As we learned in our previous post, the budget for your custom home will have two main categories: soft and hard costs. In the first part of this blog series, you learned about the soft costs. In this second part, we will explain the items that you should expect your home builder to include within the hard cost of your project.
What is Included in the Hard Costs for Your Custom Infill Home?
The Hard Cost category includes any cost that covers the tangible assets needed for the construction step. Therefore, anything related to building your home is accounted for in this category; all the items needed at the construction site and for landscaping are included in this part of the estimate.
In contrast with the soft costs, the hard costs are quantifiable and sometimes easier to estimate. Listed in the hard costs, you should expect to see the expenses related to your site preparation, including the excavation and earthwork to be able to start with your project. The concrete needed for your exteriors and interiors, and your pick for interior and exterior finished. Your home insulation and drywall, the roofing, flooring, and your picks for doors and windows are part of the hard cost as well.
Additionally, all the expenses dedicated for your plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems are accounted for in this category. This includes heating and HVAC. Finally, landscaping is also part of your hard costs. Based on your architectural drawings, your home builder could include items such as grass, trees, fertilizer, among others. There are also other general costs included here that relate to the site and interior cleaning and any equipment needed for it.
Hard costs can depend on the market, design, and selections. For example, the appliances, fireplace, kitchen, and bath may also impact your hard costs. A helpful tip on how to keep your budget according to your needs is to classify the selections based on what you feel your dream home needs to have and what could be optional. Ask your home builder for guidance based on the choices you feel you must have and to help you stay within your desired budget. Check out our 3 Steps to Create the Final Budget for your Custom Home in Calgary to learn more about your budget.
To learn all the details you need to know about the cost of a custom home in Calgary check out all the blogs we have in this section of our blog and watch our Master Class: Engineering the Perfect Custom Home in Calgary!
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Too Long Didn’t Read (TLDR)
Soft costs relate directly to all the expenses associated with the construction processes from the beginning to end; they may vary depending on your selections and the range of your desired budget.
