A ground-up build is priced by the square foot and paid by the phase. This planner organizes the job the way builders do — site, design, foundation, framing, exterior, systems, interior, fixtures, landscaping — with the build phases scaled by your home size and the fixed costs (land, design, permits) scaled by finish level and region, all anchored to your move-in date.
Subcontracted trades carry deposit-plus-balance schedules, and an optional turnkey general-contractor line carries the construction-loan draw schedule. It is distinct from remodeling an existing house (the Renovation Budget Planner) and from the purchase transaction (the Home Purchase & Sale Cost Planner). Edit every line, then save, share, or export to CSV or PDF.
What you can do
- Build phases from site prep to landscaping, scaled per square foot
- Finish level and region adjust every priced line consistently
- Construction-loan draw schedule on the turnkey GC option
- Deposit and balance schedules on subcontracted trades
- Save, share, CSV, and PDF export
Frequently asked questions
How does square footage drive the budget?
The structural phases — foundation, framing, exterior, systems, interior — are priced per square foot, so home size is the biggest lever. Land, design, permits, and fixtures are fixed costs adjusted by finish level and region rather than size.
Should I use this or the Renovation Budget Planner?
Use this for a new build from the ground up. The Renovation Budget Planner remodels an existing house by area (kitchen, bath, rooms), and the Home Purchase & Sale Cost Planner covers the transaction of buying or selling one.
Ready to plan?
The New Construction Cost Planner runs entirely in your browser. Free, no sign-up required to use it.
Related calculators
Other tools that pair well with the New Construction Cost Planner. They cross suites because life does.