Cost to Build a House in Tennessee and Finish the Basement

Cost to Build a House in Tennessee and Finish the Basement

Note: Because so many people want to know the cost of a finishing a basement, I am including that as an option. You will be amazed at how much the price per sq. ft. of the entire house drops when you add the basement area!

Remember that in order for a basement to be considered “habitable space”, it must have two (2) means of ingress & egress. This can be accomplished with doors, as in a “walk-out” (which requires a sloping lot), or with large windows, or with an “emergency basement door”. (See below)
Now, on with the House:

Elegant round columns” dress up" this three bedroom, three bath, southern country porch design. Its classic irresistible styling makes it perfect for almost any neighborhood. The large vaulted family room, enormous country kitchen and its 452 square foot bonus area make this home feel so much more spacious than one might expect of a 2097 square foot design.
The sumptuous master suite includes a double tray ceiling, a sitting area, a large walk-in closet, and luxurious bath. The 14'-3" x 22'-6" country kitchen is open to the vaulted family room. A French door leads to the vaulted screened porch. The patio or deck is accessible from both the screened porch and master bedroom. The dining room is adorned with a decorative round column and tray ceiling. Bedrooms two and three each feature walk-in closets and individual baths.


America's Best House Plans, Inc.
House Plan 036-00084




Square Footage: 2,097 sq. ft.
First Floor: 2,097 sq. ft.
Bonus Room: 452 sq. ft.
Floors: 1
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3
Garages: 3 car – 21’-4” x 33’-2”
Width: 70ft.-2in.
Depth: 59ft.
Height: 24ft.
Foundation:
Front Porch:
Screened Porch: Unfinished Basement
29-4 x 6
14-1 x 11-6

To estimate cost, I'll use my resource #5, “Building Costs by City & State”, on "Getting Started" on www.byoh.com, using “average" quality and an unfinished basement foundation.


Using this "shape" on the "cost to build" calculator for the Nashville, TN area, I came up with $219,846 for an owner/builder. That’s an approximate cost of $104.83 per sq. ft. (Total sq.ft. = 2097 sq. ft. + 452 sq. ft. unfinished Bonus Room)

As always, I determined this amount by deducting the General Contractor’s Markup, equipment rental, and allowed only $2,000 for insurance.

Breakdown of Building Costs for This House (Unfinished Basement). PDF
(You will need Adobe Reader to read this cost breakdown.)

Here is a FREE Adobe Reader download if you need it.

The cost to finish the basement is approximately $15,739, giving a total cost (for an owner/builder) of $235,639. That’s an approximate cost of $56.11 per sq. ft.! (Total sq.ft. = 2097sq. ft. + 2097 finished Basement = 4194 Total sq. ft. of living area.)


If the basement is on flat land, you will need an “Emergency Basement Door”
Note: The cost of this Emergency Basement Door is not included in the "Cost to Build"

Here is an example of a "Emergency Basement Door" from Bilco:

Basement Door - Ultra Series from Bilco: Satisfies IRC 2006 Building code requirements for emergency egress in finished basement areas.

You should keep in mind that the cost to build for this example, or any house plan, can vary considerably depending quality of materials selected, and on actual bids for labor and material.

Again, the estimate for this house is an approximate one based on “average” quality materials.

You will notice that this is NOT an inexpensive house to build. This is due to several factors:

1. 2 porches…porches are not cheap
2. Bonus room
3. 3-car garage
4. Multiple roof lines and foundation corners
5. Steep roof pitches

It is however, a very attractive house, and with a finished basement, a lot of space for the “buck”.


Until you actually start getting bids and entering them into your own spreadsheet (see my spreadsheet page for FREE spreadsheets), it will remain approximate.

Enjoy and good luck,
Carl