New house

No I’m not the contractor. I thought about doing myself, but I’ve been scared out of it. Everybody has a horror story if someone who self contracts and ends up costing himself more money then if he’d have paid someone

I build homes for people around south LA and MS. Very few builders give upfront pricing bc it is so difficult. We do. All the site specific things are not included (until we see your land to determine how much dirt, what type of driveway, etc etc etc).
Basically, you come in to see us, tour a few homes to get an idea of our included features, give us feedback in features you want that are above our included features if there are any, and we give you a price. That simple. Some of our included features are vinyl plank flooring, granite counters, all wood cabinets, ceiling fans in all bedrooms. If you pick things from our color room (we have negotiated pricing on 20 vinyl planks, 13 tile boards, 3 lines of faucets, 3 lines of lighting) you will get a great value because of our negotiation with vendors. The system is set up to be clear and simple for the customer to make having your home built as easy as it can be. A 3100 sqft house with us can go anywhere from 280k all the way to 450k depending on what features people want. We have plans to choose from and customize or build plans customers bring in. I wouldn't pay an architect until you speak to and interview builders. Often architects dont know what things cost and do a horrible job preparing people a plan with their budget in mind.

Architects are normally only used for high end homes. Most homes and designed by draftsman...

concerning the square feet....no reason I said 3100. Id like to have 4 BR and 21/2 to 3 baths. I’d also like two family rooms.

I’ll revise...anywhere from 2,600 to 3,200

^^exactly. If you’re trying to maximize square footage and minimize costs, you’re gonna end up with one of those faux french provincial style boxes seen all over suburbia. They’re cheap to build, thus ubiquitous. Count a floor plan’s exterior corners—the more corners, the more expensive per square foot (as a very rough guide).

Also, think very, very hard about whether you need all that space. If you already have kids in elementary school, they’re going to leave home for good (God willing) when you still have half of a mortgage left. You’ll be heating/cooling a bunch of empty rooms....I have friends with MBR downstairs, kids’ rooms upstairs floor plans who literally never go upstairs anymore....they’re paying $200-400/mo for energy costs on space they never use.

Build as small as you think you’ll be comfortable with, and think about energy efficiency. Look at west-facing exposures and try to minimize heat gain. It’s easier to NOT spend money on energy costs than it is to make more money covering those costs.