A couple of different contractors in that area of Kansas have given me estimated construction costs of about $113/sq ft (on the low end) for a simple slab home and $130-$160/sq ft for simple houses on a basement foundation. These figures are higher than I expected, so I will continue to check around. Perhaps the cost per square foot would come down if we developed an actual floor plan and the builder knew exactly what the costs were going to be. But I would think that the low-end of an estimate could be taken as a fairly reliable starting point for cost. For comparison, it looks like Morton houses start out about $95-$100/sq foot for a basic, no-frills design inside and out. I also looked into a couple of modular builders and it looks like that type of house will cost a little more than Morton by the time you form the foundation -- more in line with the low end of a stick-built home's cost. Considering all of this information, my relative is leaning toward either doing a stick-build (if we can draft a design that is good quality but still affordable) or go with Morton or another similar company, if we can be assured of the quality and longevity of the construction.
