Cost and Benefits of Insulating Concrete Forms for Residential Construction

Authors: NAHB Research Center Inc.    

Through several studies of ICF construction costs, it has been determined that using ICF wall construction generally adds about 3 to 5 percent to the total purchase price of a typical wood-frame home and land (about 5 to 10 percent of the house construction cost). In other words, the added cost is about $2 to $4 per square foot of the floor area of a typical home. For a typical 2,500 square-foot, two-story home and lot (sale price of $180,000), the additional cost amounts to about $7,000. The additional first cost of ICF construction should be weighed against longer-term benefits. Several benefits of ICFs are discussed in this guide and are quantified to the extent possible based on available technical data and analysis. The benefits of ICF house construction considered in this study are structural safety, comfort, energy efficiency, and durability.

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