The Cost of Building a Concrete Home

Wood

• Most homes, at minimum, use wood in their framing. Many also continue the material in the finishing of exterior walls, as substrate or shingling on the roof, in the flooring and in interior paneling and trim. These techniques make wood the most common construction material for residential homes. In 2010, the National Association of Home Builders put the cost and labor of an average 2,716-square-foot home at $222,511 or just under $90 a square foot. This did not include the cost of a lot, which averaged $76,591 for a 21,879 parcel. Prices are accurate at the time of publication.

ICF

• Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) is a building system that uses special concrete forms for walls, floors and roofs. These forms lock together with no mortar, receive rebar for strength, and then are filled with reinforced concrete. The construction offers energy and sound insulation, space for plumbing and conduits, and a surface backing for drywall, stucco, brick or other finishing material. The Insulating Concrete Form Association puts the cost of building ICF homes at an extra $1 to $4 a square foot. This would put the total cost of the average home between $225,227 and $233,375.

Masonry

• More popular for European homes and in American commercial structures, concrete masonry construction uses pre-formed concrete masonry units (CMUs). They are stacked in layers joined by mortars, and may take insulation on their exterior or interior faces, between vertical layers or inside special CMU cavities. This construction also boasts energy and sound insulation. According to Magnum Design Build, the cost of a CMU home is within three or four percent of an average wooden house. This puts the price of the previously described average home between $229,186 and $231,411.

Green

• Concrete homes can be considered “green” homes because they reduce wood and use recyclable materials such as concrete block, steel and Portland cement. These houses last longer than conventional wood structures, and are naturally fire-resistant. Concrete homes also save energy, allowing smaller heating and cooling units. This can cut its final cost. For example, the Insulating Concrete Form Association translates the energy savings to $0.75 per square foot, placing the additional net cost at $0.25 to $3.25 per square foot. This puts the cost of the previously described average home between $223,055 and $229,583.