What should a complete set of plans cost for a 20’x18′ family room addition? Just looking for ballpark figures. The local municipality is looking for: floorplan, 3 sided elevation, framing plan, foundation plan with detail, electrical, and a detail on any stuctural modification to the existing structure for the break through.
This will be a standard family room, slab on grade construction, 8 foot walls with cathedral ceiling, and a fireplace. No detailed trim plans or cabinet elevations. We have all seen these “basic” family room structures added on to homes.
Granted most additions are custom, but does a “standard” off the shelf plan exist for something like this? What would an architect or designer charge for something like this?
Thanks in advance!
Replies
sight unseen... $3000
sight unseen... $3000
Y'know, that sounds flippant until I think about it. $500 to take the job up front. $1000 to do the first "look." Another $1000 for the next two revisions. Then $500 in printing and materials. All of the sudden, that's $3000, which is "only" $8.33/sf -- but, at $75/sf, that 360 sf is $27,000, amking the $3000, what, 11%. If the addition goes $90/sf (cathedral ceiling, special windows, "might-as-well-as's," and unforeseen tie-in situations), then that drops to 8%.
Design/Build makes that process a lot simpler for the customer, though.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Without knowing your location and codes people, all I can say is anywhere from eight hundred to three thousand, with any plumbing, could go to four grand.
hard to imagine how off the shelf stock plans could work. most of them are hard to apply to local conditions without a redraw on a new house. Additions get more complicated unless you enforecement folks allow things to be coverd with notes like, " Match existing trim.", Match existing foundation", and Connect to existing roof" without detailing how each of these would be done in drawings - in which case, it becomes a headache, at least, for the builder, and a cesspool for the HO
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You have your answers from Mike and Pif, each of them very well-qualified design/build remodeling contractors.
What you should do, armed with this valuable information, is find your local versions of Mike or Pif, and just let them do a design-and-build remodel for you, putting on that room addition you want.
A contractor like this will handle all the design work, coming up with a set of plans and specs that meet your 100% satisfaction, then they will do the job for you, and you won't have to think of how much plans for permits cost.
Thanks for your comments. I'm trying to do a little homework on each major aspect, then developing a total project cost. I agree about finding a design build contractor. This might be the best way to go. Before I call and waste anyone's time, I need to have an a general cost figure in mind. This will be the go/no-go item.
If you tell us where you will build this, someone on the forum can give some good advice on what kind of local costs might apply.
Also, telling us where you are has a lot to do with what kind of design issues you have. Examples are foundation type and depth, HVAC concerns, insulation, window types, roofing types, etc.
Will the project use stock-sized windows and doors? It sure is best if it can. Specials cost a lot more. It is reasonable to budget (your material cost after contractor markup) about $750 for each window and $2000 for each patio door, or full-glass hinged door. Standard paneled doors should be budgeted at maybe $800.
Give us an idea of how difficult the tie-in to the house may be (like funky roof overlays, chimney removals, etc.).
Tell about exterior and interior finishes, plumbing, wild electrical schemes (super high tech media room stuff), etc.
Southern rural (Alabama, south Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma) building costs can be down near $55, and things around, say, Westchester County, NY, can be up around $200, both on a per square foot basis. If you know what kind of numbers are happening in your locale, it can help in your budgeting.
My guess is that it might take you as much legwork and time to find a really great design/build remodeler, as it will to estimate your project cost. I would focus on the former, and just "ball park" the latter.
The prudent thing might be to get your ear to the ground, find out that local range of per-sq-ft costs are to do an addition like yours, budget out at the high end, add 20 percent, then file that in your head, while you go and find the right contractor.
IMHO, the right contractor is the guy that gives you a lump-sum price. Cost-plus guys too often give you a much lower "estimate" as compared to your final total. You don't want that.
Adding up all the bricks, sticks, windows, shingles, and nails, isn't your job or concern, unless you are going to GC this yourself.
For Laguna Beach or any nice beach area in California. At leat $20 K and up.
Most of the cost is to do revision to meet design review and sitting through the endless meeting.
DesignBuild contractor here in Indiana. I would charge you 8% of budget. Licensed architect would charge 12-15%. I would recommend a budget of at least $54,000 x .08=$4320 for plans. This is for a plain room addition, no kitchen or bathrooms in this space, standard sized windows and materials.
Justin Tischer
Vertigo Construction
Humor me.
New construction.
A smallish home that I wish to build myself. I can complete it for $100,000.00.
You want 8-15k to draw the plans?
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
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Good point Eric. We dont do new construction thats a different game, but a budget of 100k would cost you $8,000 in design fees. We dont use a licensed architect unless someone requires it so that rate does not apply to us. Generally youre looking at approximately $4,000 for preliminary drawings and a feasability study. The other $4,000 would be rolled into the project cost. But the drawings i would deliver to you for $4,000 would not be complete enough to be built from and further more they would specify that they are the property of Vertigo Construction and not to be used by anyone else. For $8,000 the drawings are yours and you can do what you want with them. Including firing me!
Justin Tischer
Vertigo Construction
Guess I got ahead of myself.
I now see that you are a contractor, not an engineer.
Thanks just the same though.
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
I'm with you, Eric.
Mr. Design/Build from Indiana is looking at charging $150/sf for a one-room three-wall addition, no plumbing, the only mechanicals being some way to heat and cool the room.
Then he wants another $4,320 on top to do the design part.
Gimme a napkin and a pencil! I'll do it for only $3,999.
yeah, but are you gonna flash the windows?
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
Soundslike you are sitting pretty. There are well qualified architects around here who will do plans only for 8-9% on additions and 6% omn basic homes. You only see the 15% when they are invlved in project management
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For a job that size where no engineer is needed I pay about $800.00 for a set of sealed prints. For a whole house I pay $1.00 a foot for prints drawn by an architectural draftsman and sealed by an architect. Basic engineering usually costs me about 50 cents a square foot additional.
We are a design/build remodel contractor in central Indiana. Even on $100-250 k projects, design bills range from $2000 to $4000 but all depends on revisions, etc.
If we have customers with budget in mind, well-thought out ideas, wants, needs and wishes, we can easily stay below the $4000 mentioned above.
Just my 2 cents.
"For a job that size where no engineer is needed I pay about $800.00 for a set of sealed prints. For a whole house I pay $1.00 a foot for prints drawn by an architectural draftsman and sealed by an architect. Basic engineering usually costs me about 50 cents a square foot additional."Seems low. And I've never heard of a firm charging a fee by the square foot of a project. As a rule of thumb, architect fees average about 7% of construction costs, usually a little higher for additions/residential work. Which works against someone charging by the square foot. Add to that the fact that smaller projects often take just as much time as larger ones, the unknowns of existing construction in additions and renovations, and the increased anxiety level from clients when their houses are involved . . . it's no wonder the fees are where they are.Like everything else, you get what you pay for. If you're looking for something down and dirty, there will always be someone to draw it. But the same theory applies to contractors. How many discussions on this site have opened up with "you won't believe what this guy said about my estimate . . ."