This is a tough one. Let’s say you are gut renovating two floors of a house, no exterior work, with each floor at 800 square feet. I think a good rule of thumb is around $130,000 in construction cost per floor. Of course, it’s possible to go much higher than this, based on detailing, materials, and finishes. But something relatively nice can be had for this amount. The number likely does not include fixtures, appliances, and certain finishes (tile, countertops, etc.), which the client typically furnishes, and the contractor installs.
My fee, for Full Design Services, usually works out to about 8-12% of construction costs. For a larger job the fee tends to be on the lower end, and for a smaller job it’s on the higher end. However, I do not base my fee on construction costs, I base it on how long I figure the drawings will take to complete, relative to similar jobs I have completed.
So, the Full Design Services for a gut renovation of two floors (160sf) would typically be around $25,000. This can of vary based on the exact services requested.
Additional fees to consider are:
Expediting services: $2000 for an Alteration Type 2 filing (standard interior renovation that doesn’t affect use, egress, or occupancy of the space, and therefor does not require a new Certificate of Occupancy).
$5000-$6000 for an Alteration Type 1 filing (change of use, egress, or occupancy, which requires a new Certificate of Occupancy).
Licensed Survey: $1000 for the survey. Required only if we are filing Alteration Type 1.
Structural Engineer: Varies based on scope of work. It is often around $4000-$7000 for the type of renovation described above, if we are removing load-bearing walls and/or relocating stairs. If there is no structural work in the scope, we will not work with a structural engineer.
Mechanical Engineer: Varies based on scope of work and is often not necessary for one- and two-family renovations. Work that would require a Mechanical Engineer include replacing/relocating the boiler or hot water heater; relocating the exhaust of the boiler/hot water heater; a central HVAC system or ducted split system. Fees typically range from $4000-$6000.
Interior Design: Most of my clients opt not to hire an Interior Designer and choose to handle most of this on their own, with my guidance. But if you do wish to work with an Interior Designer that would be a separate fee which you would need to inquire about.
Asbestos Inspection (ACP5): $1000 for the inspection and all lab fees. All DOB filings require an asbestos inspection prior to approval of drawings. If asbestos is found, you will need to abate as required by DOB. If none is found, we simply submit the clean ACP5 to DOB.
DOB Filing Fees: Varies based on scope of work. For a gut renovation as described above it would likely be around $1000.
Landmarks Coordination: If your home is in a Landmarks District, we will need to coordinate that with the Landmarks Preservation Committee (LPC). If there is no exterior work involved in the job, all that is required is submitting a Letter of No Effect stating as such. If there is exterior work, but it is in the rear and not visible from the street, we will need to submit a full set of drawings to LPC. But since none of the work is visible from the street, this is a fairly straight forward process, and is considered an “office-level review.” If there is work that is visible from the street, this can often require an LPC hearing, and it is very hard to predict how much work will be involved. For an office-level my fees are around $2000. For work related to an LPC hearing I bill at my hourly rate.
Construction Administration: This is at the discretion of the client, but I always recommend at least one or two site visits per month. This allows me to verify that construction is generally progressing according to the approved drawings, address any unforeseen conditions that may have arisen during demolition and construction, and gives the contractor an opportunity to clarify any questions they may have. Each site visit is $350, and additional coordination such as meeting notes or contractor-requested details is billed at $160 per hour.
Job Sign Off: Signing off the job with DOB requires the design professionals to sign off on certain technical requirements. TR1s cover life safety and include structural systems, fire safety, and indoor air quality. TR8s cover energy efficiency and include lighting, HVAC, windows, and insulation. The number of items required for each job differs, based on the scope of the job. There is no “typical” job, but often I will sign off on about 2-4 TR1 items, and 4-7 TR8 items. My fee for signing off is $300 per TR1 item, and $150 per TR8 item. There may be additional items that the structural or mechanical engineer signs off on depending of the scope. Their fees tend to be a little higher per item than mine. I have a fee of $350 per DOB inspection, and you can expect 1-2 of these to occur during construction.