Is Los Angeles Really Better than the San Fernando Valley?

Cost of building a house in Los Angeles / San Fernando Valley

• I would like to find out in general (without having a specific plan) what the price/cost of building a house is in Los Angeles county (more specifically San Fernando Valley, more specifically in Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Encino, Chatsworth, West Hills, Canoga Park, Studio City). I am looking for any articles that describe how much it costs to build a house, how much a particular house cost to build, price per sq. ft. and what it depends on, what are the things that influence the price, mentions of any good general contractors, and everything else that relates to buying land in Los Angeles, building a house, and cost of building a house. Any articles, online materials, book titles, etc. would be highly appreciated. Any material on building a custom house in Los Angeles area will be appreciated.

• Answer:

  <Cost of building a house. The Mountain Tech Builders site has a good explanation of the costs involved with a custom built house. They are California based contractors. As a starting point they quote $75.00 per square foot for a basic house, $20/sq ft for an attached garage and $25/sq foot for a detached garage as a starting point. The basic house comprises a square or rectangular floor plan with a small kitchen, one bathroom and attached garage. It is built on an insulated concrete slab with sheet plywood siding and a single ridge line roof covered with asphalt shingles. Permits and utility costs are paid by the owner. Materials used are: Aluminium or vinyl windows, manufactured wood composition lap siding, 25 year asphalt shingle roofing, LP gas forced air furnace and water heater, fibreglass tub shower units, floor coverings at $22 per square yard, factory built hardwood door cabinets and Formica counter tops. Additional costs: Using an architect adds 10-20% to the cost. A sloping lot of greater than 1-2% adds 10% to the cost. If the slope is over 10% then an extra 20% need to be added to the cost. Utility connections and permits ? I have seen quotes on other sites of $10,000 ? the costs very much depend on what is available on site as regards easy connections to utilities. A floor plan that is not square or rectangular adds to the cost. A more complicated roof is also more expensive. Alternative materials ? the site explains how the use of different materials changes the cost. For example if you want more expensive windows or a roof made with longer lasting materials. The choice of more expensive bathroom and kitchen fittings can also push up the price. The site gives an explanation of how the price will change for your specified materials. http://www.mountain-tech-builders.com/owners_guide.htm#Costs%20and%20Cost%20Factors%20.... For a house of 2000 sq foot, basic building costs at $75/sq foot are $150,000. The budget for permits and fees adds an additional $10,000. This gives a price of $160,000. This is just for the building and does not include the price of land. ------------------------------------------------- Building your dream home 101 http://2working4you.com/building_a_custom_home.htm The case for hiring an architect. http://gardenhomearchitects.com/04-05-The_Case_for_Hiring_an_Architect.htm Home Design ? A Design of Your Own by Tom Stephani. http://www.homebuilder.com/customhomes/Articles/hb_ch_story14.asp?poe=homebuilder Custom home building check list. http://www.sundquistassociates.com/custom_checklist.html Building the dream home by Greg Bistram looks at the legal practicalities. http://www.prairielaw.com/articles/article.asp?articleid=1369&channelId=16 Books to get you started on your new house. http://www.katherinesalant.com/articles/article.php?nav=6,2&id=54&pid=15 ------------------------------------------------- Contractors providing testimonials. George Hess Construction. http://www.ghessconstruction.com/testimonials.html Pinnacle Custom Homes. http://www.pinnaclecustomhomes.org/testimonials.htm Musson Building http://www.mussonbuilding.com/testimonials.htm ------------------------------------------------- Buying land. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers advice about buying land on its website. It advises buyers to take great care before agreeing to buy a plot of land. The Interstate Land Sales program protects consumers from fraud and abuse in the sale or lease of land. http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/ils/ilshome.cfm Advice on buying land from a developer. http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/ils/buyinglots.pdf> <Search strategy:> <"custom built" "per sq ft"> <://www.google.com/search?q=%22custom+built%22+%22per+sq+ft%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N> <"building a custom home" california testimonials> <://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22building+a+custom+home%22+california&as_q=testimonials> <"buying land" tips> <://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22buying+land%22+tips> <Hope this helps.>