How to charge for a model only

[ddunn1191576]

I have the opportunity to bid on creating a Revit model from already completed 2D architectural plans, with the intent to turn over to someone else who will then add ductwork in Revit MEP. The model I create has to be accurate as far as wall placement, Beams and Columns, and ceiling heights, etc, but does not have to be accurate as far as materials or wall composition, they can be generic.

The person or firm who adds the ductwork etc, can then do an interference check to make sure no ductwork is running through beams etc. to save major headaches during construction.

It is a 3 story 100,000+ SF building with many interior walls, etc., it is an addition to a University School of Medicine so there are a lot of labs and exam rooms. Am I completely out of line here to charge 15-20 cents a SF for this? For normal working drawings I would normally charge $1 to $2 per SF, but that of course would be for taking the drawings all the way to Const Docs. So, I do not want to lose the bid by bidding too high, and also do not want to sell myself short!

Any helpful advice on how to bid this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[sstewart.121399]

Hello,
Your estimate seems way too high. I work for a University and we have modelled a lot of existing buildings - you would follow a similar process modelling off plans.

I would allow perhaps 2 days work for a 3 storey building, which for us would include checking measurements on site.
If you have full construction docs it should be a breeze.;)

Sarah.

[cporter.207875]

Hello,
Your estimate seems way too high. I work for a University and we have modelled a lot of existing buildings - you would follow a similar process modelling off plans.

I would allow perhaps 2 days work for a 3 storey building, which for us would include checking measurements on site.
If you have full construction docs it should be a breeze.;)

Sarah.

I agree, except I would expect to need a little more time if you intend to include structural elements. Maybe figure it at about a week if the building is complicated. Even if this is cutting it too close for you, $20,000 is way, way, way too much. Maybe more like $2k - $3k?

[sjsl]

I just finished one in the US of the same bldg type w/o labs 3 stories, 90,000 sf doing only the structural simple steel frame, generic everything, no architecture or FF& E and full MEP & FP for appprox. $5K over 2-1/2 wks.

The building no site would have been around $4K.

[sjsl]

I also know of two construction firms in my area that are charging 1/4% of the cost of building construction from 2d architectural, structural and mep drawings. On one of the $70m job they charged approx. $170K for this service. So please don't be shy. Charging to little is why architects are highly underpaid in the US.

[ddunn1191576]

SJSL you posted two answers, and they seem to conflict... in one post you said that $4,000 to $5,000 would have been what you charge, then in the next post you say charge 1/4 % which for a 100,000 SF building at $100 per SF to build would be a $10 million building.... therefore 1/4% of that would be $25,000 fee.... please give further guidance.... I do appreciate all the replies.

[cwhittaker]

This may be blasphemy on this board but have you considered using Q-CAD?

You could get them to include everything in the model that you needed to provide to your client and not have to do much except for review & coordinate.

Take Q-CAD's price, add your mark-up and viola!!

We use them occasionally to get other firms 2D paper drawings into whatever format is needed for our project. Saves us time and resources and we can be working on other things while they are doing the "dirty work". Plus, if there is anything incorrect, they will fix it for free until it is correct.

I don't know how they do it, but this might work for your situation.

[jspartz]

The going rate for modeling A/S/M/E/P/FP plus coordination and RFI/issue logs from companies within the US is 25-50 cents per square foot. This is with normal-high project complexity, not warehouses. These are not people doing sidework either. Outside the US is much less, and I'm much more impressed with them than the US companies, because of quality. You must know the right places. Everything should be down to 1/4" tolerance (design tolerance), and everything included (all details checked), all issues pointed out, etc. I'm sorry but I wouldn't trust a model done in 2 days.

You get what you pay for so if you charge 15-20 cents per sq.ft. it should be a quality model. 5-10 cents - there's no chance I would send work there, but then again I would never want anything generic. I'm assuming the 15-20 is MEPs included.