What costs more? 1-story w/ double the concrete & roof, or 2-story w/ joists?

[beppington]

Trying to decide between a 1-story & 2.

For the same size house, which costs more?

It would be a monolithic concrete slab.

Maybe there's not enough difference to say? Or maybe there are more factors you'd need to know - Ask away.

Tks!

 

[LD1]

Trying to decide between a 1-story & 2.

For the same size house, which costs more?

It would be a monolithic concrete slab.

Maybe there's not enough difference to say? Or maybe there are more factors you'd need to know - Ask away.

Tks!

I am not an expert and have no facts to back it up, but I'd say the single story probabally costs a little more per square foot.

More roofing material, More concrete, More excavating(if digging a basement).

A 2-story isnt really going to add anymore flooring or floor joists. Because square footage is going to be the same. Think of it as cutting your single story in half and stacking it ontop of itself. Really no more flooring, but a lot less roofing and base concrete.

But for the two-story it might cost a little more for plumbing, wiring, and hvac.

Just guessing here. Have youi got any quotes??

 

[techwrtr2]

My question is which do you prefer? A house, regardless of whether you buy or build, is a major investment and you will probably be stuck there for some time. Personally, I wouldn't want to buy a house and say to myself that I wish I'd have built the single/multi story because I hate what I did build. Build what suits you but is within your budget. :2cents:

In line with the previous post, I lived in a house for a number of years that I eventually determined was a two story house with the second floor set next to the first. The dimensions matched, there where closets corresponding to where stairs to the second floor would have been and the water lines for the bathroom would have been directly above the kitchen.

 

[beppington]

I am not an expert and have no facts to back it up, but I'd say the single story probabally costs a little more per square foot.

More roofing material, More concrete, More excavating(if digging a basement).

Just dawned on me that a 2-story would have a little more exterior wall. There will be no basement - I'm in FL & on the edge of a floodplain. Any basement would have to be a submarine!

A 2-story isnt really going to add anymore flooring or floor joists. Because square footage is going to be the same. Think of it as cutting your single story in half and stacking it ontop of itself. Really no more flooring, but a lot less roofing and base concrete.

In a 1-story, I'd have no joists; just walls sitting on concrete & trusses on the walls.

But for the two-story it might cost a little more for plumbing, wiring, and hvac.

Just guessing here. Have youi got any quotes??

No quotes - I'm the builder :thumbsup:

 

[dusty3030]

I've had two houses on slabs and house now is on crawlspace. I prefer crawlspace.
Saved us from a flooded house last spring. Water got under it, but not in it.

 

[techwrtr2]

After the floods here in Central PA last year, if I lived in flood plain, I'd want to be up on stilts.

 

[LD1]

Just dawned on me that a 2-story would have a little more exterior wall. There will be no basement - I'm in FL & on the edge of a floodplain. Any basement would have to be a submarine!



In a 1-story, I'd have no joists; just walls sitting on concrete & trusses on the walls.



No quotes - I'm the builder :thumbsup:

In that case, A one story may just be cheaper. Because price per sq ft probabally isnt going to be much different between a slab and joists. I know houses get built on slabs everyday, but I dont know the technique.....how do you route the plumbing and hvac without a crawl space??

The exterior walls would be close. Just depends on the floor plans. Even 2 single stories of EXACT same footage can have different amounts. A 10x100 house is 1000 sq ft and will have 220ft of exterior wall. A 25x40 is the exact same footage but will only have 130ft of wall. Almost half. I know its an extreme example, but it just depends.

But regardless of cost, I'd look at other factors to decide wether to build 1 or 2 stories. Like...is this going to be your LAST house??? Stairs arent fun when you are 85 years old. And since you are in florida, I would think a 1 story would fair a bit better in high winds. And what is the terrain like. Would a 2 story look better in your surroundings or a 1?? Those are the kinda things I would base my descision on. Because with no basement and a slab, I think the cost will be very close.

 

[DonnieP]

Depends how old you are too, as you get older stairs are no fun. Neighbour of mine had single story house. When second child was born he put a second story on. They had a third child and after they grew up and moved out, he took the second story off. Of course he was a carpenter/electrician so not a big deal for him.
Donnie

 

[Western]

BEP, I have 3 custom home builders in my family, they all have said that a 2-story is less per foot, or at least more "bang for your buck" generally. House design would be a factor, such as dispersion of load weight and cement/structural requirements, that can effect the price. As far as the "extra" exterior siding, you may fall into the category of builders volume discount?. Probably add to the insulation (exterior walls) some too. I think the only certain thing, is the roof would be the same, but that is an expensive part of a single story house. If I see one of my uncles, I'll ask them more specifically, pro vs con.

 

[dstig1]

2 story houses are much more material efficient so they end up being cheaper per SF. but there is another big factor which is design. A simple 2-story colonial box would be the cheapest, easiest and most efficient to build. The further you move away from that simple shape, the more costly it gets.

Here's an interesting thought exercise: Take a 400 sf house. Make it 20' square in one design and 10'x40' in another design. Both are 400 SF. The square house has 80 LF of wall (20x4), but the rect house has 100 LF of walls (40+40+10+10). The square house is cheaper to build from a materials standpoint, and will also be more energy efficient as it has less external wall area.

Foundation work is more expensive than framing a second floor, so to get an equivalent size house in a 1-story it must have 2x the footprint of a 2-story and cover a lot more land area.

A lot comes down to your needs and preferences. Don't get too lost in the cost issue, especially if you are building yourself. It's important, but making too many compromises will annoy you for decades...

My 2 cents...