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Builders grumbling about construction cost is nothing new because they can pass those costs along to home buyers but the latest complaint is starting to gain more notice. Why are houses so expensive to build? Well, according to many builders, houses have become more expensive to build because of permitting fees.

In Minnesota, John Rask of M/I Home Builders told Minnesota Public Radio that a three-bedroom home in Minnesota costs $60,000 more to build than in neighboring Wisconsin because of permitting costs. It’s adding 15 percent to the sale price, according to Rask and is a contributing factor toward a lack of affordable housing.

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Builders are saying that it’s not possible to make homes for less than $250,000, citing that lot size requirements and the price of land also contribute to increased costs of home building. The high price of land nationally has tempted builders to erect larger homes to recoup costs as well, which has made housing less affordable. Then throw in a small housing supply and you’ve got buyers bidding each other up, creating more expensive housing. The National Association of Home Builders found that the median price to build a single family home is $289,415. Find out the average price of a home in your state.

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Rising material costs and labor costs have also fueled the increase in housing prices, according a report from BuildZoom.

What could make housing more affordable?

If cities worked to clean up permitting fees and changed zoning laws, builders could construct more houses, albeit at greater density, to decrease the cost of a house. A recession in the economy could trigger a decrease in housing prices as well and if you’ve heard anything about an inverted yield curve, the country could be headed toward a recession.

See the most expensive house in your state.