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Submit plansI’m trying to estimate the cost of a self-build and my architect told me that the cost per metre square price is based on the footprint of the house in metres (ie the amount of space it takes up on the land) divided by the build cost. Is this correct? Or should the cost per square metre of the build be the build cost divided by the total metre area of the house (ie including the area of the first and second storeys). I would be grateful if you could clarify this for me.
The cost per square metre of a self build home or other type of building is calculated by dividing the building cost by the floor area. The building cost excludes any external works and you should allow say £10,000 for drains, paths, fencing and the like for a standard detached four-bedroom house. The floor area is calculated by measuring the area inside the external walls across partitions and stair well including both ground floor and first floor areas. Here is an example:
Building cost £180,000
Ground floor area 100m²
First floor area 100m²
Total area 200m²
Cost per m² £180,000 divided by 200 = £900 per m² (plus £10,000 for the external works)
