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Every place in the US has local home building codes and ordinances, and these requirements drive the ultimate design of the home and its basic features. For example, in Southern California, the codes dictate concrete tile roofs, which cost more to build because of the weight load and the price of tile, but the municipalities want the upscale look of the tile and the safety that it provides. While the tile costs more initially, over time it is money saver because these tiles last at least 30 years, and they protect the structures from blowing embers and even lightening strikes.
Communities where snow fall is heavy may require a steeper roof pitch that costs more to construct to allow snow to slide off the roof easily, compared to locations that get almost no snow, like the southwestern deserts where flat roofs are common, snowfall rare, and rains light. - Many home builders have discovered that building square or rectangular shaped buildings is far more cost effective than building homes whose footprints have a variety of shapes. That bay window may be beautiful from the exterior, but it adds to the construction cost of the home. Architectural relief to the outside of the home can include using rough hewn wood trim to accent the windows, small pop outs that break up the monotony of a flat surface, and by using a paint scheme that livens up the exterior.
- Builders achieve economies by using fewer plumbing resources. Most homes built have at least two bathrooms and three bedrooms. If the bathrooms are adjacent to each other, the cost for plumbing the home goes way down. The closer that the kitchen and the bathrooms are to the hot water heater also helps drive down construction and operating costs, once the home is occupied.
- Homes that have fewer hallways have lower construction costs. The cost of drywall, as well as the cost of 2 by 4's contributes a great deal to the cost of constructing a home, so finding a design that uses almost all its floor space as living area or bedrooms is automatically a less expensive way to build a home. Using ceiling plates that are 8' is also a good way to pare construction costs. The standard 2 by 4 is 8-feet long, and drywall comes in 8-feet sheets. The amount of work that the drywallers and the framers have to do to put the walls up is much less when they don't have to cut pieces to fit higher ceilings.
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It may cost a little more in insulation costs to add extra insulation to the walls and roof, but it's a smart move because the cost of heating and cooling the home will be much lower over the long haul. Putting an R value of 30 in the roof and R-19 in the walls is the minimum to consider. Windows and doors are the source of much air infiltration, and it makes sense to spend a little more on these items, as well. The dual pane, low E windows reduce heating and cooling loads, as do insulated, tight fitting exterior doors.
Take advantage of rebates and tax incentives for installing solar roofing materials. These roofing tiles generate electricity for the home, and in some cases, completely eliminate the need for electricity from a utility company. The tiles look good, and are easy to install.
Using insulating paint can also reduce the heat gain or cold gain of your home. These are ceramic powders that painters can easily mix with the exterior paint. The ceramic powders were developed to insulate space craft from enormous heat gain when they reenter the earth's atmosphere. They work very well, especially if two coats are applied. They are quite inexpensive.
If you have the option to site your home yourself on your property, work with your architect to design it so that it takes advantage of either heat gain from sun in the winter or shade if your summers are hot. - The use of carpeting in new homes is declining, and people are using more hard surface flooring. Not only do these floors cost less in some cases than carpet, they are much easier to keep clean and last a lot longer. Hard surface flooring choices are tile, decorated concrete, vinyl, laminated wood, or wood flooring. Of these, vinyl is the least expensive, and new technologies in the manufacturing of laminate have made it look really similar to ceramic tile, for example.
