Construction Cost Estimation Program / Online

Hello everyone,

I am currently at the beginning of my house planning and have so far been searching in vain for a free program or a website where one can estimate construction costs in order to initially get a rough overview of the costs involved and the structural differences.

For example, I am interested in the cost differences between a full basement, a partial basement, or no basement based on the floor area... what, for example, a single-story house built with clay bricks costs compared to one built with lightweight expanded clay aggregate... what price differences there are for costs of gable, hip, or flat roofs.

So a kind of modular system where you can get an overview based on floor area, number of rooms & stories, basement variant, roof type, exterior wall thickness, etc.

I hope I have expressed myself clearly enough.

Good evening,

For me, it’s about the differences in costs between a full basement, a partial basement, or no basement in relation to the floor area... what, for example, a single-story house built with clay bricks costs compared to a house built with expanded clay... what price differences there are for costs of gable, hip, or flat roofs.

Are you going door-to-door?

No, just kidding – such a site does not exist and cannot exist.

So a kind of modular system where you can get an overview based on floor area, number of rooms & floors, basement variant, roof shape, exterior wall thicknesses, etc.

There are various online construction cost calculators which are quite limited in their selection options. However, I do not know (so far) any calculator that would ultimately display a reasonable price; as a rule, only the stated ancillary purchase costs of the property are correct. The calculated construction costs would probably yield the same results as a crystal ball; at least not much worse.

That cannot work either, because these services are provided free of charge – though I wonder for what purpose. To produce somewhat reliable values, the webmaster would have to input prices per square meter of floor area separately for each federal state. But this would require first establishing a nationwide standard. Even then, differences would still arise (and have to) because the borders to the next adjacent federal state require different prices. That still would not take into account the problem of different types of bricks, nor the thicknesses of the bricks, etc.

So if you want to build a modular system for yourself, you first have to have a plan and can then send this to different providers with the note to consider their respective preferred wall system. But I hardly believe that it will then still be possible for them to voluntarily and free of charge provide you with different variants – with partial or full basement, with external or internal insulation, etc.

There are some low-cost providers that offer a similar system on a smaller scale. If you like one of their floor plans, you can click through different roof structures, extensions, or facade designs. Whether prices are also stored there, I can’t say now.

Of course, you can also read through the various threads here; in the end, you will have a good overview of the costs you can expect. Including those you have so far left out in your list.

Rhenish regards

Hello "Bauexperte",

it should be clear to everyone that such a program or website cannot be really accurate. A percentage indication would be enough to give future builders a rough overview.

And I actually found something that comes quite close. Although you cannot select materials for the masonry, and the web version is more intended as advertising for the actual program, it serves its purpose.

Is it allowed to post links here? I had read somewhere that it would be prohibited. Attached is already an image of the web version. In the full version, there would also be the option to adjust for regional differences as far as I remember.

Hello,

I know this program; the results of the calculation .... well.

For the Hamburg region, assume roughly €1,400.00/sqm, then you are on the safe side with a Kfw 70 efficiency house at medium standard and the turnkey variant on a slab foundation with SD. A ZD costs more, as does a PD, WD or also a truncated hip roof, dormer, other extras, etc. Plus the usual candidates like incidental building costs, outdoor facilities, etc.

Btw. a partial basement costs almost as much as a full basement

Rhenish greetings

I have to point out that overall a crippled hip roof was more cost-effective for us than an SD when considering all trades together (mason, carpenter, etc. etc.). It’s also not entirely illogical that there is somewhat less built-up space (in the attic) with it.

Roughly whether one variant (reduced to the roof) is cheaper or more expensive than the other can already be roughly estimated. But that alone is not enough to grasp it numerically.

In this post I outlined what the background is.