n our worksheet we have identified several design decisions and building situations independent of the heated square footage that increase the cost of the home. Calculating an estimate without taking these hidden costs into account results in inaccurate numbers and grief later on.

AN EXAMPLE

• A 2000 square foot home built on a flat piece of land will cost less than the exact same home built on a slope because of the extra excavation and foundation work needed on such a lot.

• A 2000 square foot home with a small cover over the entry will cost less than the same home with a wrap around porch, because of the extra labor and materials needed for the porch.

Our worksheet will pinpoint the things in your design ideas and building site that will cost more and designates a "square foot factor" to those items. We will then calculate an "adjusted square footage" that, when multiplied times a basic custom home dollar amount will result in a much more accurate estimate.

Ultimately, the final cost of your home depends on the cost of all labor, materials and fees that you pay to get it built. These costs will depend on the location of your home, the time of year you are building, who builds it, how accurate the plans are, how busy the building climate is, the specifics of your building site, the complexity of your design and more. It's a complex problem, but the cost worksheet goes a long way to getting your costs more accurate.

The challenge is to be realistic about your budget from the beginning and then throughout the design process. If you're successful here, your project will stay on your budget track.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMPLETE A COST ESTIMATE WORKSHEET?

We offer our Cost Estimate Worksheet as a free service to people seriously considering a Sunlight home. The worksheets take some time and gathering of numbers on your end and some human analysis and calculation on our end. Since the worksheets are each calculated individually and take time for us to complete, we ask that you fit the following criteria before you request the worksheet form:

1. You plan to break ground on your project within a year. (Any longer than that and the numbers will not be accurate enough.)

2. Your budget fits the ballpark price guidelines stated in red on the Sunlight Pricing page. Click this arrow to visit the Sunlight Pricing page, then click your browser's BACK button to return here.

3. You have completed the information form by clicking on the Contact Us! button (in the left column).

4. You have read enough of our Web site to understand the product and services we provide and think that a Sunlight home is a viable option for your building project.

If you fit all of these criteria, please email us and request the link to our Cost Estimate Worksheet.

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