When constructing a home there are several ways that one can cut back on costs. The lists below provide some insight on a number of ideas that may or may not work for your situation. Some of the items are directly related to the type of house plan you choose.

Savings in Construction Costs

1. Enable proper bidding. Work the quirks out on paper rather than in the field.

2. Keep walls simple and lined up.

3. Organize spaces. A good design can organize the floor plans of a house in a way that the maximum use can come from the minimum space.

4. Stay compatible with conventional construction techniques.

5. Use cost-effective and environmentally friendly materials. Use local materials and labor.

5. Keep floor heights consistent through choice of materials, tile thicknesses, and underlayments.

6. Take into consideration standard material dimensions. Plywood, sheetrock, framing, trims and components come in two foot increments.

7. Eliminate change orders and additional work. Provide detailed specs to reduce the unknowns, and assure quality control and craftsman-like workmanship.

8. Assure site position is best for lot, reduces excavation and fill.

9. Use trusses where possible to save labor over stick-built roof framing.

10. Take carpet widths into consideration so you don't have a lot of seaming.

11. Orient rooms and spaces to minimize hallways and maximize the borrowed spaces from room to room, as in an open plan. This could reduce the necessary size of your home.

12. Place stairways in two story homes to limit hallways and reduce wasted space.

13. Reduce insulation cost by wrapping the inside of the walls with plastic sheeting, instead of using insulation faced with a vapor barrier.

14. Uses cantilevering (suspended support for parts of floor area) versus having the foundation follow every jog to save on foundations and excavation.

15. Keep roof pitch below 7/12, (seven inches of drop for every running foot) to make for lower cost and faster roof work. The Essentail Guide to Roofing, can be a helpful tool in determining roof pitch.