According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), the share of custom homes in our built residential environment increased to 20.2 percent of all single-family homes started in 2019. Building a custom home gives future homeowners the power of choosing what design elements will make your home uniquely your own. Furthermore, custom homes also allow for more functionality, as you are able to design a home and a floor plan that is specifically designed for your needs and your daily routine. As an added benefit, custom homes also give you the freedom to choose the highest quality materials for your home while also finding ways to reduce your home´s environmental footprint through renewable energy options and energy efficiency building techniques.
Before you start planning every square inch of your future home, however, you need to start to think about where you will find the land to build the home of your dreams. Though some people might dream about owning a 100-acre homestead, significant acreage of land will obviously increase the final price of your home. Most people looking to build a custom home want to know the minimum amount of land that is necessary to fit the home of their dreams. Below, we take a quick look at the average house lot size and a few other considerations related to how much land is required to build a house.
The Average House Lot Size
Incredibly, the average lot size for new single-family detached homes that were sold in 2019 dropped to a record low 8,177 square feet. That is just 0.188 acres, and is a decrease of 390 square feet since 2018. In most suburban neighborhoods, builders attempt to place as many homes as possible within the given landscape. It is customary for builders to place at least 2-3 homes per acre, depending on the landscape.
With custom home construction, lot sizes generally tend to be a little bigger. This is due to the fact that many custom homes are significantly larger, and because custom home construction, especially in rural areas, may require a lot more space for utility installation.
How Much Land to Build a House?
So how much land do you need to build the future home of your dreams? Most custom home builders start by calculating what is known as the “Land-To-Building-Ratio.” This ratio is calculated by dividing the total square footage of the land or lot, with the square footage of the future home. One acre of land is equal to 43,560 square feet. If you plan on building a 10,000 square foot custom home, your land-to-building ratio will be 4.36 to 1. Throughout the United States, the average land-to-building ratio is around 3.0 to 1. When thinking about how much land you will need for your future custom home, you should start by determining the maximum square footage of your home, and multiplying that by 3 to get an adequate land-to-building ratio.
Secondly, you may need to add more land if the land where you plan to build does not have any utilities on site. The American Planning Association puts forward these minimum requirements for lot sizes given the state of utilities on the lot.
- You will need to have at least half of an acre when both sewage and water systems are lacking on the land where you are planning to build.
- You will need at least a quarter of an acre when either sewage or water systems are not present on the lot.
- You can make due with less than a quarter of an acre when both sewage and water systems are present on the land where you will be building.
Once you have found the land to build your future custom home, Natale Builders is proud to be the leading custom home builder in the Western New York area. We have over 50 years of experience building the most legendary custom homes that will last for a lifetime. Our custom homes are built to the highest standards, and incorporate the highest quality materials and construction practices. Contact Natale Builders today to get started planning your future custom home.
FAQs
It is customary for builders to place at least 2-3 homes per acre, depending on the landscape. With custom home construction, lot sizes generally tend to be a little bigger.
What is a good land to building ratio? ›
The average is between 2.5:1 to 3.5:1.
What is the average size of a lot to build a house? ›
Largest and Smallest Median Lot Sizes by State
| Rank | State | Median lot size (sq.ft.) |
|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 7,405 |
| 2 | California | 8,327 |
| 3 | Arizona | 8,726 |
| 4 | Illinois | 9,025 |
6 more rowsNov 29, 2022
¼ acre: Typically can accommodate one single-family home. 0.3 acres: Usually suitable for one or two single-family homes, depending on local regulations.
Is 2 acres enough for a house? ›
The average size home has massively increased over the years, from just 909 square feet in 1949 to 2,480 square feet in 2021. Today, an average-sized home requires approximately 0.2 acres. If we do the math, we can see that two acres of land are more than enough to fit 32 average-sized homes.
How many houses can fit on 10 acres? ›
Wondering how many houses you can fit on a 10-acre plot? According to Statista, the median size of a single-family house is 2,261 square feet which equals 0.05 acres. So, to visualize 10 acres, picture 192 homes of 2,261 square feet together.
How many houses can fit on 1/2 acre? ›
You can fit 9 average-sized homes in 1/2 acre of land! Here's how! According to Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, the average home size for a single-family home is around 2,469 square feet.
How many houses can fit on 3 acres? ›
Doing the Math: Practical Estimates Given all these factors, a more practical estimate ranges between 3-5 single-family homes per acre for many suburban developments.
Is 1 acre of land enough to build a house? ›
Regardless of what you compare it to, an acre of land is a very large piece of land. It can comfortably hold around 5 average-sized homes, containing multiple structures like garages, barns, sheds, etc. However, certain rules and regulations can affect how many homes you can build on an acre of land.
How many lots are in 1 acre? ›
An acre is also roughly equivalent to the area of four standard-sized city lots in the United States. There are several different ways that an acre can be divided or subdivided. For example, an acre can be divided into halves, quarters, or eighths.
Throughout the US, single-family homes size vary depending on the state, city, and town, as certain living environments may restrict how much space one household can use. However, the median size of a family house is 2,261 square feet or 0.05 acres. So, on a 5-acre parcel, you could fit 96 homes.
How big is 10 acres visually? ›
An American football field is 120 yards long by 53.3 yards wide, or 360 feet by 160 feet, which is 1.32 acres. If standing at the corner of a square 10-acre property, the property boundaries are 660 feet in each direction or 3 football fields in length.
How many football fields are in 2 acres? ›
If you calculate the entire area of a football field, including the end zones, it works out to 57,600 square feet (360 x 160). One acre equals 43,560 square feet, so a football field is about 1.32 acres in size. So, to answer your question, there are . 75625 football fields per acre.
What is the best land to asset ratio? ›
What is a good land-to-asset ratio? If we look at this in the view of a property investment, a good ratio would be anything over 50%, however the higher the better. At Crest Property Investments we aim to achieve a 70% ratio. We believe the higher the ratio, the higher the potential to achieve capital growth.
What is the ideal plot size ratio? ›
Rectangular plot : A plot having the length and width in the 1:2 ratio is considered to be a good land selection according to Vastu. If the length faces north and width faces west it is considered to be most suitable. Such plots bestow good health, wealth and prosperity.
What is the best house to land ratio? ›
The golden investment property price ratio of 40% Land; 60% Property. A minimum of 40 percent land component will maximize your capital and equity growth potential while a 60 percent building portion is still substantial enough to attract a decent rental amount to service most of your property investment costs.
What is the building footprint to land ratio? ›
Floor area ratio (FAR) is the measurement of a building's floor area in relation to the size of the lot/parcel that the building is located on. FAR is expressed as a decimal number, and is derived by dividing the total area of the building by the total area of the parcel (building area ÷ lot area).
