Plan
Capture the lot, the finished-house comps, and the full cost stack before you commit.
Underwrite the build before the first draw.
Keep land, hard costs, soft costs, financing, permits, and expected sale value together so a budget change updates the profit you still expect.
2026-017 · OakridgeNew construction
OverviewBudgetScheduleTasksFiles
Total budget$632,500of $650,000
Costs to date$318,72049% complete
Projected value$980,000On track
Land$95,000Complete
Hard costs$166,450On track
Soft costs$32,180On track
Financing$23,090On track
Budget
Split land, hard costs, soft costs, and financing. Track draws and invoices against those sections.
Schedule
Sequence permits, inspections, and milestones so holding cost is visible when a trade slips.
Deliver
Compare final cost with the value you can support, then sell or hold on purpose.
Hard-cost overrun is the new-build risk
Illustrative build. Land $120,000, hard costs $380,000, soft costs $45,000, financing $30,000. Total $575,000. Expected sale $720,000. Selling costs 8%, or $57,600. Spread before income tax is $87,400.
Base spread$87,400
Hard costs 15% over$57,000 more
Spread after that overrun$30,400
What changedLand and sale price did not save the file
ControlA contingency line, not a quieter spreadsheet
Fifteen percent on hard costs consumes most of the apparent profit. New construction software is useful when that variance shows up at the draw, while you can still cut scope or stop, not after the certificate of occupancy.
Common questions
What this strategy page will and will not decide for you.
How is a new build different from a flip underwrite?
You are creating the comparable house, not renovating toward one. Land, site work, permits, and a longer hold belong in the basis. Finished-house comps still set the value.
Should contingency sit inside hard costs?
Keep it visible as its own line until you release it. Hiding it inside a trade bid makes overruns look like approved scope.
Do lender draws match the budget sections?
They should. Match each draw request to the schedule of values and the photos, the same way a flip draw inspection works.
Can I hold the finished house as a rental?
Yes. Switch the exit to the rental model using the actual cost basis, not the original land flyer.
What will the software not do?
It will not pull permits for you, stamp engineering, or guarantee a sale price. It keeps the budget and the evidence you use to make those decisions.
Keep the numbers, work, files, and outcome connected.
Every strategy starts the same way: analyze the deal before you commit. Run one free analysis in your browser. No account and no card for that screen.