About
A Lesavra project
QuickBuildCost helps people across the US get the most accurate cost estimate they can for building a house, from free, public, named data.
QuickBuildCost is built and maintained by Lesavra, a web and app development studio, as one of its free public projects.
The idea behind every Lesavra project is the same: take public data that is hard to find or hard to read, check it, and publish it in a form anyone can use, free and unbiased. Here that means turning national construction surveys and official price indexes into a calculator, a checklist and plain guides for people planning a home.
Lesavra open projects
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Vision
Anyone planning a home in the US can see what it should cost, and why, before they sign anything.
Mission
Turn published construction cost data into clear, free tools, and keep every number traceable to its source and dated.
Our service to the community
No sign-up, no paywall and no contractor referral fees. The calculator, checklist and guides are free for everyone, and corrections from readers are welcome.
Why “near accurate” is the honest goal
Building prices change every day.
No website can tell you the exact price of your house today. What we can do is start from the best published figures, bring them up to date with official price indexes, show our working, and make it easy to swap in your own quotes.
+11.7%
Change in residential construction material prices, Q4 2024 to September 2026
+8.0%
Change in average hourly construction earnings over the same period
$174.52
NAHB's $162 per sq ft, rebuilt line by line with those changes
Bureau of Labor Statistics series via FRED, last checked October 18, 2026. The full method is in our 2026 cost research.
What moves the price of a house
Materials
Lumber, concrete, steel and gypsum prices move every month with supply, demand, tariffs and energy costs.
Labor
Construction wages differ by region and rise as crews get busier or harder to find.
Interest rates
Mortgage and construction loan rates change weekly, which changes what the same budget can build.
Local fees
Permit, impact, water and sewer fees are set by each city or county and are revised on their own schedule.
Land and site
Lot prices, soil, slope, trees and utility hookups make two identical houses cost different amounts.
Design and finish
House shape, roof lines and the level of finish can move the price per square foot more than location does.
How we work
Our rules for every number.
- Named sources only. Every figure links to the organization that published it. If reliable data does not exist, we say so instead of filling the gap.
- Dated, then updated. Each guide shows when its figures were last checked, and the calculator is re-indexed when new official data comes out.
- Averages are a starting point. National figures help you plan. Local quotes from licensed professionals decide the real price.
- The whole bill. Land, permits, fees, loan interest and moving costs count as much as the construction itself.
- Independent. We are not a builder, lender or real estate agent, and we take no referral fees. The site is supported by advertising.
Credits
The data behind QuickBuildCost.
Thank you to the organizations that publish this data for free. Each guide also lists its own sources at the end, and the Data Sources & Methodology page explains how the calculator uses them.
What we are not
QuickBuildCost is an information and planning tool. It is not a contractor, architect, engineer, attorney, lender or financial advisor, and nothing on this site is a quote for a specific project or professional advice. Always check with licensed local professionals before you make construction, legal or financial decisions. See the full disclaimer.
Spotted a number that looks off?
Prices move fast, and readers often see changes first. Send corrections, missing costs or ideas and we will check them against the source.
More from Lesavra
Other free Lesavra projects.
QuickBuildCost is one of several open projects built by Lesavra. Each one takes public information that is hard to find and makes it free and easy to use.