How much should ArchVis cost?

[Keda]

Hi, I'm not sure if this is the right forum...I would like to offer ArchVis as a service to architecture firms. I'm investigating the market right now, and have found two types of projects: model from 2D and Texture, or texture an existing model that was built in Revit or AutoCad.

Can anyone here give me an idea of the expected cost for work like this? I'm not the fastest, so I don't think it would be fair to base this on the actual hours I take (maybe once I get fully up to speed).

I realize that there are many factors that could influence the price. So, let's say that a typical render might be a single multi-level( 4) commercial property. The materials used around here (Washington DC) are usually brick and stucco. The geometry will generally be fairly conservative.

Need any more info?

TIA

[doimus]

Take a look here:
http://www.cgarchitect.com/upclose/DW/default.asp

[Captain Obvious]

Figure out approximately how long it would take to produce what they want, add 50 % of time on that, and then charge enough to give you a good profit margain.

[StereoMike]

You shouldn't forget, that you want to have a living with that money, so there's defintely a lower limit you shouldn't go below. Figure out how long it will take you (as Cpt Obvious suggested) and take into account that you won't have projects all the time, so the money you earn should aswell bring you through some time without paid work. Also think of insurances, cost of living, car, credits etc. If you take all of this into account you will notice that it can't be a cheap job being self employed.
If you can't get the money you need, you have to look for another client or, if there's none, another job. You will make yourself and your family sad when you try do this kind of job for too little money and end up with debts and lost time.

mike

[Iain]

Also bear in mind that the rendering is the crucial part in this work.

The standard is getting very high in terms of realism and this type of render isn't knocked out in minutes.

[doimus]

Also think of insurances, cost of living, car, credits etc. If you take all of this into account you will notice that it can't be a cheap job being self employed.



It's important to mention: if for some reason one doesn't have insurance, lives with parents and rides a bicycle, they still should charge those costs.
Just consider living with generous parents and being close to work an added blessing and prospect for higher profit margin.

Please don't abuse your parents just to dump prices on archviz market!
(this is supposed to be funny but it happens so often it's actually sad)

[Lightwolf]

Please don't abuse your parents just to dump prices on archviz market!

That's what they call subsidies ;)

Cheers,
Mike

[Keda]

Thank you for the link, I will need to spend some time reviewing the site.

I understand the process of loading my time, but I'm trying to get a sense of industry averages. Even general price ranges or expected time... are architects expecting to pay in the $1000s or $10,000s for this work? At a first pass, I'm guessing $4-5,000 per render/model. Does this sound high or low?

I'd also love to learn more about these subsidies. ;)

[Keda]

The edit feature timed out....

I realize that this is an international community and that the currencies and economies will differ. FWIW, this is Washington DC.

I arrived at this amount by assuming 30-40 hours. That might be a better area to discuss. Does this sound like a reasonable 'average' amount of time to spend?

[manholoz]

There is also something to mix into the equation:

The quality of the work.

Will it include interiors, or just the exterior, the surrounding ummm urban landscape, or just the building in itself?

Be specific in exactly what is included in your work, and also state that everything else in an extra. Or you'll finish modelling, texturing, lighting, and rendering a city, when you should have just modelled a house!

Ok, that was drastic, but at least over here, that's how 90% of architects and construction firms want to squeeze freelancers. And then every street corner shop that has a photocopier boasts being capable of doing archviz renders for USD$45 per render.

Of course, all done in pirated software, by students that have barely started learning the difference between a window and a glass door, and the quality of the renders look like screenshots from a 3d game out of a commodore64.

So at least here, the only way to compete against that type of competition, is with quality. And it should be even more true in places where standards (and prices) are higher.

[Keda]

Ah yes...a well defined scope is essential. Speaking of which, these models will be exterior only. I will probably make some kind of basic 'interior' for rendering, but nothing detailed. The final render will need to be as near to photo-quality as possible.

I was not factoring render time into the 30-40 hours. I am just starting to look at offering this commercially, so my first few clients will probably benefit from my inexperience. I expect to find that I'm pricing too low, and adjust upwards as my efficiency increases.

[archijam]

At a first pass, I'm guessing $4-5,000 per render/model. Does this sound high or low?

Sounds high to me (per render). Unless they get the model at the end ... in which case it could even be more (assuming they want it).

edit: Consider that out of a scene you can usually squeeze a few angles, depending how much post work is required, and how it was set up. Given a few shots, your figure starts to become more reasonable, but only for big firms/developers. ((I add that my experience is limited to canada, asia, australia and western europe)).

[Keda]

Ah, thats interesting. I was thinking of the time to model/texture. But maybe that can be made more valuable by including a set amount of renders. Something like one model, three/four renders.

I appreciate all the insight. I'm starting off not having any idea how much this stuff should cost, so this is helpful.

[Pheidian]

My few bucks for this question also:

I do here in Finland so, that I try to calculate the time spent for the project, roughly modelling time, including changes client may want to do and then some preview rendering times, finals usually render overnight so it's not out of my time...

I base this time estimate on the 65 euros / hour salary, and then give the client the needed info about the project at our end.

So usually modelling of interior stuff takes around 10 hours, depending on the detail and special needs, then add another 10 hours for previews and changes client wants, renders are now little concern to our office, since we started doing all the stuff with almighty Kray (very good previews in less than 15 minutes and high quality print ones in 1 hour / piece.)