Don’t Hold Me to It, But...

2023, 4 Beds, 3 Full Baths, 1800 square feet

There’s a moment that shows up in plenty of early-stage build conversations we have with prospective clients. We’ll be walking the lot, maybe looking at rough plans, talking about priorities and ideas, passing back and forth a literal napkin sketch… having run-of-the-mill “first contact” kinds of discussions. Everything’s moving along, and then someone will say it—usually with a bashful apology:

“I don’t want to put you on the spot… but what’s this going to cost?”

It’s a fair question. In fact, it’s the right question. Actually, it’s the best and only question that most folks should want to know the answer to when planning a major financial decision.

The problem is, it usually shows up long before anyone has a clear idea of what’s actually being built. There’s no scope. No selections. No formal (or even concept-level) drawings. Just big ideas and a lot of blanks still waiting to be filled in. And yet, that question comes up every time.

Most builders hate to answer. In most cases, they’re right to shy away from that kind of commitment. Too vague a response, and you risk misleading someone. Too precise, and you risk locking yourself into a number that’s going to change once reality shows up. It’s a tough position to be in, and everyone knows it.

Cost per square foot—probably the most common metric clients ask about—has become a kind of running joke in the industry. Everybody wants it. Nobody trusts it. And almost nobody is willing to publish it. Once a builder says something like $400 per foot, it becomes a benchmark. It gets used against them. “Why is this one $475?” “Can we do it for $360 like that other project?” That kind of thing.

It’s understandable why most firms keep those numbers close to the chest and go through a more lengthy information-gathering process, where things can become better understood before expectations get created. And we’re not going to undersell the value of that process whatsoever—not here, not now, not in this obscure but relevant blog post.

But how do we help make those two ends meet?

We’d be a better builder for it if we figured it out. So, we’re giving it a shot. Just don’t shoot the messenger.

Rather than give out ballparks or padded ranges, we’re publishing our real numbers from projects we’ve already built. These aren’t projections or estimates—they’re completed homes, with known specs, materials, finish levels, and final cost per square foot, all published clearly and publicly.

We’re calling the series “Here’s How Much We Built It For.”

(This title just barely beat out “Alright, I’ll Ballpark It” and “Don’t Hold Me to It, But…”)

Each entry is exactly what it sounds like: a straight-up breakdown of a completed project. We include the square footage, year built, notable features, and the final all-in cost per foot. We include photos and key context so the numbers actually mean something. What you won’t find are vague ranges or “it depends” answers. We’re not in the business of smoke and mirrors. We’re in the business of building houses.

Publishing this information won’t give you a guarantee about what your future home will cost. But it will get you a whole lot closer to reality. Take a look for yourself and see if the fit and finish of the homes in this series align with your own tastes. Or be your own most honest critic about how much lux your budget will last for. This should help you understand what certain decisions cost in practice—not theory.

And that’s really the point. We’ve learned that clarity builds trust a lot faster than caution does. We don’t expect every builder to share their numbers.

We’re just choosing to share ours.

If you’re planning to build, we invite you to start with the truth. Not the guesswork.

You can find real project breakdowns, with real numbers, in our Smart Builder Hub. And if you have questions after that, we’ll be here—no guesswork required.

👉 See Our First Breakdown: Here's How Much We Built it For