Cost to build

[firesq5]

I'm trying to get a ballpark idea on how much it would cost per foot to building a cabin. Nothing fancy just the basics. I'm planning on being the owner/builder and doing most of the work. The cabin/home would be a rectangle approx. 1200 to 1500 sq. ft. with the same size basement. If anybody has built something similar please give me an idea of cost and how long it took. I know that there is no exact number, so please don't give me a lot of it depends answers. Thank you.

[John Raabe]

I throw out a number - $57/sf

[rick91351]

For that to work right you really need a lot of depends answers to you can filter out what you need  to know.  Too many dang variables...

As far as how much time depends on how fast and efficient you work.

$ per sq ft I will toss out there $80 to $100 up here and most mountain locations around this area.   

[upa]

It cost me close to $50 sq/ft just for the material cost , I did all the general labor and sub trade related work. If your contracting out the work I don't think it would be too difficult to double or even triple that estimate.

[SouthernTier]

I am thinking that my septic system alone will be about 25% of the total cost alone before I even get started, and (semi) regardless of the size of the cabin. 

Are asking about just the building itself?  Remember, things like septic, water, electricity, and access roads can all add up and not be reflected in the cost per square foot.

[Adam Roby]

It really is hard to imagine the costs...  just costing a simple outhouse for a friend made him go insane.  Screws, nails, hinges... everything adds up very quickly.  I have yet to do a full cost analysis on my planned 16x16 build because I am still deciding on some things and waiting to buy the land.  When I start to do my cost analysis, I go down to every screw and nail at least to get an idea of the material cost, and will still tack on an extra 10%.  Things like septic and well are very hard to estimate until they are there doing the perk tests or start drilling... 

[Dave Sparks]

I have done quite a few of these with my customers for offgriding a home/cabin.

You really have to give some more information or you will get "it depends".

For instance what is the budget and your skill level?

One project like yours with 2 floors was built by just getting an inspect-able kitchen, a bath, basic electrical, plumbing, and drywall for a certificate of occupancy.  The rest of the ground floor and part of the top floor was unfinished but safe. It cost about $100K (in materials/some labor and grading) and took 2 years.

It can be done by a crew in 3 months for 2 or 3 times the price.  Good Luck!

[flyingvan]

Here's a nifty calculator.  It's cool because you can re-enter numbers to get the cost as low as possible, and it points you towards the lowest cost materials/shapes/etc.

   http://www.building-cost.net/

[cbrian]

When you say basement I assume  you mean full usable basement? The cheapest way to build a basement is Permanent Wood Foundation. A big money/labor/space saver when it comes to insulation, running plumbing and electrical. Not to mention it is perfect for areas where concrete trucks can't access your site.
http://www.southernpine.com/applications/permanent-wood-foundations/

Also your site will affect your cost dramatically, soil conditions, slope, accessibility, etc. And for steep slopes add 3x the amount of time required to complete the project. I think the biggest factor of all is your location.

In Texas, with an 6-8" frost line, no earthquakes, and mild winters it is much cheaper to build than in Northern States.

With all that said, I built a 2100 sq ft cabin for 38$ sq.ft. doing 95% of the work myself, and using reclaimed barn wood for flooring. Also in my part of Texas I was able to install my own septic tank, which only cost me 2,800$ complete. Also no codes or requirements where I am located so I was able to do my own plumbing and electrical.