Cost for shop drawings

[Guest]

I know this a loaded question, because the amount of time and detail that go into a shop drawing can vary from one draftsman to another. I'm getting shop drawings for construction. Not for sales purposes.

However, if you needed a drawing for a single bath vanity (10' x 24" x 30" tall - two sinks with one bank of drawers inbetween) how much would you expect this to cost? There are two elevations (top and front) as well as a section through the drawer unit and the door unit with a detail on the raised panel door and slab drawer fronts.

I know it's not an easy call, but how much do you think is a fair amount?

Any suggestions? I know what I'm paying, but what do you think would be a reasonable amount? For CAD? For hand drawing?

Ed. Williams

[Guest]

Re: Cost for shop drawings

For what you are describing, I would say approx. $75.00, give or take.
For the record, the price should be the same whether it is hand drafted or done on CAD. If a framer uses a nail gun or a hammer, the price is not dictated by the technique.
I hope you share your price.
Kyle

[Guest]

Re: Cost for shop drawings

Kyle,

Thanks for the reply. My cost is $120 billed at $30 an hour. These are 3D cad so I have unlimited cross-sections if needed. Also, the draftsman rents office space from me so I have unlimited access to him to make whatever changes occur and he is a really fair guy.

I've watched him work with Autocad 2000 and the program seems to have MANY serious problems that the Autocad people are aware of but unable to fix.

I've asked him to hand draw shop drawings but he swears it faster and easier this way. What do I know. He's working on a new program called Architecural Desktop which he says is more compatable to residential drawings.

I don't have the time or skill to do these drawings myself. But I feel like I'm spending a lot for what I need. However, I have nothing to base my feelings on having just this year started being in the position to need shop drawings to submit for approval. I'll continue to use his service, but I was curious as to what you guys think.

So far his drawings have been a hit with the clients.

Ed.

[Guest]

Re: Cost for shop drawings

Ed., I use PowerCad on a Macintosh, which is a 2-D program compatible with Autocad. I've only been using it since April, but I could draft what you suggest from scratch in an hour. Since I already have standard details saved in the computer, I could probably do it in less time. My company bills me out at around $50/hr.

Your guy takes 4 hours to draft a vanity? That seems pretty slow. Building such a small project in 3D seems like overkill, if you only need two elevations. Were there any design changes along the way? Then again, his hourly rate seems low as well. I would think $50-$100 would be reasonable.

Mike