Electrtic house - New Home Construction Cost Indicator

Establishing the likely cost of a new home can be a difficult process and many people underestimate how much it might cost to translate their ideas into reality.

CKA Group has designed hundreds of homes in Australia, United States, China, India, UAE and other countries.  These have varied from modest villas up to substantial palaces with correspondingly varying price tags.

Most people have an idea of what they think a house should cost to build on a square metre basis, or even per square (one square being 100 square feet or approximately 10 square metres).  However, the rate can vary dramatically depending on the site conditions, standard of finishes, size of the house and many other factors.  Homes we have designed have varied from $1,800 to $10,000 per square metre.

What we do know is that we can provide stunning magazine quality award winning homes to suit almost any budget and brief.  We can help you achieve that too.

This guide aims to provide some clarity to what your house might cost by breaking down its components to manageable items.

Note: Shortages of materials, international supply chain problems and labour shortages in an overheated market have resulted in significant cost increasesfor the start of 2022.  The NSW/QLD floods may also plave additional stresses on these.  Some areas of construction are reporting building cost increases of up to 14%.  Whether or not these unusual conditions will easer remains to be seen.

 

For some context, we have calculated the approximated finished sqare metre cost of some our recent projects.  You can look at these on our projects page here

Ringwood House $1,900m2
Mornington House $2,100m2
Nunawading House $2,400m2
Lum Road House $4,000m2
Electric Tree House $4,500m2

 

Approximate new home costs can be calculated using the following estimating process

Stage 1 Calculate the structural cost of new construction
Stage 2 Calculate the fitout cost of kitchen, bathrooms and laundries and add these to the structural cost
Stage 3 Calculate the cost of decks, verandahs, garages etc
Stage 4 Calculate the cost of professional fees, permits, authorities charges, connection fees and add GST

  Stage 1

Standard Construction
Typical timber or metal frame, brick veneer, weatherboard, rendered sheet finishes, carpet, floating timber or tile floor, 2.7m ceiling
Under 200m2 $1,575 – $1,800m2
Over 200m2 $1,350 – $1,680m2
Quality Construction
Brick block, Hebel or similar construction, rendered finishes, carpet, floating timber or tile floors, 3m ceiling, some external finishes
Under 3002 $1,900 – $2,250m2
Over 300m2 $1,680 – $2,020m2
Luxury Construction
Brick block, Hebel or similar construction, rendered finishes, quality carpet, tiles or solid timber flooring 3-4m ceilings, decorative features to windows, doors, eaves etc, basement garage
Under 300m2 $2,800 – $3,400m2
Over 300m2 $2,590 – $3,200m2

  Stage2

Kitchen
Standard Kitchen $12,940 – $17,800
Quality Kitchen $20,000 – $32,060
Luxury Kitchen $29,450 – $45,860
Bathroom
Standard Bathroom $12,040 – $20,550
Quality Bathroom $18,600 – $28,960
Luxury Bathroom $28,820 – $45,370
Ensuite
Standard Ensuite $7,650 – $11,790
Quality Ensuite $$13,350 – $19,100
Luxury Ensuite $20,310 – $30,710
Laundry
Standard – Luxury $5,400 – $20,430
Powder Room
Standard – Luxury $5,900 – $19,400

 

Stage 3 On a relatively flat site with good soil, add the following percentage allowance for external works and services to cover fencing, paths, driveways, landscaping, drainage and water supply, electrical and gas connections.

External works and services
Project up to $500K Add 10% – 15%
Project from $500K – $1.5m Add 8% – 12%
Project over $1.5m Add 6% – 8%

Adjustments may need to be made to the above percentages depending on site conditions such as soil, slope of site and accessibility to the work site.  CKA Group can help estimate these costs.  

 

Stage 4 GST and Professional Fee

You will need to add 10% GST to your estimate.  You may be able to claim some of this back depending on your personal taxation structure and the nature of your consruction.  Your accountant or taxation consultant can advise you of this.

You will also need to make allowance for architects, structural engineers and possibly other design consultants fees.  New building works require planning and building permits, as well as council approvals, and in some cases zoning approval.  Speak with your council as they should be able to provide you with estimates of costs, as well as expected approval time frames. These would typically be a total of 10% – 15% of the construction cost and generally need to be paid in the early stages of the project.


Total Cost Structure
The approximate cost structure of new homes and renovations is as follows:

  • Materials 40%
  • Labour 30%
  • GST, taxes, fees, permits 20%
  • Builders profit margin 10%


Owner Builders

For people considering being owner builders, savings can be made in labour costs and builders profit margin, although plumbing and electrical work must be carried out by a licensed contractor. Owner builders may not obtain the same trade discounts as builders so a premium of 5% to 10% on materials may apply. Owner builders must be registered and will need to pay Homeowners Warranty Insurance.  CKA Group can assist through this process. If you would like to Print or View this file in a PDF… CLICK HERE