How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a Home in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
Building a custom home is one of the most rewarding investments you can make—but also one of the hardest to budget for accurately. In Central Massachusetts and Northeastern Connecticut, the total cost to build a new home typically ranges from $400,000 to $750,000+ depending on size, site conditions, design complexity, and finish level. This guide breaks down the true, all-in costs—including land preparation, permits, and construction—so you can plan confidently before starting your design.
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*Square-foot prices below are for the house structure only. All projects require additional costs such as design fees, permits, board of health charges, site work, appliances, garages, decks, paved driveways, land scaping, contractor profit and more. Most projects require additional costs shown in Card 4.
$200–$250 / ft² | Basic / Simple Layouts
Efficient footprints • Builder-grade finishes- Simple rooflines & rectangular plans
- Stock cabinets, standard flooring/fixtures
- Limited customization, value engineering
- Meets MA Stretch Energy Code
$250–$325 / ft² | Typical Custom Home
Most common in Central MA- Quality finishes & practical layouts
- Upgraded cabinets/counters, tile baths
- Moderate design complexity
- Energy testing & air-sealing best practices
$325–$400+ / ft² | High-End / Complex
Luxury materials • Architect-driven details- Complex architecture & structural spans
- Premium windows, flooring, millwork
- High-performance envelope & systems
- Custom built-ins & specialty finishes
Added Costs Over Square Foot Price
Typical ranges in Worcester County- Due diligence: survey $1k–$4.5k; perc $300–$500
- Design & engineering: architect 8–15%; structural $500–$3k+
- Permits & city fees (Worcester): ~$12 per $1k of value; sewer cap ≈ $1,650/bed.
- Site work & utilities: clearing $580–$5.6k/acre; well $6k–$16k; septic $10k–$25k+; trenching varies.
- GC overhead & profit: 15–25% of buildable costs
Realistic Project Example (2,200 ft², excluding land)
| House structure (2,200 × $275) | $605,000 |
| Garage + deck + driveway | $44,160 |
| Land Clearing & Rough Grading | $11,000 |
| Subtotal (construction value) | $660,160 |
| GC overhead & profit (20%) | $132,032 |
| Architectural + structural (12%) | $72,600 |
| Worcester permits & utility fees | $14,371 |
| Energy testing & due diligence | $2,000 |
| Landscaping (~5% of house) | $30,250 |
| TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT COST | ≈ $911,400 |
If your lot needs a well & septic instead of city hookups, add $15,000–$30,000+ based on test results and design.
All work done to meet all Massachusetts and Connecticut Building Codes.
*Ranges exclude atypical site conditions (ledge blasting, long utility runs, specialty engineering). Appliance packages usually priced separately. City/town fees may vary.
Considering other updates to your home? Use the links below to explore what it costs to remodel other areas of your home.
Our Warranty to You CORE Remodeling Services, Inc. warrants all labor performed and material installed at the job site, for a period of (5) FIVE year from date of installation. All workmanship shall conform to the guidelines found in the publication “Residential Construction Performance Guidelines for Professional Builders and Remodelers, Fifth Edition, 2015 , National Association of Home Builders of the United States. If an item is not covered in that publications, standard industry practice shall govern. This may include the dispute resolution process as specified in the contract documents or by applicable laws. This warranty does not include normal wear and tear, and/or product abuse.
Under this warranty, CORE Remodeling Services will be provided the opportunity to have one of its representatives assess any damage identified to be caused by CORE Remodeling Services, Inc employees and/or material installed by CORE Remodeling Services. If said damage is judged to be the fault of CORE Remodeling Services workmanship and/or material, CORE Remodeling Services will at no cost to the Owner repair or replace defective material.
