True Cost Guide Architects & Engineers Build a Mid-Century Modern-Style Home

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Modern-Style Home in 2025?

Typical Range:

$300,000 - $1,375,000

Cost data is based on research by HomeAdvisor.

Updated December 22, 2024

Reviewed by Ezra Laniado, Expert Contributor.

Written by HomeAdvisor.

Highlights

Building a new modern-style home can cost between $300,000 and $1,375,000 or more.
Cost factors include the size of the home, materials used, location, and finishes used.
You’ll need to hire architects, designers, engineers, general contractors, plumbers, and electricians for this project.
Labor makes up 30% to 60% of the project’s total cost.

Building a new, mid-century-style modern home costs between $300,000 to $1,375,000 or more, not including the cost of the land it’s built on. With large windows, extensive support for open-floor plans, and plenty of lumber, this home style can cost more to build than more contemporary styles. However, innovative materials like veneer flooring or asphalt shingles may help save money. Here’s everything you need to know about the cost to build a house in the mid-century modern style.

Average Cost to Build a Modern-Style Home

Average Cost	High Cost	Low Cost
$537,800	$1,375,000+	$300,000

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Cost Factors for Building a Modern-Style Home

Home Size

A mid-century modern (MCM) home costs $200 to $550 per square foot to build because you may need custom materials and features, like windows or roofs, that cost more per square foot. An MCM home typically is around 1,500 to 2,500 square feet, so your total project cost could range from $300,000 to $1,375,000.

Materials

Materials make up approximately 75% of the total project cost of building a modern home. This style of home relies heavily on natural materials like wood, stone, and glass. Massive windows—often custom—define the era and these homes, as families sought to blur the line between indoors and out. Here’s a breakdown of elements typically used in a mid-century build:

Material	Cost
Framing	$20,000–$50,000
Electrical wiring	$6,000–$22,000
HVAC	$7,000–$15,000
Plumbing	$1,500–$17,500
Foundation	$8,000–$10,000
Windows	$10,000–$30,000
Flooring	$5,000–$11,000
Roofing	$11,000–$60,000
Siding	$4,800–$11,100
Drywall	$1.60– $2.35 per square foot
Insulation	$1.75–$3 per square foot
Lumber	$25,000–$65,000
Concrete	$1,000–$10,000

Average Modern Home Costs by Location

Home-building prices vary widely based on location. Building a mid-century modern home in Palm Springs, California, where this style is prominent in the community, will cost far more than building a similar home in the Midwest.

State	Cost Per Sq. Ft.
Alaska	$150–$300
California	$200–$400
Florida	$110–$200
Massachusetts	$200–$350
Montana	$150–$250
New York	$200–$350
North Carolina	$100–$180
Ohio	$100–$160
Tennessee	$110–$200
Washington	$150–$250

Interior Finishes

The interior finishes you choose will greatly contribute to your new home construction costs. The sky's the limit when it comes to these choices (and their prices). For example, you could install a fairly simple kitchen and lower flooring costs with more economical materials, or you could choose extravagant materials and custom designs and easily quadruple your costs.

As a rule of thumb, you can expect to pay around twice as much for interior finishes as exterior finishes, with an average cost of at least $71,000. Other interior finishing considerations include kitchen cabinets, plumbing fixtures, fireplaces, and appliances.

Interior Finish	Average Cost
Flooring	$1,400–$13,800
Tile	$800–$5,000
Insulation	$900–$2,200
Kitchen cabinets	$3,200–$8,500
Plumbing fixtures	$150–$350 each
Appliances	$3,500–$15,000
Fireplace	$1,400–$2,500

Exterior Finishes

The exterior choices you make will also make a big difference in your total costs when building a new house. The most important factors for exterior finishes are exterior siding costs, your roof, windows, and exterior door costs. In general, exterior finishes will cost about 50% of your interior finishes, or at least $35,000.

Exterior Finish	Average Cost
Roof	$11,000–$60,000
Windows	$10,000–$30,000
Doors	$1,200–$3,200
Vinyl siding	$4,800–$11,100

Additional Structures

You may want to build structures beyond the house itself, such as a pool, pool house, detached garage, deck, guest house, or any other manner of extra project. Of course, these all contribute to the final construction cost significantly. A 10-by-10-foot deck costs between $2,500 and $5,000, for instance, while pool costs can add as much as $62,500.

Another staple of mid-mod design is carports, which cost an average of $6,300. If you’re designing a garage space for your home, you might opt for a carport instead if you don’t require additional storage space or live in a warmer climate. Comparatively, building a garage costs about $21,000 more than a carport.

Landscaping

Landscaping is essential to prepare the area for your home’s construction and to ensure the area is beautiful and ready to live in. Landscaping costs vary greatly depending on the size of the property and its condition, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $3,000 and $16,000. You might also have to cover land clearing costs before work can begin, depending on the current state of the property.

You’ll probably also have to pay for hardscaping. This covers building patios, walkways, and other manmade elements that are incorporated into your landscaping. On average, hardscaping adds $5,000 to $18,000 to your total costs.

Interior Design

Hiring an interior designer costs anywhere from $2,000 to $15,000. The furniture will add up if you choose to find style-specific pieces. For example, a designer lounge chair may cost $5,000 to $20,000. Because mid-century modern style is still trendy today, you can find plenty of replicas, even at major retailers, for less expensive prices. Your interior designer can also help you decide on interior paint colors, though you’ll have to pay interior painting costs separately from your payment to the designer.

Flat Roofs

Flat roofs, which cost $3.50 to $30 per square foot, are a quintessential component of modern homes. When you look at an MCM-style home built in the mid-1900s, one of the first things you may notice is the low-pitched roof. While this can be an attractive option, keep in mind that it’s not always the best option for snowy climates because the minimal angling of the roof can’t shed the snow as efficiently. In addition to more expensive installation, flat roof materials cost more on average since they need to be better at protecting the home from water than a pitched, shingled roof.

Open Floor Plans

An open floor plan home relies on heavy-duty beams for support, which cost about $5 to $20 per foot plus $100 to $400 per foot for installation. Open floor plans are very popular in modern homes, but the lack of less expensive load-bearing walls means you’ll need to invest more in support beams, which are usually made of structural steel. Structural steel support beams may require certified welding and additional inspections.

Labor

The total labor cost for building a modern home is about $90,000 to $750,000. About 30% to 60% of the total cost of building your modern home goes toward labor costs paid to your local home builder.

You’ll need to pay to hire a variety of professionals:

The cost to hire an architect averages at $125 to $250 per hour
Hiring an electrician costs $35 to $55 per hour
Hiring a plumber costs $45 to $200 per hour
The cost to hire a structural engineer is about $500 to $5,000 per drawing
General contractors cost about 10% to 20% of your total project cost

Permits and Inspections

If you’re building a new home, you’ll spend 10% to 20% of the total project cost. On average, building permits cost $30,000 to $275,000, though you may pay more or less depending on your specific area’s building permit rules.

Budgeting for Building a Modern-Style Home

Building a custom home is an expensive project, especially when you choose a modern-style design. Here are a few ways to reduce costs slightly:

Where possible, opt for standard shapes and angles when designing the home—major customizations cost much more than standard options.
Do as much research as possible when hiring professionals, balancing lower upfront costs with good reputations and trust to ensure a quality build.
Choose more inexpensive materials where it makes sense to do so, such as using vinyl siding instead of more expensive lumber.
Build on a plot of land that’s already connected to sewage, water, and electrical lines.
Work a buffer into your construction budget to ensure you’re not blindsided by surprise expenses.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. After a project is complete, we survey real customers about the costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.

Still Have Questions About Building a Modern-Style Home?

FAQs

What is a modern home?

The mid-century modern movement is one of many interior design evolutions that cover the mid-20th century in the U.S. It refers to architecture, interior design, and even graphic design that was popular during the era. The designs have futuristic elements, like curved lines, while relying heavily on nature. Statement wood and glass features are commonly found in mid-century modern homes.

How do I decorate a modern home?

When it comes to modern interior design, expect natural materials like wood (teak and oak), stone, and glass, and clean lines. You can find MCM-inspired decor at many major retailers, saving you some money, or you can browse vintage shops and estate sales to find treasures from the time period.

Should I buy or build a mid-century modern home?

You’ll save about $350 to $490 per square foot to renovate an existing mid-century modern home to your taste rather than build one to match that style. That’s because building with custom finishes to match the architecture from this era can cost up to $500 per square foot, especially with today’s higher lumber prices. Renovating a home costs anywhere from $10 to $150 per square foot.