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Today the 16" barrel is most popular, and for good reason - it does most things well and is lighter and more maneuverable than a longer barrel. 18" is popular, too, and 20" if you'll want to reach out and touch at 500 yards or more. If you don't like the M4 cutouts on a 16" barrel, go with midlength gas which does away with them.
It's really up to you which brand. You may be able to build an AR-15 cheaper than a factory one but it depends on what you want and how much research you put into your components and their quality. Even if you buy a factory AR you should look at the quality of the components.
Usually you can expect quality parts, even from various manufacturers, for a DI AR-15 to be interchangeable. That's not including piston ARs.
You should be able to buy or build a good 16", 18" or 20" AR-15 for <= $1000. PSA is a good place to look, their premium line and freedom line tends to be good.
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