clients usually prefer a flat fee for something like this.

do you have a good feel for how long it takes to field measure the house (always take photos, too) and then draft it up?

basically you just need to figure the hours it takes you and the hourly rate you want to arrive at a flat fee. probably bump it up 10-20% because it always takes longer than you think (unless you really know how long it takes).

as for the hourly rate it depends on the location .. you could look at local salaries to get a rough idea of hourly rates, although that doesn't include overhead that an architectural firm charges but it will get you close for a side project.

also be clear with the client what they are going to get. is it just floor plans? or are you doing exterior elevations, sections, site plan, interior elevations, etc.

Well that's a hard question to answer since there are so many variables. A lot of time I bill hourly and use half my billable rate. That is half of what they would be billed if they hired my boss to do it and he sent me out there. Same service but half price for them and typically slightly more than I'd make hourly. I'll also agree to a set price if I really think that i know what it will take to get the job done and exactly what level the documentation has to be provided in the end. Then I'll take that number and add 1/4 of the time to it lol.

start with the exterior dimensions first then from 1 corner in the inside (on all floors)

see what they need too..... electrical/plumbing/etc....

might want to get one of those laser measure things too..... furniture can be a pain to get around when you measure


b

too small to be a flat fee

if you are doing this your first time just ask what they are comfortable with. you won't end up being out of their budget.

Depends on the level of detail they want measured (electrical, moulding profiles?)

Also depends on the level of detail they want drawn (fully modeled or plans and elevations?)

For my office, we typically measure the space (walls, ceiling heights, window sizes/head height, eave dimensions/details, etc) and this typically takes 2 of my employees a full day for a large house. Photograph the hell out of it and make sure to charge your photos as reimbursable expenses (we charge 50 cents per photo). If you haven't done it before, you may want to estimate more time, because you might have to go back to check something you missed. We have done it so much, we are very methodical about it.

Then, I would typically estimate one person for one day (or two depending on the complexity of the house) for drawing the existing conditions.

If this is for someone else, make sure to have some sort of disclaimer on the drawings/files/coverletter saying that "they" need to confirm critical measurements or some other language that does not make you liable for some huge amount of money when you are only being paid a relatively small amount.

Good luck.

So if I hypothetically estimated that I could do the work in house as follows:

Measure: 1 architect @ $50/hr (my cost) and 1 assistant @ $30/hr for 8 hours each would come to $640.

Drawing: 1 architect @ $50/hr for 16 hours comes to $800.

Total (my cost) $1440 min.

So, if you came to me and said that you would do the work for $2,500 to $3,000 plus reimbursable expenses, I would probably consider it.

In your particular situation, having never done it before, they are probably thinking that you will do it for very cheap. Sorry, just being honest.

$0.75 per s.f.