What Does “$175 a Square Foot, Turn-Key” Actually Include?
Ask most builders what a home costs and you'll hear "starting from." That phrase is doing a lot of work — it's the door to a year of change orders. Arena quotes one number, fixed: $175 per square foot, turn-key. Here's exactly what lives inside that number, and why we can lock it when others can't.
The "starting from" trap
A soft opening price wins the first conversation and loses you the war. The low quote rarely includes site work, permits, upgrades you'll obviously want, or the overruns baked into stick-building — so the real number arrives in pieces, after you're committed and can't walk away. Since 2020, with materials up roughly 40% and borrowed money about doubled, those surprises have only gotten bigger.
What "turn-key" actually covers
Arena's fixed $175/sq ft is designed so the price you see before we break ground is the price you sign. It includes:
Design & engineering
Your plan, engineered for Utah's seismic code — not a costly custom cycle, because the plans are already proven.
Permits & approvals
We run the zoning check and carry the permitting through your city.
Foundation & site work
The engineered foundation and the work to get your lot ready — a common hiding place for "extra" costs elsewhere.
The full Arena Standard
Cold-formed steel, waterproof MgO floors, continuous insulation, high-performance double-pane windows, pocket doors, and a rooftop deck — the whole engineered spec.
All-electric mechanicals
All-ductless heat pumps, instant hot water at every bath, energy-recovery ventilation, and in-house solar + battery.
Finishes & final inspections
Move-in-ready finishes and the sign-offs to get you the keys.
Why Arena can lock the number
Factory precision is the whole secret. When walls and trusses are CAD-cut steel assembled on site — instead of lumber cut, re-cut, and left in the weather — the labor doesn't balloon and the material can't rot or get wasted. Predictable inputs make a predictable price. For the deeper story on why the old method got so expensive, read this.
See your number
Plug your plan and lot into the 3-minute estimator and you'll see the fixed cost, the financing paths, and the rent — no "starting from," no email required.
Get your number
An Arena advisor runs your address, your goal, and your budget — and calls back with a fixed price and a floorplan that fits.
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