How does that compare to everything else that goes into a house?

The National Association of Home Builders' 2024 construction cost survey puts the average new home at 2,647 square feet, selling for $665,298 – 59% larger than the median home in Colorado building permit records. At that size, sprinklers cost about $12,800 at Colorado's documented rate of $4.83 per square foot, against the $7,600 average recorded here. Builder profit on that house is $72,971, or 11%. If the overhead, marketing, and sales commission are added as part of the builder’s take, their margin increases to over 20% of the home cost. Cabinets and countertops are $19,056. Flooring is $15,388. The driveway is $9,635. Even on a house much larger than the median Colorado home, the sprinkler system is less than the cabinets and countertops, less than the flooring, and roughly one-fifth of the profit. At the Colorado average, it is one-tenth of the profit.