How Much Does a Wooden House Cost?

At the studio, we are currently working on a weekend house project in a small town on the Costa Brava.

The fact that the dwelling will only be used on weekends is a very important factor at the project and structural system level, as in this case we must seek a solution in which the house heats up and retains heat throughout the weekend without excessive energy consumption.

Build with Wood or Brick?

Accustomed to working on our projects through the thermal mass strategy, in which walls and floors gradually store heat from the sun and release it slowly, in this case we propose a completely different strategy based on creating a fully airtight and super-insulated dwelling built with wood.

The thermal performance of an airtight house without thermal mass is radically different from a masonry house with thermal mass, as it is a type of dwelling that does not accumulate heat and therefore will absorb less energy but will heat up more quickly.

As we can see, the decision of whether our house will be built with wood or masonry will depend on its thermal performance rather than its price, as the additional cost of building with wood instead of masonry is offset by the reduction in construction time.

Choosing the Construction Material

At Slow Studio, we build with wood and ceramic brick as they are natural, non-toxic materials that offer great versatility. However, why choose one material over another is not a matter of cost but of thermal performance.

Wood allows us great control over construction details, as it is worked to the millimeter on CNC machines. Furthermore, building with wood makes it possible to prefabricate many elements and therefore save considerable time on site, so that while the foundations are being built, the walls are being prepared in the workshop.

On-site assembly can take just a few weeks, and reduced construction time always means cost savings. Wooden structures offer high construction quality and allow the building of highly efficient, fully insulated, and airtight houses.

This has consequences for ventilation, as it must be carried out through forced systems to avoid accumulating CO₂ indoors. However, this has its advantages, as air enters warm and clean through a heat recovery unit, and there is always the option to open windows.

Is It Possible to Build Ecological Wooden Houses in Spain?

As we mentioned in our previous post about Finnish design houses, there is no culture of wooden construction in Spain, so until recently, building wooden houses was not considered an option.

Fortunately, in recent years its use has increased steadily, and there are now many companies and laboratories nationwide researching the properties of wood as a construction material and developing its production.

Today we have Spanish sawmills working with timber from local forests. This is the case with the company Egoin in the Basque Country, specialized in the manufacture of laminated timber, or Fustes Sebastià, in the Pyrenees, with whom we collaborate from our Slow Studio practice.

Let’s examine the aspects to consider in the design of an ecological wooden house, as they directly affect how much a wooden house costs.

Considerations for Building a Wooden House

Properties of Wood for Construction

First of all, it is very important to consider the characteristics of the material—wood.

It is a natural material with sufficient insulating capacity that allows us to build very airtight wall sections with continuous insulation, thereby eliminating thermal bridges.

Furthermore, wood has excellent structural qualities, being highly resistant to bending, compression, and tension.

However, it is a material that does not have much thermal mass, a quality that, while not allowing us to store heat through the walls, does allow us to work with strategies such as high structural insulation that will enable us to heat the house quickly.

When selecting what type of wood we will use for construction, it is important to consider its properties. In general, we can differentiate types of wood into softwoods and hardwoods.

For construction, it is more common to use softwoods, as the term softwood does not equate to low strength—on the contrary. These are strong, economical, lightweight, and easy-to-work woods. The most common are pine, fir, or cedar.

Hardwoods, on the other hand, are more difficult to work with and more expensive, but they allow for more attractive finishes, which is why they are mainly used in cabinetry. Some of the most common examples are mahogany, walnut, or cherry.

Types of Structures for Building a Wooden House

Wood is a versatile material that allows construction through different building systems, such as laminated timber beam and column frames, timber framing, or self-supporting panels.

In the case of building with large-section laminated beams, we must bear in mind that this involves importing wood from Nordic or German forests, leaving a considerable ecological footprint in terms of transportation. Furthermore, to glue the different layers together, it is necessary to use toxic adhesives that are highly harmful to health.

On the other hand, if we opt for timber framing systems or self-supporting panels with small wood sections, we can execute a much more ecological and environmentally responsible wooden construction.

Construction Cost

Clients frequently come to the office concerned about whether building an ecological wooden house will result in a significant price increase.

We always tell them that, while building with wood may be somewhat more expensive, this additional cost is offset by construction time savings and increased energy efficiency.

Furthermore, the experience of living in a wooden house is priceless, as it is a healthy, warm, and pleasant option.

From here, let’s go into detail about the costs of building a wooden house.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Wooden House?

To assess how much it costs to build an ecological wooden house, we propose breaking down the cost by categories. The cost of self-developing a house includes:

Land Purchase (50%)

The land is the most important item we must consider in our budget, as it represents approximately half of the total cost of building a house.

On one hand, we will have to pay the cost of the land, and on the other, the property registration and Property Transfer Tax (ITP).

It is therefore very important to select the land carefully, being aware of our spatial needs, in order to choose a suitable plot and adjust our budget as much as possible.

Construction (30-40%)

The second category that will absorb the largest portion of our budget is the construction of the dwelling, although its cost will largely depend on the type of land we have and the materials and construction systems we choose.

In this case, we must consider the Material Execution Budget (PEM), which includes the cost of materials, labor, and contractor fees.

Architectural Project (10%)

The architectural project consists of the architect’s fees, as well as those of associated technicians (technical architect, surveyor, or structural and installation specialists).

The architect’s fees will represent roughly, as it will depend on the project, around 10% of the construction cost, and the fees of associated technicians such as the technical architect, geologist, structural engineer, and installation technician, around 30% of the architect’s fees.

In any case, we must bear in mind that at Slow Studio, we do not calculate our fees as a percentage but in the form of working hours per project, making an initial estimate that is finalized under contract and is much more economical, clear, and transparent for the client.

Licenses, Certifications, and Taxes (8%)

Finally, we cannot forget the category with the least impact but also important in our budget: taxes, certifications, permits, utility connections, and other costs associated with construction.

They will represent around 8% of the construction price, including, among others, the Certification from the College of Architects and the Building Permit from the Town Hall, both to be calculated according to the municipality where we are carrying out the construction.

Finally, we would simply like to mention that the construction cost does not include the foundation, although in a wooden house the foundation is still concrete and will depend on the type of subsoil.