What does a new house cost?
Here in Athens, Georgia, a new house costs anywhere between $250-$450 per square foot (SF). Those numbers represent the general range of custom homes in 2023. The difference in price often comes down to the expense of finishes, structure, windows, weatherproofing, and thermal performance products, among many other things. Large houses often cost less per SF than smaller houses with similar finishes. Land cost is not included in the per SF cost.
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Budgeting for renovations can be more difficult than new construction. Built into every bid for a renovation is a "mobilization cost," meaning a contractor will generally not want to take on a project below a minimum threshold. That threshold could vary anywhere between $5000 and $10,000, depending on the contractor. Not every contractor works this way, but many do. By combining a bathroom renovation with a kitchen renovation, you can avoid an upcharge on the cost of the work to get you over that minimum threshold.
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Patch encourages you to find a budget for your new project before you start designing your house. Furthermore, understanding the budget will allow you to make better decisions regarding the materials and assemblies.
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Typical sf ranges:
2 bed | 1.5 bath — 800sf -1200 SF
3 bed | 2 bath — 1100 sf - 2000 SF
3 bed | 3.5 bath — 1800 sf - 2800 SF
4 bed | 4.5 bath — 2500 sf - 3500 SF
5 bed | 4.5 bath — 2800 sf - 4000 SF
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Patch can design houses larger than 4000 SF, but typically we will suggest building a separate guest house, pool house, office, garage with living space above, or something similar to spread square footage across the site.

How many SF do I need?
Typical sf ranges:
2 bed | 1.5 bath — 800sf -1200 SF
3 bed | 2 bath — 1100 sf - 2000 SF
3 bed | 3.5 bath — 1800 sf - 2800 SF
4 bed | 4.5 bath — 2500 sf - 3500 SF
5 bed | 4.5 bath — 2800 sf - 4000 SF
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Patch can design houses larger than 4000 SF, but typically we will suggest separating the building to spread the square footage across the site.
How much are architectural fees?
Architectural fees sit somewhere between 5% and 15% of the cost of construction, depending on the complexity of the project.
How long does the process take from start to finish?
New Construction:
Design — 2-6 months
Bidding/Permitting — 1-2 months
Construction — 10-18 months
Total: 12-24 months, usually closer to 18 months
Renovations:
Design — 1-2 months
Bidding/Permitting — 1-2 months
Construction — 1-8 months
Total: 3-12 months, depending on complexity and scope of work
What other considerations should I have besides aesthetics and sf?
Take a step back from mood boards and floor plan sketches for a moment and consider how the house will perform for the environment. Lots of media attention has been given to the threat of the unchecked and unsustainable energy consumption of transportation, while almost no attention has been given to the built environment. The total combined energy use of the manufacturing of materials, construction, and occupancy of buildings accounted for about 55% of energy usage worldwide in 2020, according to the United Nation's 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction. From that same report, residential manufacturing, construction, and occupancy accounted for 22% of total global energy consumed. For reference, global transportation made up 28% of global energy consumption.
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Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings decreases their energy consumption (of course.) However, a building gleans many other advantages besides lower power bills with the proper application of modern building science principles. For example, by properly air sealing a house, you can reduce incoming pathogens like dust, pollen, bugs, and other pests. (Learn more about air barriers in this Patch Design post here.) Combine that with the use of rigid insulation, like extruded polystyrene (XPS) or the newly emerging graphite polystyrene insulation (GPS)*, and you really start building a different, better kind of house. When placed over the waterproofing and air sealing layers on your house, rigid insulation can protect those critical layers from extreme temperature swings throughout the year. Without those temperature swings that waterproofing will last longer — 100 years or more. As an added bonus, when tested against each other, exterior insulation limits the amount of heat flow through a wall by about 22% when compared to insulation placed between studs. Same R-value of insulation — nearly 1/4 more efficient just based on its placement in the wall!
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So let's use modern building science principles to create a house that does the greenest possible thing: never be torn down to make way for another house.
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*The new GPS product combines benefits of the cheaper expanded polystyrene (EPS) with benefits of the more expensive and better insulating XPS to create a product that is much cheaper than XPS, nearly as good of an insulator, and actually becomes a better insulator the colder it gets! Amazing.
Do I need to find a contractor before beginning to design?
No, you do not need a contractor before you begin design work on your renovation or your new house. However, it can be advantageous to research contractors in your area and even reach out to a few to see if they are taking on any new work. Some contractors, especially well established contractors, have a 6-12 month waitlist. Getting a spot on that list with a contractor you like means that your project can start soon after the completion of the Design Phase and the Construction Documents Phase, which could take up to 6 months. Patch can also assist you in selecting the right contractor for your house.
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On some new construction projects, early engagement with a contractor can also help maintain the project budget by reviewing the design, giving preliminary estimates, and offering suggestions on alternate materials. This will generally require some kind of early agreement with the contractor.
What are my responsibilities in the home-building process?
There are three main phases in all projects: Design Phase, Construction Document Phase, and Construction Phase. Client involvement varies during the three main phases of the project. While the biggest time commitment for clients occurs during the Construction Phase, the Design Phase also requires active involvement with the architect producing the design. The Design Phase consists of a series of design meetings where we will present the project, or pieces of the project, to you. After each design meeting, we will edit the design based on your comments. Because it can often take at least a few days to absorb the new design, we typically give clients a few days to respond to the design before we begin to refine it again. Understanding that everyone's schedules are full, we structure the Design Phase to produce the design you need as efficiently as possible.
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At the end of the Design Phase, we produce a Design Sign-off Set of drawings. Before we begin producing the Construction Documents, we want to make sure that you are happy with all the parts and pieces of the design. After design sign-off, we begin to produce CAD drawings for construction. Generally the Construction Documents phase requires less client interaction than the Design Phase, but we will still call with questions about more and more specific items.
Finally, after the Construction Document Phase, you will need to make your final contractor selection and make final decisions on any details affecting the budget. During construction, you will be responsible for paying the contractor according to your contract with them. However, during the Construction Phase, we will continue to visit the project to make sure that the project progresses in a timely manner according to the plans and answer any questions from the contractor.

Can you help me find land or a historic home to renovate?
Yes! Patch Design maintains relationships with several Athens realtors who keep a close eye on the market. If you have a dream project, we can help you achieve it from land selection all the way through construction.