How Much Does It Cost to Frame a House in 2025?

This article was updated using automation technology and thoroughly reviewed for accuracy by HomeAdvisor Editor Ryan Noonan.

Framing a house is one of the most important steps in building your dream home, providing the structural support for walls, floors, and roofs. The average cost to frame a house is $4,536, with most homeowners spending between $1,408 and $7,664, including labor and materials. Costs vary based on factors like location, project size and complexity, and the quality of materials used. Small projects like a garage addition may cost as little as $300, while framing for custom-built homes can reach $22,000 or more. Since framing is fundamental to your home's integrity, it's crucial to budget accordingly and hire a professional. On average, framing costs between $7 and $16 per square foot.

House Framing Cost Factors

The frame is the single most expensive part of a new home, and carpentry framing costs aren’t based on square footage alone. The total cost to frame a house varies depending on a variety of contributing factors.

Size & Complexity

While contractors estimate costs per square foot, complexity often impacts framing costs more than size. Complex building plans increase the cost of house framing. Every intersecting wall requires more studs, raising material costs. Additional slopes and valleys add time and materials.

For example, framing a simple 3,000-square-foot home at $5 per square foot costs around $15,000. In contrast, framing a complex 2,000-square-foot, two-story home at $12 per square foot totals $24,000.

Residential vs. Commercial

The cost to frame commercial properties is higher than for residential homes. Framing commercial properties costs an additional $2 to $24 per square foot over the standard residential cost of $7 to $16 per square foot, including labor, installation, and insulation. This is partly because most commercial buildings use steel construction rather than wood.

Plan Changes

Making changes after framing has begun increases the price. Increases depend on many variables specific to each project. Simple changes like adding a door, moving the location of a window, or adding loads to a second floor all affect the final bill. Try to keep these changes to a minimum.

Labor

Labor costs for framing range from $4 to $10 per square foot. Urban areas and high-demand regions typically fall at the higher end of this range. Project size significantly impacts installation costs. While some professionals charge per square foot, larger homes inherently take longer and require more materials.

Windows

When framing a house, windows are considered obstructions with special framing requirements. For example, header material needs to be installed over all windows on a wall. Adding more windows increases costs.

New Structure vs. Replacement

Replacing all or part of the framing in an existing home adds costs. In addition to the materials and installation required for new structures, replacement also requires the cost of home demolition.

New roof construction often costs less than replacing a roof, with labor averaging $20 per hour plus $3 to $6 per square foot for materials. Replacing an old roof frame adds $4 to $15 per square foot to those costs.

Framing Costs per Square Foot

The cost to frame a house averages $7 to $16 per square foot, including $4 to $10 per square foot for labor and $3 to $6 per square foot for materials. Simpler structures like garages typically cost around $4 to $5 per square foot. Framing a two-story home costs an additional $3 per square foot for the second story.

How to Estimate Framing Costs

Contractors estimate framing costs by analyzing your building plans to determine the project's complexity. Details like unique angles, windows, or roofing elements that differ from a standard box frame increase costs. Based on their assessment, contractors apply a price per square foot.

When requesting detailed bids, ask contractors to itemize costs, including insurance, travel expenses, waste, materials, labor, tools, equipment, and administrative expenses like legal and accounting fees.

Framing Costs by Construction Type

There is more than one kind of home construction, and specific jobs have their own considerations when it comes to the cost of framing.

Full-House Framing

Framing costs for an average 2,000-square-foot single-story home range from $14,000 to $32,000. Combined with sheathing and wrap, this can add up to one-sixth of the total average home building cost of $320,000. The cost to frame the second story of a two-story home generally runs about $3 per square foot more than framing for the first floor.

Home Addition

Framing makes up 8% to 12% of the cost of a home addition. For example, framing for a 500-square-foot addition costs $3,500 to $8,000, with a total project cost of $30,000 to $100,000.

Final home addition costs depend on the type of addition, the grade of materials used, and the design details. A simple box frame with no bump-outs or insets is far less expensive than one with complicated angles that require special framing. You may also need to factor in the cost to hire a local architect or structural engineer in your area to determine the best placement for an addition before framing.

Basement

Framing for basement walls in established homes runs on the lower end of the cost spectrum at about $5 per square foot. These walls aren't load-bearing or complex and don't usually require extensive planning.

Attached or Detached Garages

Garages are usually the simplest structure to build onto a home, falling on the lowest end of the range of cost to frame a house at $4 to $5 per square foot. However, the type of garage you choose to build may increase costs. For example, adding an attached garage tends to be less expensive than building a detached garage. Larger garages will also drive up framing costs.

Wall, Ceiling, & Interior Reframing

Interior walls and ceilings usually cost $7 to $12 per square foot. On average, interior wall projects cost $1,900. Expect additional costs when adding interior walls to an already-established home. The homeowner is often living in the residence during construction, which presents challenges such as limited working space and avoiding dust and debris.

Roof Framing

Roof framing costs $6 to $9 per square foot. Simple designs without dormers and few valleys or hips—the place where two slopes join—will fall on the low end. Complex designs with numerous angle changes and dormers will end up on the higher end of the spectrum. To lower overall project costs, consider using premade roof trusses.

Roof Trusses

Roof trusses cost between $35 and $150 per truss, depending on the length. Trusses for a standard 2,000-square-foot home run between $7,200 and $12,000, including labor and equipment.

Roof trusses are premade roof framing members 10 to 36 feet in length. Though they cost more per piece than wood rafters for a stick frame roof, they require less material and are easier to install, reducing labor costs.

Home Sheathing

Sheathing, which serves as a surface to add other structural elements to the home, will cost an additional $2 to $8 per square foot. Often, contractors will also install house wrap, such as Typar or Tyvek, to serve as a weather-resistant barrier for an additional $0.50 to $1 per square foot.

Framing Material Prices

Framing materials run from $3 to $6 per square foot. Lumber pricing fluctuates, so it can be tough to predict costs in advance. You'll pay anywhere from $350 to $500 for 1,000 board-feet of lumber. Metal framing costs tend to run a bit higher than wood by about 10%. Check with a local lumber yard or general contractor in your area for current pricing.

Lumber Frame

Lumber costs $1 to $5 per square foot, with waste overages ranging from 15% to 20%. A 2,000-square-foot home requires $2,000 to $10,000 in materials. For sheathing, add an additional 15% to 22%. Lumber is easy to work with, quick to install, and lasts the life of the home.

Steel Frame

Steel framing costs $2 to $4 per square foot or about $4,000 to $8,000 for a 2,000-square-foot home. Some homes use steel, but it's most common in commercial construction. Steel installation labor is also slightly more expensive at $1.50 more per square foot. Steel is extremely durable, has a lower environmental impact, and holds up better against termites.

Additional Cost Factors

Several additional factors can impact your framing project's cost, including:

• Building permit costs can add $500 to $3,000.

• Site preparation, like grading and excavation, can add $5,000 or more.

• Demolition and prep work may be necessary if you're replacing existing structures, adding costs for tearing down and removing old framing or walls.

• Complex design, like multiple roof lines and unusual angles, adds about 30% to your costs.

• Taxes and insurance can impact the overall cost, including sales tax on materials and any additional insurance costs during construction.

• Premium lumber or engineered wood products increase material costs by 20% to 50%.

• Warranties on materials or workmanship can add to the initial cost but may provide long-term benefits.

• If your project requires compliance with ADA guidelines or accessibility features, expect increased costs due to specialized materials and design considerations.

• Repairs or modifications to existing structures to accommodate new framing can increase labor and material costs.

• The waste factor for extra materials can increase your total cost by 10% to 15%.

• Post-construction cleanup and disposal of waste materials may add to your final bill.

Budgeting for Framing a House

These budget-friendly tips can help reduce your overall framing costs:

• Stick to standard window and door sizes to reduce the need for custom material cutting.

• Coordinate with your framing contractor to buy lumber and other materials in bulk for potential discounts.

• Schedule your house framing project during the off-season when contractors may offer lower rates.

• Opt for a simpler floor plan and roof design to reduce labor and material costs.

• Choose an open floor plan to reduce the number of interior walls needed.

• Use prefabricated components like roof trusses to save on custom labor costs.

• Salvage usable lumber from demolition to reuse in renovation and rebuild projects.

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. We surveyed thousands of real customers about their project 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.