Cost Of Hiring A Draftsman - Architect Drawing Fees [2024 Cost Guide]

A draftsman in the context of architecture is a professional who specializes in creating technical drawings and plans for buildings and structures. Draftsmen work closely with architects and other professionals in the construction and design industry to turn concepts and ideas into detailed, accurate drawings that can be used for construction, renovation, or other purposes.

A draftsman's costs range from $2,500 to $15,000. For a standard project, it takes anywhere between $2,500 and $6,000. For example, if you are planning for a house extension, this is how you may expect to pay.

• Extension for a small or medium single room- About $2,800.


• Extension for a medium or large with an additional two rooms- About $3,200.


• A fully-customised renovation or redesign for a large-scale house- Between $5,000 and $10,000.

Why Do You Need A Draftsman?

• Technological Advancements: For a professional draftsman, there is a software known as Computer-Aided Design (CAD) that helps in creating digital models and drawings. This kind of technological advancement enhances efficiency and modifications in the draftsman project execution.


• Diverse Industry Applications: The assistance of draftsmen is applicable in different industries such as manufacturing, construction, engineering, architecture etc. So, these professionals are employed for various projects ranging from building design to detained planning for mechanical component adjustments.


• Cost-Efficiency: The more well-prepared a drawing is for the execution of a project the more likely it is to reduce the errors and reworking. So, when draftsmen take up the job, they make sure they have access to resource allocation for better planning, minimising the additional expenses.


• Precision To Detail: They have the responsibility to ensure Precision to detail and accuracy in their drawings preventing even small errors. This is because precision to detail and accuracy in the drawings ensure the quality standards of a project.


• Blueprints And Technical Drawings: A professional draftsman creates accurate and detailed versions such as blueprints technical drawings and other schematic-based representations. All these are essential tools to help stakeholders to assess the required design thoroughly.

Draftsman Cost Based On Certain Factors

Cost By Labour Working Hours

The cost for a draftsman based on working hours is calculated in the concept of full-time working and freelancing. On average, you will be charged from $75 to $125 per hour for a full-time draftsman and freelancing draftsman costs depending on the company type. Your go-to choice is freelancers as they are readily available.

Based On Auto CAD Drafting

• 2D sheets cost from $35 to $140 and 3D sheets cost from $160 to $180 for 4 to 6 weeks of draftsman work.


• 2D sheets cost from $45 to $350 and 3D sheets cost from $250 to $480 for 3 to 10 days of draftsman work.


• 2D sheets cost from $140 to $690 for 1 day of draftsman work.

Cost By Blueprint

If you want the draftsman to set a blueprint for your project, then you can expect to pay ranging from $10 to $60. However, the exception here is the material you want draftsmen to draw them on. The costs vary depending upon the material like,

• Paper Sheets- Between $0.05 and $8.50 per sheet.


• Tyvek Sheets (durable and waterproof)- Between $3 and $20 per sheet.


• Covers and Bindings- Between $2 and $20 per sheet.

Cost Per Square Foot

Pricing to opt for a draftsman starts at $0.05 and ends at $2.25 if you are calculating it upon the cast affecting factor like square foot. Typically, this price may also rise higher if you request for the draftsman to complete a challenging project, like adding a complex staircase to your house. Here is how you can expect to pay based on square foot.

• Stock: Between $0.35 and $0.75


• Semi-custom: Between $0.75 and $1.50


• Custom: Between $1.00 and $5.00.

Based On House Plans

If your thoughts are in line with house plan types then the best considerations for you are pre-made and custom plans. For a pre-made house plan, you can expect to pay between $600 and $1,000. Meanwhile, it takes from $1,500 to $2,500 for a custom home plan. However, if you are planning for a supplementary house with 1,000 square feet, then it charges you between $1,200 and $1,500. If you want to remodel your house completely, then the draftsman costs are from $2,000 to $2,500.

• Pre-drawn house plans cost between $350 and $750 while Custom house plans cost between $1,000 and $5,000 for a 1,000 square feet house.


• Pre-drawn house plans cost between $500 and $1,100 while Custom house plans cost between $1,500 and $7,500 for a 1,500 square feet house.


• Pre-drawn house plans cost between $700 and $1,500 while Custom house plans cost between $2,000 and $10,000 for a 2,000-square-foot house.


• Pre-drawn house plans cost between $900 and $1,900 while Custom house plans cost between $2,500 and $12,500 for a 2,500 square feet house.
  


• Pre-drawn house plans cost between $1,000 and $2,300 while Custom house plans cost between $3,000 and $15,000 for a 3,000 square feet house.


• Pre-drawn house plans cost between $1,200 and $2,600 with Custom house plans costing between $3,500 and $17,500 for a 3,500 square feet house.

Redline Markups

When physical markups are done on a CAD hard copy then it is known as redline markups and these are usually incorporated in CAD companies. So, it takes the average draftsman cost for Redline markups which is around $55 per sheet and the highest cost goes up to $155. The cost will also go beyond this if there are more add-on services in later stages.

Land Surveys

To ensure the plans are executed risk-free in areas like terrains, the draftsman suggests additional services like land surveys. Hence, you will be charged between $400 and $1,200 for a land survey when a draftsman gets down to do this job. Note- Land service is mandatory for terrain areas as this helps in discovering integral risks.

Additional Costs

• Draftsman cost alone- Between $800 and $3,500.


• Draftsman cost in addition to house designer and engineer- Between $5,000 and $15,000.


• Draftsman in addition to designers, architects and engineers- Between $10,000 and $30,000.

Now, you can estimate the cost of a draftsman for your needs because you know the cost range. You can prepare your work details and use this cost guide to calculate the amount of money your work will cost you. It keeps you away from those charging hefty prices in the market. Good luck with hiring a draftsman for your architectural drawing.