

Probably the most used material for road top surfaces as well as driveways is asphalt. This is a mix of gravel and sand that is mixed in and combined by asphalt cement with crude oil. Pros of Asphalt Driveway
  • Very popular and easy to find materials/contractor
  • Completed in 1 day and you can drive on it after
  • Patches and small holes can be fixed fast
Cons of Asphalt Driveway
  • Easy to damage and cracks appear in few years
  • Almost everyone else has same surface
  • Oily surface and chemicals used in mix
Prepared for asphalt driveway will cost you around $5 per square foot to finish. The contractors that take care of entire process from taking out old driveway surface, install subsurface and compact the ground with new asphalt on top, will charge on average $5500 per regular size driveway at single home property.

2. Concrete

What we call concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, aggregate as well as sand with gravel. Suggested thickness of concrete for driveway is 6 inches. The mixture needs to cure without being touched or driven on top for several days. Pros of Concrete Driveway
  • Durable material for large weights
  • Long lifespan if installed properly
  • Winter and summer friendly
Cons of Concrete Driveway
  • Has marks and stains over time
  • Hard to repair without replacement
  • Super hard to DIY
To hire contractors for concrete driveway it will cost around $7-$9 per square foot. This will include site preparation with gravel spread and new concrete installation. They will order full truck of concrete (or several for larger driveways) to pour inside forming. Smoothening and curing is required after installation.

3. Paver Stone

The most luxurious material that you can use to create driveway path with is paver stone. It is made out of natural stone with uneven rough shapes that have different line patterns. Paver stones are very heavy and are perfect for weights on top of them. Almost every city in Europe has roads and walks made out of stone that were installed centuries ago. Pros of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Creative designs can be done
  • Personal looks, can match the house
  • Can replace single stone in minutes
Cons of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Weeds growing through
  • Stone can move over time
  • Most expensive material
There is wide selection of stone that can be purchased for your driveway. On average we recommend settling with $17-$20 per square foot for stone with installation included. Working with this material is very intense labor and we recommend hiring professionals that do this type of work every day.

4. Crushed Stone

Our readers sometimes mistake crushed stone with gravel, but this is not the same material. Crushed stone material is achieved when machine is mechanically crushing larger pieces of unused stone for this specific purpose. It is larger than gravel and can have smooth finish. Crushed stone can also have a mix of colors, which is much pleasant to eyes than gravel. Pros of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Low maintenance required
  • Fits rural area style
  • Can be reused for other purposes
Cons of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Gets very hot during summer
  • Can be messy after many drives
  • Hard to remove snow and ice
Buying crushed stone and installing it on your driveway is as easy as it gets. Similar to other rough materials discussed in this post, only small tools like shovels, dolly and buckets are required to spread it on the road. The cost of crushed stone driveway is between $4 and $6 per square foot from professional local contractors that can finish the job in several days.

5. Brick

The same brick we see being used in wall construction can be installed as top driveway surface. Brick is manufactured by compressing clay with plastic mass. It is heated to extreme temperature and dried up to become as solid as you know it. Pros of Brick Driveway
  • Variety of selections in shapes and shades
  • Bricks are recyclable
  • Slip resistant with rough top part
Cons of Brick Driveway
  • Needs regular maintenance
  • Change color over time
  • Old fashion looking
Installing brick on driveway costs $10 per square foot, which is not too far from masonry brick laying as part of the wall. To save money you can use or purchase old brick, that was part of a wall before. Do not mix these two jobs and contact landscaping professionals instead of masonry contractors that work with bricks.

6. Seashell

This material is popular on the coast line where shells can be found near the water. Construction companies use seashells to add in other materials as well as spread them on driveway in rough condition, without adding anything else. It usually comes in white or pearl color and darkens within year because of mixing with sand and dirt. Pros of Seashell Driveway
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Has natural drainage
  • Creates worm vibe of beach house
Cons of Seashell Driveway
  • Break and crack under light weight
  • Sharp and very hard to walk on
  • Gets stuck in shoes and tires
To deliver and spread seashells on driveways costs below $4, which is only slightly more expensive than rough gravel. As you go further from coast line, cost of material increases due to delivery. This material is elegant and very soft. We recommend adding edge lines with darker color landscape material to create visual path.

7. Gravel

This material is used in other construction mixes and underlayment systems. It’s literally fragments and small crushed stones that are put on top of soil. It is easily spread out by hands and anyone can do it. Pros of Gravel Driveway
  • Cheapest of them all
  • Easy DIY Job
  • Can install another material on top
Cons of Gravel Driveway
  • Needs to be graded very often
  • Will mix with dirt and leaves
  • Washes up with heavy rains
It is rough material and can be purchased in bulk (by metric tons or cubic meters). The cost of driveway with gravel should not exceed $3 per square foot, but you can save tons of money by purchasing materials and doings installation by yourself. You do not require specific tools or heavy equipment for the job and delivery of gravel can be arranged directly to your project.

Conclusion

To properly finish any and all of these driveways requires skills and experience. There is no way you can complete any of these projects without heavy equipment and tools that regular home owner’s just store in their garages. Most of those who will read this post will prefer to install asphalt driveway, because of its popularity and low costs. We want to encourage home owners to go for personal preference and what matches your house, rather than getting the most affordable and popular items. Driveway jobs have to be completed fast; otherwise you will need to park elsewhere while the project is running. To not overpay, ask us for quotation sample on material you prefer in specific region where the work need to be done and our team can provide some numbers.

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