What is the cost of building a new home in san francisco

11 years ago

I want to know the price of building on new home in San Francisco on a flat small lot. When I looked online someone posted 300 per square foot but in other parts of the country only 100 per sq ft. So, what gives with that? If I have to take out a loan against one of my houses to build another for a rental, I can afford 100 but not 300. At 300, it would exceed the value of the second home. Once the home was build the rental income could pay back the loan, but maybe I can't do it at all if it going to be so expensive. I have to sell. This is a bad time to sell, the market is still low and has not recovered enough to sell. So, I can't sell right now, when the market is low. All I do is go round in circles. Any help is appreciated. I can't rent out the house without rebuilding it. So there is no income being generated by the property to offset the cost of taxes and so.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

SweetFish
11 years ago
Not sure if this helps but I'm building in the NY Metro area for about $160 a sq ft. (3500 sq ft, mid level finishes, no finished basement).

I expect the SF area to be in the same ballpark..so I would say that $150-$200 a sq ft is a decent estimate.
User
11 years ago
$100 a sf in SF is probably an unheated garage. Location is everything.
Related Professionals
Saint Paul Architects & Building Designers · Washington Architects & Building Designers · Kaysville Home Builders · Odenton Home Builders · Lomita Home Builders · Bloomington General Contractors · Deer Park General Contractors · Medford General Contractors · Olney General Contractors · Pinewood General Contractors · Pocatello General Contractors · Seabrook General Contractors · Seal Beach General Contractors · Shaker Heights General Contractors · Westchester General Contractors
auroraborelis
11 years ago
I'm in the South Bay and my building costs are just under $200/sq ft, but the city of SF is a bit more difficult to work with. I also had an additional $80,000 in costs which included: designer, structural engineer, civil engineer, soil engineer, and permits.

You really need to contact some local builders and start getting quotes. If you keep the foundation and part of a wall then this will be considered a renovation and not a complete build, which will make it much easier to deal with the city.

There was another thread where someone was asking for references for builders in the East Bay, that may be a good place to start.
chispa
11 years ago
OP said "this is a bad time to sell"

Do you actually live in SF, because in many areas of CA the prices have gone up and some are selling for close to 2005 prices. Good areas of LA and SD have a shortage of inventory and "good" homes are selling quickly with multiple offers. I thought the SF market was even hotter than LA and SD, unless you overpaid at the peak and took out equity, making you too underwater even with recent price increases??

Based on LA custom construction prices, I would guess SF would be in the $250 range.
Laurel Zito
Original Author
11 years ago
Yes, I really do live in San Francisco, but there are some personal complications so I am not yet ready to build, but I did an online search and got 300 per square foot, added up 1,000 feet and realized I could not afford it. It is not a house I am living in, now I am going to inherit it.

This is still not a good time to sell because before the crash, they prices were so much higher. They could go up in the next few years if we have a recovery. Most people in my area, want to rent out the places instead of selling. There are very few homes for sale now in my area, because people are waiting. Some condos have recently sold, but few houses. In fact, there are renters on both sides of my house, and many renters on my block.
brickeyee
11 years ago
"This is still not a good time to sell because before the crash, they prices were so much higher."

It was called a 'bubble' for a reason.

"They could go up in the next few years if we have a recovery."

Or not.

If you are inheriting and paid nothing the older values mean nothing.
Be glad with what you received.
auroraborelis
11 years ago
I responded earlier to your question without really reading everything you said in your post.

Building a house on a small lot in San Francisco in order to rent it out or sell it doesn't make any sense, in this market, or in any other.

How bad could it be that you can't do some repairs and rent it out as is?

The market in SF is up, in some areas to the same numbers as before the market crashed. So unless this home is in a bad neighbourhood this is probably a fairly good time to sell, espeically if you are not living there, and you can't rent it out. There are a lot of people in SF who have the money to buy a home, tear it down, and rebuild it with little regard to value or cost.