House Building Budget Calculator

Estimate how much house your construction budget can support, compare a target square footage against your entered cost-per-square-foot range, and see the budget gap.

Quick answer

House Building Budget Calculator

Enter your actual budget assumptions instead of relying on a national average. The calculator works in both directions: budget → likely size and target size → required budget.

Formula: Buildable hard-cost budget = (total budget − land − fixed soft/site costs) ÷ (1 + contingency rate). Buildable square footage = hard-cost budget ÷ cost per square foot.

Total project budget ($)Total cash/financing you are willing to commit.Land cost included in budget ($)Enter 0 if land is already owned or excluded.Site, permits & soft costs ($)Plans, permits, utility/site work and other non-square-foot costs.Contingency (%)Applied to the hard construction cost.Low build cost ($/sq ft)Use a low-end assumption you consider realistic.High build cost ($/sq ft)Use a higher-cost assumption for the same project.Target house size (sq ft)Optional target used for the feasibility check.

Enter your numbers and calculate.

How the calculation works

Buildable hard-cost budget = (total budget − land − fixed soft/site costs) ÷ (1 + contingency rate). Buildable square footage = hard-cost budget ÷ cost per square foot.

Every rate, percentage, cost and value assumption shown in the calculator can be changed. Results are scenario math based on your inputs, not quotes, appraisals, code determinations or predictions.

Questions people ask

Can I use this to see if I can build a 3,000 sq. ft. house for $430,000?

Yes. Enter $430,000 as the budget, your land/site/soft costs, a realistic low/high cost per square foot, and 3,000 sq. ft. as the target.

Does the calculator know local construction prices?

No. You provide the cost-per-square-foot range so the result stays transparent and adjustable.

Why is contingency separated?

A contingency reserve is money held for uncertainty. Separating it prevents the base construction budget from being overstated.