Home/Cost to Build
2026 guideWhat it costs to build a house in Central Iowa
Real ranges from real Des Moines-area jobs, including the costs most builders leave out of the first number they give you.
Every builder gets asked this in the first ten minutes, and most answer with a per-square-foot number that is useless on its own. A price per foot means nothing until you know what is inside it: does it include the driveway? The deck? The lot? A finished lower level? Here is how we break it down.
Cost per square foot by finish level
Ranges below are for the house itself — foundation through finished main level, delivered move-in ready. They exclude land, and they exclude the site work line below.
| Finish level | Per finished sq ft | What that buys |
|---|---|---|
| Builder-grade custom | $200 – $250 | Vinyl or LP siding, stock cabinets, laminate or entry-level quartz, carpet and LVP, standard windows |
| Mid custom where most of our work lands | $250 – $325 | Mixed exterior with stone, full-height maple or painted cabinetry, quartz throughout, tile showers, upgraded windows and trim |
| High custom | $325 – $450+ | Custom cabinetry, solid timber and stone features, wide-plank floors, designer lighting and plumbing, complex rooflines |
These are ranges. Your number is a number.
Per-square-foot averages cannot see your lot. Send us the address or the plat and we will tell you what the site work actually costs on that ground — grade, drainage, soils, utilities, covenants. It is free, it takes us an afternoon, and it is the cheapest way to find out whether the house you want fits the budget you have.
Ranges reflect Central Iowa pricing as of 2026 and move with lumber, labor and window lead times. Ask us for a current number before you build a budget around any published figure — ours included.
The costs that are not in the per-foot number
This is where budgets break. None of these are optional, and all of them are commonly excluded from a builder's headline price.
The lot
Platted lots in Ankeny, Waukee, Grimes and Norwalk developments commonly run $80,000–$180,000 depending on width, walkout potential and school district. Acreages outside the metro vary far more — often $100,000–$350,000 for 3 to 10 acres.
Site work
Platted metro lot: $25,000–$50,000 for excavation, backfill, final grade, driveway and seeding. Rural acreage with well, septic, long drive and power run: $70,000–$150,000.
Finished lower level
$55–$95 per sq ft when done during the build. A 1,200 sq ft finish adds roughly $70,000–$110,000 — and costs meaningfully more if you wait five years.
Outdoor living
Covered deck, patio, screened porch or outdoor fireplace: $15,000–$75,000. Decide before framing; a covered deck added later means structural changes.
Permits, fees and utility connections
$5,000–$20,000 depending on jurisdiction. City lots carry connection and impact fees; county builds trade those for septic and well costs.
Landscaping and fencing
$10,000–$40,000. Most builder contracts include seeding only. Trees, beds, irrigation and fence are yours unless the contract says otherwise.
A worked example
A 2,400 sq ft ranch on a platted Ankeny lot, mid custom finishes, unfinished basement, three-car garage:
| House, 2,400 sq ft at $285/sq ft | $684,000 |
| Site work, driveway, final grade and seeding | $38,000 |
| Permits, fees and utility connections | $11,000 |
| Covered deck | $26,000 |
| Build subtotal | $759,000 |
| Lot | $135,000 |
| All-in | $894,000 |
Illustrative only. Your number moves with plan complexity, lot conditions, selections and the month you start.
Five things that quietly add cost
- Roof complexity. Every valley, dormer and roof-to-wall transition adds framing labor, flashing, and a future maintenance point. Simplifying a roof can save five figures without changing the floor plan.
- Bump-outs. A two-foot bump-out costs far more per square foot than the space it adds. Widening the whole room is often cheaper.
- Moving plumbing. Stacked and grouped wet walls save real money. A powder room on the far side of the house is a plumbing run and a vent stack.
- Late selection changes. Swapping cabinets after the order is placed costs the restock, the delay, and the trades who show up to nothing.
- Deep lots and long driveways. Every hundred feet of driveway is rock, concrete or asphalt, plus a longer utility run.
How to compare two builder bids honestly
Line the two bids up side by side and hunt for what is missing rather than what is priced. Check allowance dollars per category, whether site work and driveway are included, whether appliances are in, what window and cabinet brands are specified, and how change orders are priced. The cheaper bid is frequently the same house with fewer things in it.
Common cost questions
Is it cheaper to build or buy in the Des Moines area?
Buying existing is usually cheaper up front. Building wins when you need a specific layout, a specific location, or a house that will not need $80,000 of updates in five years. Compare the build cost against the purchase price plus the renovations you would actually do — that is the honest comparison.
How much do I need for a down payment on a construction loan?
Central Iowa lenders commonly want 10–20 percent of total project cost, and land you already own frequently counts toward it. Construction-to-permanent loans convert to a normal mortgage at completion so you close once. Talk to a local bank or credit union early — the loan often sets the budget, not the other way around.
Do prices really change month to month?
Materials do. Lumber, windows and cabinets have all moved sharply in recent years. That is why our contracts fix scope and price at signing rather than floating with the market, and why we lock selections before ground breaks.
What is the least expensive way to add square footage?
Finish the basement during the original build, and go up rather than out. A second story reuses the foundation and roof you are already paying for; a finished lower level reuses everything.