2026 US Construction Data — Updated Monthly

Most homeowners overpay $30,000+ building a house.

Know your exact
build cost, before you
hire anyone.

14 categories · State-adjusted · Results in 3 min

Step 1 of 3 — Location

Where are you building?

or upload your floor plan

📄

Drop your floor plan here

PDF, JPG or PNG — we'll read the rooms automatically

Contractors charge $400–$500 for this estimate.

Get your full breakdown for $19.99.

No account required

Results in 3 minutes

Instant PDF

📐

Building your own design? Get a fully custom house plan

Complete drawing set · Free revision round · 5–7 day delivery

From $499

Start designing →

★★★★★4.9/5from homeowners across the U.S.

“My contractor confirmed every number was accurate. Same quality as the $300 estimate I was quoted.”

Marcus T.

Austin, TX · 2,100 sq ft

Customer story

“Saved me from signing a contractor bid that was $38,000 over market. Every number checked out when I verified with two other contractors.”

Sarah K.

Denver, CO · 1,900 sq ft

Customer story

What You Get

Your professional estimate.
Ready in 3 minutes.

State-adjusted · 14 CSI categories · Instant PDF

✓

14-category CSI breakdown

Foundation to finishes — every line item with labor & materials

✓

Labor vs material split

Know your numbers before you negotiate with any contractor

✓

State cost multipliers applied

All 50 states — adjusted precisely to your zip code

✓

Mortgage estimate at 6.8%

Monthly payment, loan amount & down payment calculated

✓

GC overhead & contingency

15% contractor markup + 5% contingency included

✓

2026 lumber & tariff notes

Current market conditions affecting your budget

✓

Instant PDF + email delivery

Share with your contractor, lender, or architect

Save $480 vs contractor estimate

One-time

Instant access

Stripe secure

PDF included

Custom House Plans

Design your home, exactly how you want it.

Tell us your style, size, and must-have rooms. Our architecture team prepares your custom home plan package typically delivered in 5–7 business days.

Example Style

Bungalow Craftsman

What's included in every order

✓Ground Floor Plan

✓Site Plan

✓Roof Plan

✓Exterior Elevations

✓Electrical Plan

✓Door & Window Schedule

✓Plumbing Plan

✓Foundation / Structural Notes

✓Area Schedule

✓Interior Sections

✓Interior Renders (4)

✓Exterior Renders (4)

Free revision round includedPDF delivery5–7 business days

How it works

Choose your style

Pick from 12 architectural categories and select your visual direction.

Tell us what you need

Floors, rooms, outdoor spaces, and any special requests.

Our team gets to work

We review your brief and reach out immediately to confirm the details.

Receive your plan set

Your custom drawing package is delivered as a PDF, typically within 5–7 business days.

See a real delivered plan set

📐

Full sample drawing package

14 professional drawings — real delivery example

Download →

From $499

One-time payment · No subscription

Starting price based on selected home size and complexity.

90% less than

hiring an architect

Start Designing My Home →

Questions? Email us at plans@costtobuildhouse.com

What’s Inside Your Report

14 categories. Every dollar explained.

DIV 01

General Conditions

~5%

DIV 02

Site Work

~4%

DIV 03

Foundation

~7%

DIV 06

Structural Framing

~11%

DIV 07

Roofing

~5%

DIV 08

Windows & Doors

~7%

DIV 09

Exterior Finish

~5%

DIV 10

Insulation

~2%

DIV 11

Drywall & Ceilings

~3%

DIV 12

Flooring

~4%

DIV 15

Plumbing

~4%

DIV 16

HVAC

~3%

DIV 17

Electrical

~4%

DIV 18

Cabinetry & Finishes

~4%

ADU Cost Calculator

Adding a unit to your property?
Know the real cost first.

Enter your details — instant ADU cost estimate based on 2026 RSMeans data for your state.

Sample ADU Estimate

2026 RSMeans Data

🏠

Estimated Range

$94,000 — $148,000

600 sq ft detached ADU · Austin, TX · Standard finish

Cost Per Sq Ft

$157–$247

TX market rate

Build Time

3–5 mo

typical timeline

Rental Yield

~6.8%

avg cap rate

Cost breakdown by category

Foundation & Site Work

$██,███$██,███~18%

Structural Framing

$██,███$██,███~22%

Plumbing & Electrical

$██,███$██,███~19%

Interior Finishes

$██,███$██,███~24%

📄

Not sure what you get?

Download a free sample ADU report

See Sample Report →

Try the free ADU calculator — get your instant estimate

Calculate ADU Cost — Free →

ADU Feasibility Report

Is your property ready
for an ADU?

Most homeowners don't know their zoning limits, permit costs, or ROI until it's too late. This report tells you everything before you spend a dollar.

✓Full cost estimate — materials, labor & permits

✓State zoning summary + setback rules

✓Rental income projection & cap rate estimate

✓Detached vs attached vs garage conversion comparison

✓Permit cost & timeline for your county

✓Utility connection cost estimate (water, sewer, electric)

✓ROI timeline — when does the ADU pay for itself?

✓Financing options: HELOC, ADU loan, cash-out refi

✓2026 lumber & material cost notes

✓Contractor checklist — what to ask before hiring

✓Printable PDF — share with your contractor or lender

$14.99

one-time

Instant

PDF delivery

All 50

states covered

Get ADU Feasibility Report →

🔒 Stripe secure⚡ Instant PDF✓ One-time

Contractor Bid Analyzer

Got a contractor quote?
Find out if it's fair.

Enter your project details — instant comparison against 2026 RSMeans market data for your state.

Sample Analysis Result

2026 RSMeans Data

⚠️

Verdict

Above Market Average

Your bid is $40,000 above market average (+14.3%)

Market Low

$240,000

$120/sq ft

Your Bid

$320,000

$160/sq ft

Market High

$330,000

$165/sq ft

Category breakdown

Foundation & Site Work

$██,███$██,███Fair

Structural Framing

$██,███$██,███Fair

Roofing

$██,███$██,███Fair

Windows & Doors

$██,███$██,███Fair

Try the free analyzer — see your verdict instantly

Analyze My Bid — Free →

Contractor Bid Review Report

Know exactly what to negotiate.
Before you sign anything.

Most homeowners overpay $20,000–$60,000 on contractor bids. This report tells you exactly where — and what to say.

✓Exact market vs bid for all 12 categories

✓Suggested counter-offer range with savings estimate

✓Copy-paste negotiation message — ready to send

✓Word-for-word script for each flagged category

✓Contractor risk score — pricing vs reliability

✓Hidden costs checklist (9 items often missed)

✓Questions to ask before signing (8 must-ask)

✓Red flag detector with High/Medium risk labels

✓2026 BLS material cost trends

✓Final recommendation — sign, negotiate, or walk away

✓Printable PDF — show directly to your contractor

$29.99

one-time

Instant

PDF delivery

All 50

states covered

Get Bid Review Report →

🔒 Stripe secure⚡ Instant PDF✓ One-time

Free Permit Calculator

How much will your permit cost?

Enter your zip — instant estimate for all 50 states · 2026 ICC data

Any ZIP →

Get full breakdown — impact fees, documents & timeline→

Permit Intelligence Report

Everything before you file.
No surprises.

Most homeowners miss $5,000–$20,000 in hidden fees. This report shows every cost, document, and deadline.

✓Impact fees (often $3,000–$15,000 — most miss this)

✓Utility connection fees

✓Complete document checklist (8–12 items)

✓Top 5 rejection reasons + how to avoid each

✓Step-by-step permit timeline with durations

✓Local building dept. contact + portal link

✓Owner-builder vs contractor permit rules

✓Cost vs other states comparison2026

✓Live permit volume & cost index2026

✓Contractor license verification link2026

✓Best time of year to file permits2026

✓Downloadable PDF — share with contractor

2026

ICC fee data

$300+

contractors charge

All 50

states covered

📄

Not sure what you get?

Download a free sample permit report

See Sample →

🔒 Stripe secure⚡ Instant PDF✓ One-time

Professional construction cost estimator on site

Why Trust Us

Built by people who've worked
inside the industry for 15 years.

Every estimate on this platform is built on 2026 RSMeans construction cost data — the same database used by architects, engineers, and general contractors nationwide — adjusted to your exact zip code.

15+

Years in construction cost analysis

CSI cost categories per report

2026

RSMeans data — updated monthly

States covered with zip-level data

Learn about our methodology →

Reviews

What homebuilders are saying.

★★★★★4.9 out of 5from homeowners across the U.S.See all reviews

Marcus T.

Austin, TX · 2,100 sq ft

★★★★★

“I was quoted $300 by a local estimator. This gave me the same breakdown for $20. My contractor confirmed every number was accurate.”

CUSTOMER STORY

Contractor confirmed the numbers

Jennifer K.

Phoenix, AZ · 1,800 sq ft

★★★★★

“The labor vs material split saved me from being lowballed on framing. I knew what everything should cost before anyone gave me a quote.”

CUSTOMER STORY

Saved from being lowballed

David R.

Nashville, TN · 2,400 sq ft

★★★★★

“Uploaded my floor plan, it read the rooms and pre-filled everything. Got my full estimate in 4 minutes. Numbers matched my architect exactly.”

CUSTOMER STORY

Floor plan auto-detected everything

Know your exactbuild cost, before youhire anyone.

Design your home, exactly how you want it.

Built by people who've workedinside the industry for 15 years.

Ready to know your numbers?

Know your exact
build cost, before you
hire anyone.

Built by people who've worked
inside the industry for 15 years.