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Scope Estimator

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Scope Estimator

Describe the project and see the scope, the turnaround and an indicative fee — then send it straight to Arslan, the principal architect who will do the work.

Permit sets, BIM models and working drawings — priced from the drawing set itself, sheet by sheet.

The project

Project type

Custom Single-Family HomeA new custom home, villa or vacation house that needs a complete permit set.~2,800 ft² · 13 sheets as standardADU & Guest HouseA detached or attached accessory dwelling unit, garage conversion or guest suite.~850 ft² · 10 sheets as standardRemodel & AdditionSecond-storey additions, bump-outs and structural wall removals, drawn as existing vs. proposed.~1,800 ft² · 11 sheets as standardMulti-Family & TownhomesDuplex to mid-rise apartment buildings and townhouse rows with repeated unit plans.~6,500 ft² · 16 sheets as standardRetail & OfficeStorefronts, offices and tenant improvements, including accessibility compliance.~3,500 ft² · 13 sheets as standardRestaurant & HospitalityDining rooms and commercial kitchens, with equipment layouts for health-department review.~2,600 ft² · 15 sheets as standardInterior Fit-Out & MillworkHigh-end interiors: ceilings and lighting, finishes, joinery and interior elevations.~2,000 ft² · 9 sheets as standardAs-Built CAD & BIMPDF scans and sketches redrawn as clean CAD and BIM files — from supplied records, not field-verified.~3,000 ft² · 4 sheets as standard

Gross floor area

Enclosed, conditioned floor area across all levels

ft²m²

ft²

Jurisdiction

Project reference (optional)

Services

Pick any combination. They share one model and one set, so the price isn't simply added up.

Construction Documentation Package~7 daysThe permit submission: site plan, dimensioned floor plans, elevations, sections, door and window schedules, and code sheets where the project type needs them.BIM Model (LOD 100–350)~8 daysA coordinated model with parametric families, wall assemblies and schedules, delivered as the native file and an IFC export.Details & Working Drawings~7 daysLarge-scale drawings for contractor pricing and construction: wall sections, envelope, foundation and stair details, enlarged plans.Millwork & Joinery Documentation~5 daysInterior elevations and joinery details for kitchens, vanities, counters and bespoke cabinetry, with materials and hardware.Multi-Discipline Coordination~5 daysClash detection between the architectural, structural and MEP models, with an issues log — resolved on screen before anyone is on site.

Stage, complexity and schedule

Where the project is now

Phase names only — LOD is set element by element, not by phase (see the LOD guide).

ConceptA brief, sketches or massing studies — no production drawings yet.Schematic designPlans and elevations are agreed and ready to be drawn up properly.Design developmentThe design is resolved; the permit set comes next.Construction documentsDetails, schedules and coordination for contractor pricing.Construction administrationPlan-check corrections, RFI answers and redlines on an existing set.

Complexity

StandardOrthogonal geometry, conventional program, an easy site.Base rateComplexNon-orthogonal forms, several systems to coordinate, a tight site.×1.25LandmarkBespoke parametric geometry, structural innovation or a heritage context.×1.55

Schedule

StandardStandard rateExpedited+25% · about a third fasterRush+50% · about twice as fast

Drawing set

13 of 18 sheets

The standard set for this project type and these services. Switch sheets on or off; each shows its typical LOD (what LOD means).

General

G-001Cover sheet, sheet index & project dataProject data, zoning summary, code basis, sheet index and vicinity map.LOD 100

Site

AS-101Architectural site planProperty lines, setbacks, easements, building footprint, parking and the accessible route.LOD 200

Plans

A-101Floor plansDimensioned plans with walls, openings, room names and areas, and door and window tags.LOD 300
A-102Floor plans — upper levelsEach upper storey, dimensioned, with stair and shaft alignment carried through from below.LOD 300
A-111Reflected ceiling plansCeiling heights and materials, soffits, light fixtures, diffusers and access panels.LOD 300
A-121Roof planRoof slopes and drainage, gutters and downpipes, overflows, rooftop equipment and access.LOD 300

Elevations

A-201Exterior elevationsBuilding faces with finishes, openings, floor and roof heights, and finished grades.LOD 300
A-202Exterior elevations (continued)The remaining building faces, with material changes and datum heights.LOD 300

Sections

A-301Building sectionsFull-height cuts through the building: floor-to-floor heights, structure and assemblies.LOD 300
A-311Wall sectionsWall cuts from foundation to roof: assemblies, insulation, air and water barriers.LOD 350

Enlarged / interior

A-401Enlarged plans — kitchens, baths & restroomsWet rooms at large scale: fixtures, clearances, dimensions and finishes.LOD 350
A-421Interior elevations — kitchens & millworkCabinet runs, appliances, countertops and finishes, dimensioned for pricing and install.LOD 350
A-422Interior elevations — bathrooms & joineryVanities, tiling, mirrors, accessories and fixture heights.LOD 350

Details

A-501Envelope detailsWall, roof and opening details at large scale: insulation, air and water barriers, flashing.LOD 350
A-502Foundation & slab-edge detailsFooting and slab-edge conditions, anchorage, perimeter insulation and moisture protection.LOD 350
A-503Stair, guard & handrail detailsRiser and tread geometry, guard heights and openings, handrail profiles and fixings.LOD 350

Schedules

A-601Door & window schedulesSizes and types, fire ratings, glazing, hardware sets and energy values (U-factor, SHGC).LOD 300
A-602Room finish scheduleFloor, base, wall and ceiling finishes, room by room.LOD 300

Your estimate

$4,600–6,040

Indicative range — confirmed as a fixed fee once the brief is agreed.

Turnaround: ~9 business days
Drawing set: 13 sheets
Stage: Schematic design
Complexity: Standard

Deliverables

13 drawing sheets: general, site, plans, elevations, sections, details, schedules
Print-ready PDF set (ARCH D, 24 × 36 in) and AutoCAD DWG files
BIM model — native file and IFC export

Typical in-house cost of this scope in the US: $13,050 (benchmark, Sept 2026).

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Photorealistic stills, 360° panoramas and animation — priced per view, like every rendering studio.

Scene and size

Scene

InteriorExteriorAerial

Area of the space

The rooms the views look into

ft²m²

ft²

What you can supply

The existing design stage sets how much modelling happens before rendering starts.

ConceptSketches, references or massing — the model is built from scratch.Schematic2D CAD plans, elevations and sections, with the intended materials.Modeled & texturedA finished, textured 3D model — lighting, cameras, rendering and post-production only.

Deliverables

Still views

Views of the same scene get cheaper after the first.

Resolution

Standard 2KWeb and socialHigh 4KPrint and presentationsHero 6K+Marketing, full entourage

360° panoramas

$595 each at the Schematic stage

Animation

Seconds of walkthrough — $65/s, 20 s minimum

Schedule

StandardStandard rateExpedited+25% · about a third fasterRush+50% · about twice as fast

Your estimate

$800–980

Indicative range — confirmed as a fixed fee once the brief is agreed.

Turnaround: ~6 business days
Scene: Interior, 1,200 ft²
Design stage: Schematic
Revisions: 2 rounds included

Deliverables

2 still views, Standard 2K
2 revision rounds included (extra rounds $95 each)
High-resolution JPG or PNG files

Compare with

Typical US studio price for this scope: $1,200–3,000 (benchmark, Sept 2026).

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Senior design, code and coordination advice on a specific question — billed by the hour.

Hours

Design review, code strategy and coordination — senior judgment on a specific question, billed separately from drafting.

Estimated hours

A focused design or code review is often 4–10 hours; ongoing coordination runs longer.

Your estimate

$450

10 h × $45/hr

Indicative — confirmed once the scope of the consultation is agreed.

Rate: $45/hr, flat worldwide
Hours: 10

Deliverables

Video calls or written review — whichever suits the question
Markups on your drawings (PDF or Bluebeam)
Direct coordination in your team's Slack or Teams, if useful

Compare with

Typical architect-consultant rate in the US: $95/hr — $950 for 10 hours (benchmark, Sept 2026).

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