By the MassBid Estimation team · Published · Updated
In short
Across the 15 US cities listed here, published construction costs for multifamily buildings in the second quarter of 2026 ranged from $185 to $275 per square foot in Austin to $420 to $700 in San Francisco. Warehouses ran from $75 to $150 per square foot in Dallas and Austin to $190 to $260 in Seattle. These are hard construction costs for whole buildings from Rider Levett Bucknall's quarterly report; a real bid needs quantities measured from the drawings.
- Source
- Rider Levett Bucknall, North America Quarterly Construction Cost Report, Q2 2026
- Measure
- Hard construction cost per square foot of gross floor area
- Lowest multifamily range
- Austin, $185 to $275
- Highest multifamily range
- San Francisco, $420 to $700
- Lowest warehouse range
- Austin and Dallas, $75 to $150
- Highest hospital figure
- San Francisco, up to $1,500
Cost per square foot in 15 US cities
The table shows low and high cost per square foot for five common building types. The figures are a cost consultant's published ranges, not our estimates.
| City | Office, prime | Hospital | Warehouse | Multifamily | Elementary school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | $255–$425 | $480–$680 | $75–$150 | $185–$275 | $280–$395 |
| Boston | $460–$725 | $625–$1,200 | $135–$225 | $290–$390 | $635–$750 |
| Charlotte | $360–$600 | $710–$985 | $130–$210 | $215–$365 | $335–$490 |
| Chicago | $355–$580 | $455–$925 | $155–$245 | $220–$490 | $320–$480 |
| Dallas | $260–$435 | $485–$695 | $75–$150 | $190–$280 | $285–$405 |
| Denver | $350–$575 | $700–$1,000 | $140–$225 | $225–$400 | $375–$525 |
| Las Vegas | $285–$505 | $570–$680 | $80–$175 | $215–$510 | $465–$580 |
| Los Angeles | $275–$415 | $705–$1,070 | $145–$225 | $270–$440 | $420–$550 |
| Miami | $260–$445 | $505–$715 | $80–$155 | $190–$290 | $295–$415 |
| Nashville | $370–$610 | $725–$1,000 | $135–$210 | $215–$375 | $340–$495 |
| New York | $425–$985 | $655–$1,000 | $150–$245 | $255–$500 | $565–$710 |
| Phoenix | $270–$465 | $530–$745 | $85–$165 | $200–$295 | $300–$435 |
| San Francisco | $460–$800 | $785–$1,500 | $150–$255 | $420–$700 | $700–$1,000 |
| Seattle | $380–$675 | $665–$940 | $190–$260 | $290–$495 | $460–$690 |
| Washington, DC | $350–$580 | $535–$950 | $135–$220 | $220–$370 | $400–$610 |
What these figures include and leave out
Hard construction cost is the cost of building the building: structure, envelope, interiors, mechanical and electrical systems, and the contractor's general conditions and fee. It normally leaves out land, design fees, permits and impact fees, financing, furniture and equipment, and the owner's own costs.
The spread between low and high is wide for a reason. A warehouse in the same city can cost twice as much per square foot if it is small, refrigerated, or on a difficult site.
What single trades cost on real jobs
Whole-building ranges are useful for budgets. For a bid you need the cost of each trade, and that swings far more. These are trade costs from estimates we delivered, per square foot of building:
| Project and trade | Trade cost | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Bank branch, Charlotte, 2,860 sq ft: glazing | $230,886 | $80.81 |
| Apartment building, Boston, 13,300 sq ft: plumbing | $1,036,815 | $78.20 |
| Restaurant, Northern Virginia, 3,890 sq ft: HVAC | $143,559 | $36.87 |
| Hotel, Atlanta, 60,500 sq ft: glazing | $536,080 | $8.86 |
| Hotel, northern Illinois, 67,400 sq ft: roofing | $276,069 | $4.10 |
| Mixed-use building, Boston, 121,100 sq ft: painting | $297,033 | $2.45 |
| Grocery store, Georgia, 100,200 sq ft: glazing | $139,724 | $1.39 |
Glazing alone runs from $1.39 to $80.81 per square foot of building in that list. That is why a square-foot allowance for a trade is risky, and why we count frames, fixtures and feet of pipe.
Why costs differ between cities
- Labor. Wage rates, union density and how busy the market is. This is the largest difference between cities.
- Codes and climate. Seismic design in California, hurricane design in Florida, frost depth and snow in the north, energy codes everywhere.
- Site logistics. A dense city adds hoisting, street permits and deliveries by appointment.
- Materials. Local supply, freight distance and sales tax.
We price every project to its own ZIP code for those reasons. City pages with local jobs and costs: Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville and Miami.
How to use cost per square foot
- Use it to test a budget early, before drawings exist.
- Use it to check a finished estimate: if the total falls far outside the range, find out why.
- Do not bid from it. Two buildings of the same size and type can differ by a factor of two.
For a budget at concept or schematic stage, see preliminary estimating. For a bid, send the drawings and we will measure them. Get a free quote.
Common questions
There is no single figure, because cost depends on the building type and the city. In the second quarter of 2026, published ranges for multifamily buildings ran from $185 to $275 per square foot in Austin to $420 to $700 in San Francisco, according to Rider Levett Bucknall.
In Rider Levett Bucknall's second quarter 2026 report, San Francisco has the highest or near-highest ranges for most building types, including $420 to $700 per square foot for multifamily and $785 to $1,500 for hospitals. New York and Boston are also near the top.
Among the 15 cities in this guide, published second quarter 2026 ranges run from $75 to $150 per square foot in Austin and Dallas to $190 to $260 in Seattle.
Published second quarter 2026 ranges for multifamily run from $185 to $275 per square foot in Austin, $220 to $490 in Chicago and $255 to $500 in New York, up to $420 to $700 in San Francisco.
No. These are hard construction costs: the cost of building the building. Land, design fees, permits, financing and furniture are separate.
It is not safe to. Square-foot figures are for budgets and for checking totals. A bid needs quantities measured from the drawings and priced for the project's ZIP code.