Questioning yourself, “should you move to Montana or not”? Well, You will be happy to know that the real estate tax rates are less than the national average, which means Montana is an ideal state for house owners to buy a property and build their dream home.

As you know that building a house is not an easy task; it requires a lot of planning and research. So if you are thinking about how much does it cost to build a house in Montana then you are at the right place. Here we will tell you about everything you need to know before you start on your dream project.
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How Long Does it Take to Build a house in Montana?
After making your move to the best place to live in Montana, its time to select and buy a land to make your dream home. The average time it takes to construct a house, from start to finish, is around seven months. Although you may need to include the time it takes an architect to draw up plans (which might take anywhere from 1–4 months), this is not always the case.
After that, add another month to allow for the approval of your project before it can place any shovels in the ground to begin construction. Overall, you’re looking at a one-year commitment as an outcome when you total it all up.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a 2000 sq ft House?
Montana building costs vary from $100 to $220 per square foot, depending on the quality of construction you pick for your home (not including the cost of site work or land).
According to the Montana new house report, the average cost of constructing a new home in Montana is $286,277.
A 2,000 sq ft house costs around $150 per square foot, resulting in a total cost of approximately $2,000. Depending on your financial situation, you may construct your ideal home in Montana If you have savings ranging from $151,014 to $400,000.
Cost to Build a House
It’s not that simple to figure out the overall cost required to build a house at a time before making it happen because you have to keep a balance between your cost of living in Montana as well as the cost of building a home from time to time. Therefore, you have to explore some averages and breakdowns of various aspects of house building cost to provide you a better picture of what it might cost if you consider building your dream home.
The average housing price in Montana is roughly about $300,000, excluding the land cost. With housing trends starting from self-sustaining houses, luxurious smart houses with sophisticated tubs to prefabricated housing options, no doubt that the new builds range from $50,000 to several million dollars. The amount you will pay for your dream house will depend on location, choice, and demands for materials and labor. Include a 15% contingency reserve in your budget to cover any unexpected costs or upgrades throughout the construction process.
Highest Cost Of Built A House | $180 to $220 per square foot. |
Average Cost Of Built A House | $140 to $180 per square foot |
Lowest Cost Of Built A House | $100 to $140 per square foot. |
Building Cost
The overall cost to build a house in Montana is difficult to estimate ahead of time. Before construction can begin, you must obtain the required approvals, a home design must be established, a crew must be hired, and you must prepare the construction site. Depending on the extent of the project, pre-construction expenses should account for 10% to 25% of total project costs.
Pre-Construction Costs
People usually forget the pre-construction cost while making a budget for their new house and later they face budget issues. It’s very important to research the pre-construction cost in the area you want to build your house.
A certain price is charged to obtain all the genuine permits before making a house plan, employing a team, and arranging the crew before the construction work begins. Typically, you may consider 10% – 25% of total project costs as pre-construction costs.

Here is the table to show the pre-constructional requirements you need to consider before starting the construction work in a more precise way.
PARTICULARS | COSTS |
Plot Price | $150 per square foot. |
Plans Fees | $2000 – $8000 |
Building Permit Fees | $1000 – $2000 |
Professional fees Contractor Architects Engineers Interior designers Draftsperson Landscape architect | 10%- 20% of total construction cost $120 – $250 per hour $100 – $200 per hour $50 – $200 per hour $50 – $150 per hour $70 – $150 per hour |
Water and sewage inspection | $5000 |
Demolition costs | $6000 – $20,000 |
Deconstruction cost | $24000 or more |
Construction management fees | 5% – 20% of the total construction cost |
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House Exterior Material Costs
After approving the house plan, and employing the team, the actual construction works start. The house exterior material cost of a project clearly defines the actual construction work and the cost incurred to complete the entire house. This includes excavation, foundation, framing, siding, roofing, landscaping, and other major exterior works. You may also consider the land and site work of your plot.
The table below depicts the house exterior material cost breakdown that is involved during the construction phase.
Particulars | Costs |
Excavation | $1400 – 34500 |
Foundation Typical slab foundation Foundation with a basement | $5000 – $15,000 $18,000 – $80,000 |
Framing High quality lumber framing Metal stud framing | $35,000 $20,000 |
Roofing | $5000 – $12000 |
Siding | $12 per square foot |
Driveway | $1500 – $5000 |
Landscaping | $2000 – $5000 |
Exterior painting | $1500 – $5000 |
Doors and windows | $3000 – $9500 |
Home Interior Material Costs
To make a house real, to add life into it; it should be added with air, water, electric power, and other minor and major installations. Skilled plumbers, technicians, and electricians are employed to do plumbing, install HVAC systems and hook up electricity mains to the local power grid.
Adding major systems and doing interior finishes to your new home usually costs between $30000 to $80000. In case you might need to set up a water system or septic tank, you have to talk to your contractor to search for options in your locality.
If you want to add sustainable options to your building by adopting an eco-friendly route, you may install solar panels that might charge extra installation costs.

Here’s a list of particulars of home interior material costs breakdown that is done after the building construction is over.
PARTICULARS | COSTS |
Plumbing | $9000 – $30,000 |
Installing HVAC | $7000 – $13,000 |
Electrical | $5 per square foot or roughly $10,000 |
Insulation | $4000 |
Drywall | $2.50 per square foot or an average around $30,000 |
Doors and windows | $6000 to $9000 |
Cabinets and countertops | $7000 and $25,000 |
Flooring | $6 to $10 per square foot or an average between $1500 and $5000 |
Paint | $5 per square foot |
Fixtures | $5000 – $10000 |
Appliances | $3500 – $5000 |
Furniture | $20,000 – $100,000 |
Septic tank | $3000 – $5000 |
Solar panels | $18,000 – $35,000 |
Cost to Build a House in Montana FAQs
How much does it cost per square foot to build a house in Montana?
It may increase or decrease from time to time but the ideal range is $100 to $140 per square foot.
How much does it cost to build a 2500 square foot home in Montana?
It depends upon various factors like quality of material, design of the house, stories of the house, finishing of the house, etc. The average cost to build a 2500 sq ft home in Montana is $375,000.
Is it cheaper to build or buy in Montana?
Buying a home is typically less expensive than building one. There are certain exceptions, such as that you can probably construct a tiny house for less than you’d pay to purchase one.
Conclusion
Montana is an explorer’s dream come true, overflowing with natural beauty, natural wonder, and many things to explore and do in Montana. The price you’ll spend for your ideal house is determined by your preferences, the area you choose, and the demand for labor and supplies. After reading the above article you will get complete knowledge about various costs you are going to bear in order to build your dream house in Montana.
Perfect budget planning is very important before you start the construction of your dream house and this article will help you make a perfect and efficient budget plan for your house.
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