[tobnpr]

My son built his, and saved money- but that's because it was a "higher-end" build in 6.5 Grendel.

If you're just looking for the least expensive AR you can get, you won't save much, if any $$. DPMS, and other "decent" makes are available for under $600 now (who would have thunk it this past spring...).

That said, it can be fun and a learning experience, but you do need minimal tools and receiver blocks- pushing the cost of the build well over the cost of factory unless you plan on building more than one.