Project planning guide
Before you build
Use the reference image and planning notes as a starting point. Confirm dimensions, loads, materials, local codes, and site conditions before purchasing or cutting.
- Luxury & Custom Homes
- 1 reference image
- Print-friendly guide
Cityline Custom 3980 is a $875,000 construction-scope concept for a 3980-square-foot urban narrow-lot luxury home. This guide helps U.S. readers compare an upscale home’s intended size, rooms, premium finish allowances, and savings milestones. It is not a property listing, contractor bid, appraisal, architectural drawing set, or ready-to-build plan.
Planning target: $875,000 covers only the illustrative house scope and allowances described below. It is not a guaranteed purchase price or turnkey construction price. Land, major site work, permits, utility connections, financing, architecture, engineering, and other professional services are excluded.
Cityline Custom 3980 at a glance
| Concept construction target | $875,000 |
|---|---|
| Interior size | 3980 sq. ft. |
| Approximate footprint | 36 x 37 ft footprint, three levels |
| Bedrooms | 5 bedrooms plus office or guest suite |
| Bathrooms | 4.5 bathrooms |
| Kitchen | Double-zone kitchen with oversized island and butler pantry |
| Garage | 3-car attached garage |
| Budget route | Site-specific custom-builder estate target |
| Target dollars per sq. ft. | About $220 for the included concept scope |
Exterior and floor-plan concept
The exterior uses charcoal brick, warm wood panels, and black-framed glass, a clean low-slope roof behind parapets, and a recessed wood-and-glass entry beside the garage. The image is a conceptual visualization created for design inspiration, not a photograph of a completed property offered for sale.
The narrow plan stacks the garage, flexible guest space, main living level, and bedroom level to conserve lot width. An open kitchen and great room anchor the principal floor, while stairs, laundry, storage, and service spaces share a compact vertical core.
Best fit: A larger or multigenerational household seeking multiple suites, formal and informal living zones, and substantial storage.
Example cost breakdown
This educational allocation totals exactly $875,000. It combines broad material, labor, builder, and equipment allowances suitable for early comparison. It is not a specification or supplier quote and must be replaced with current site-specific bids.
| Included concept scope | Target allowance |
|---|---|
| Standard foundation, structural frame, engineered spans, floors, and roof structure | $192,500 |
| Premium roofing, cladding, masonry accents, custom windows, exterior doors, and weatherproofing | $148,800 |
| Plumbing, electrical, lighting allowance, water heating, and zoned heating/cooling systems | $122,500 |
| Insulation, drywall, paint, upgraded flooring, interior doors, millwork, and trim | $113,800 |
| Kitchen cabinetry, counters, sinks, pantry work, and premium appliance allowance | $87,500 |
| Bathroom fixtures, tile, glass, cabinetry, and finish allowance | $70,000 |
| Garage and included covered exterior-living scope | $61,300 |
| Builder equipment, temporary services, delivery, overhead, and coordination allowance | $35,000 |
| Planning reserve inside this concept target | $43,600 |
| Total concept target | $875,000 |
What the target assumes
This concept assumes site-specific custom-builder estate target, a straightforward buildable site, carefully controlled premium selections, competitive regional bids, and limited change orders. Complex custom detailing or construction in a high-cost U.S. market can exceed this amount substantially.
- A code-appropriate structure with efficient spans, coordinated mechanical routes, and a rational window and door schedule.
- Premium but budget-controlled cabinetry, counters, flooring, plumbing fixtures, lighting, appliances, and millwork.
- The garage and covered outdoor allowances apply only as described; detached buildings, elaborate motor courts, pools, outdoor kitchens, and major terraces are separate.
- Custom drawings, engineering, energy analysis, and final specifications are developed and priced by qualified local professionals.
- Party-wall conditions, demolition, tight staging, urban utility work, special foundations, parking rules, and neighborhood design review are outside this concept target.
Costs not included
- Land, closing costs, loan interest, lender fees, property taxes, insurance, appraisals, or real-estate commissions.
- Survey, clearing, demolition, grading, long driveways, drainage, retaining walls, blasting, rock work, or contaminated soil.
- Utility extensions and hookups, septic, well, municipal impact fees, transformer upgrades, or unusually long service runs.
- Permits, plan review, inspections, architecture, interior design, landscape design, engineering, energy testing, or construction documents.
- Pool, spa, pool house, detached guest house, sport court, gates, extensive walls, furnishings, art, window treatments, or mature finished landscaping.
A simple savings target
Someone choosing to save the full concept amount in cash would need approximately:
- 15 years: $4862 per month for 180 months
- 25 years: $2917 per month for 300 months
- 35 years: $2084 per month for 420 months
These are arithmetic examples only. They do not model investment returns, inflation, taxes, mortgage terms, future construction prices, or whether cash saving is an appropriate financial strategy.
Before using this model
- Confirm zoning, setbacks, access, utility capacity, design-review rules, and neighborhood restrictions.
- Commission site due diligence and price land, grading, foundations, utilities, permits, design, and engineering separately.
- Have qualified professionals prepare and coordinate structural, energy, fire-safety, egress, accessibility, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical documents.
- Compare current written bids using the same drawings and specifications, control allowances, and retain an additional real-project contingency.
Why location can change the result
Labor rates, subcontractor availability, material lead times, codes, climate loads, taxes, and site conditions vary widely across the United States. National data provide context but cannot price a custom residence; this model depends on its stated size, controlled premium finishes, practical geometry, and exclusions.
Reference data: U.S. Census New Residential Sales and NAHB Cost of Constructing a Home in 2024.
Editorial disclosure: HomeBuildPlans.com does not sell this home, land, construction services, or ready-to-build plans. This post is a conceptual model for inspiration and early budgeting only. Prices can change and must be verified locally.
