Sherman Buildings · Build Paths

Four ways to build a home with us.

For nearly 50 years, Sherman has built homes across central Minnesota. Today we offer four distinct paths — picked to match your budget, your timeline, and how hands-on you want to be. Same craftsmanship. Four different doors in.

Before you scan the prices

A word on the numbers, and the drafting fee.

The ranges below are 2025 building-season examples— not quotes. Real numbers depend on the home’s size, finish level, site conditions, and current material costs. We don’t like to guess, so a real quote always comes after the drafting conversation.

The drafting fee pays for the detailed plans every trade works off of — framer, plumber, electrician, HVAC, inspector, your lender. No plans, no real quote. Online plans skip Minnesota code, your snow load, your soil, and your lot — so you pay twice. Better to start with our drafting team.

While we’re drafting, you should be financing. Financing is the single biggest holdup on almost every project. Not the weather, not the materials — the loan. You don’t need final plans to start that conversation, so talk to your lender early. The sooner it’s moving, the smoother everything else goes.

Quick answer

Sherman offers four paths for a new home: Structure Dried In, Modular, Craftsman, and Turnkey Custom. Structure Dried In provides the dirt work, concrete, utility rough-ins, and framed structure for owners who want to manage the rest; Modular uses factory-built homes with site finishing; Craftsman hands off after the build reaches the finish line you choose; and Turnkey Custom carries the project through move-in.

Be your own GC

Structure Dried In

We frame it up. You take it home.

Sherman delivers the bones: dirt work, concrete, utility rough-ins, and the stud-framed structure. From there, the build is yours to run — your subs, your schedule, your finishes. The fastest way into a Sherman-built home for the customer who wants the reins.

Best fitYou have the time, the contacts, and the appetite to run your own build. You want Sherman's expertise on the parts that have to be done right — foundation, framing, rough-ins — and full control after that.

Budget*By project

IncludedDirt to structure

Your roleGeneral contractor

Drafting fee$2,500

Explore Structure →

Most cost-effective

Modular

Factory-built. Site-finished. Turnkey.

We partner with Schult Homes — the best in the business. You pick from their layouts and brochures, we handle the dirt work, foundation, delivery, set, and finish. You get a fully turnkey home, faster and at our lowest price point.

Best fitYou want a real, durable home — fully turnkey — at the lowest price Sherman offers. You're happy to choose from proven layouts rather than design from scratch.

Budget*$200K–$350K

TimelineFastest path

Your rolePick a plan

Drafting feeNone (Schult)

Explore Modular →

The DIYer's dream

Craftsman

We build it. You finish it.

Sherman coordinates the full build through drywall and paint. From there, youtake it home — flooring, cabinets, trim, interior finish. Real savings for the customer who’s hands-on, without the burden of being your own general contractor.

Best fitYou're handy, you want to save money where your time can save it, and you want a custom home — but you don't want to manage subs, permits, and schedules.

Budget*$300K–$550K

Average~$455K

Your roleFinish layer

Drafting fee$2,500

Explore Craftsman →

Do nothing. Move in.

Turnkey Custom

Fully custom. Hand to key.

Every detail — layout, finishes, fixtures, the lot — chosen by you, supplied and installed by Sherman. We coordinate dirt to move-in day. You show up, we hand you the keys.

Best fitYou want the home handed to you, fully custom, with one builder accountable from first shovel to final walkthrough.

Budget*$450K+

Average~$615K

Your roleDesign decisions

Drafting fee$2,500

Explore Turnkey →

* Budget figures are 2025-season examples — not quotes. See note above.

Why the numbers move

Four things that shape your number.

Every home is different. Two customers can pick the same plan and end up with different price tags — not because we change our pricing, but because these four variables change underneath every project. Understanding them is the fastest way to understand your real number.

Site conditions

The land underneath your home is the single biggest swing factor. Soil type, slope, access for delivery trucks, tree clearing, existing structures to remove, and how far utilities have to run all show up in the dirt-work and foundation lines. A flat, dry, road-front lot is one number. A wooded lot with a long driveway, poor soil, and a long utility run is another — sometimes a much bigger one. We walk your property before quoting for exactly this reason.

Square footage

The most obvious lever, and the easiest to control. Every additional square foot adds materials, labor, mechanicals, and finish work. Two-story builds cost less per square foot than ramblers— same roof, same foundation, more living space. If you’re trying to land inside a budget, square footage is usually the first dial we turn.

Floor plan

Not all square footage is equal. Kitchens and bathrooms cost three to four times more per square foot than bedrooms — they carry the plumbing, cabinetry, tile, and appliances. Vaulted ceilings, large window walls, complex rooflines, and custom layouts all add cost versus a clean, efficient plan. Two homes at the same square footage can land $80K apart based on plan alone.

Permits & local codes

Where you build matters. Every county, city, and township in Minnesota has its own permit fees, setback rules, septic requirements, and inspection schedule. Some jurisdictions require engineered plans, energy-code upgrades, or specific foundation types. None of this is optional — and none of it is consistent from one address to the next. We handle the paperwork; the cost just lives on your project.

Not sure which path is yours?

Tell us about your lot, your budget, and how hands-on you want to be. We’ll point you to the right door in — and book a drafting conversation when you’re ready.

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