Price Per Square Foot

[goalie13456]

Hello All,
I was wondering what you all charge per square foot. For construction plans and modeling I have heard of ranges all the way from $.50 to $3.00. What do you think is appropriate for residential construction plans and modeling?
Thanks for your input!

[perryh]

It really depends on where you live and what you can charge and be competitive with others in your field.

[goalie13456]

That't the thing. I do work for people that are not usually in my area.

[perryh]

I guess then, it's a crap shoot.

[perryh]

I don't even know what people in my own area charge, you will know if your price is too high.

[Alaskan Son]

It also depends on what all you're providing with your plans, whether you're an architect or just a designer, and whether or not you'll be responsible for providing (or obtaining) the necessary engineering. Plus "plan" requirements and expectations vary from one area to the next. We've got areas here that have some of the most stringent structural requirements in the country, and then 15 minutes away you can build a house with a simple floor plan drawn on a sturdy napkin.

[Architex]

The rate can, much like construction costs, vary wildly. I would charge one price for a basic set of plans and a much higher price for a fully detailed, specked out set of plans. Like Perry has stated you will know if you are charging too much for your services. It goes like this: If you are way too busy you are charging too little. If you have very little to no business you are charging too much. It is that simple.

[lbuttery]

I would charge by the hour or a flat rate

a simple 3,000 sqft house can be a lot different than one with complex roof
or lots of stairs or other compexities

your rate should depend on where you live and pay bills

if the client is in a much cheaper area then you may not be able to win that bid

Lew

[goalie13456]

The client is located in New England

[Bradley Boltz]

How much do you charge per hour for your time? I'm at the lower end at $40 per hr (same as what builder's charge for their carpenter rate here in Reading, Pa area) and just did a ranch house from scratch for $.50 a square foot gross living area (does not count unfinished basements or garages) but was giving the client a break in price (I didn't make $40 and hr on that job). At $.50 per square foot, the client should be providing you with a rough layout or you could do T&M for the design development drawings and charge $.50 per square foot for the prelims and pricing drawings. My builder friend in No. Virginia charges two to three times what I charge when he does a drawing for a client. I can't charge that much in my area and don't provide as much detail and specifications and let the builder fill in the blanks.

I'm well below the local architects prices for additions and new home design but don't try to compete with them and do mostly work for residential contractors and remodeler's. A lot of folks balk at the cost of drawings, even at my prices. At the end of a job, I might pad down my hours because I felt it took me too long. In '97 I was hand drafting a two story 2500 sf house on vellum in 40 hrs. When I drew my first house using Chief '97 in 1998 it took me around 46hrs and was charging $.25 per square ft. After awhile I could draw a similar house in about 20 or so hours.

The local municipalities have been requiring more info on the drawings lately and my cost per square foot for a reasonably detailed set of plans needs to be at least $1.00 per square foot but I'm trying to avoid that level of detail. With the cost of health insurance I need to be charging more like $2 per sf.-BB