How Much Does a Building Designer Cost?

Building Designer Cost in Australia: Hourly Rates, Total Project Estimates & Key Cost Factors

Building your new home or renovating your old home to your dream adobe- a building designer is always an essential person to help you achieve your goal. A building designer listens to your plans and makes them effective according to your building location and situation. In short, your dream comes true with their architectural knowledge and vision.

Therefore, it's important to hire skilled builders and designers right away when you start planning a makeover or construction. But, do you know how much a professional building designer charges for the job in Australia? This cost guide is all about the building designers, their roles, and how much they charge for their expertise.

What Will You Get from A Building Designer?

A building designer is responsible for planning the building design based on the layout of the property for residential or commercial usage. They help you in -

• Planning and drafting the building plan


• Ensuring the plan compliance with the building codes and regulations of Australia


• Communicate with other building construction teams


• Maximizing energy efficiency and sustainability


• Providing the right building documents when needed


• Get the plans and documents approved by the government on time


• Assisting in emergency planning and approvals


• Giving expert insights on building materials and affordable solutions

At this point, one may wonder what is the difference between a building designer and architecture. We are coming to that part in detail.

Difference Between Building Designer and Architecture

An architect is a professional who is responsible for your building plan by going through a lot of building plans and their ability to withstand any natural calamity. As they get to the bottom of your building, architects get into the plan by considering all factors.

Coming to the building designers, are responsible for the entire look of the building aesthetically. In short, you can consider them as your building decorators to make your home or commercial place beautified.

As you can see, an architect researches in detail, making them highly valuable in the building construction industry. They also charge 30-50% more than a building designer. However, if you are renovating or already have your plan ready for the new construction, hiring a building designer will help you in reducing the cost.

Pros and Cons of Hiring a Building Designer

Everything comes with some pros and cons, so hiring a building designer will get you some perks and issues at the same time.

Pros:

• Cost-effective
  You will get more or less the same facilities from an architect for your building. However, architects cover the building plan at higher charges. Whereas, the building designers look after everything from the look of the building to your taste at an affordable price.


• Flexible
  Building designers hold immense knowledge and expertise in handling different types of building works. Be it commercial or residential, they have worked with many projects before, making them flexible to any situation effortlessly.


• Understanding of local rules and regulations
  The building designers gasp everything required for the construction. From the local permits to the building plan approval, they keep every document ready before they require it. Hiring an experienced designer who knows the local rules and regulations for building construction will keep you prepared at any stage of your building construction, resulting in smooth work.


• Communicating with other teams
  Constructing a building requires well-maintained communication between different teams. Therefore, when you hire a building designer who knows everything about the building can communicate with the entire construction team to get everyone on the same page. By doing so the designer leaves you to handle other things with peace of mind.

Cons:

• Limited knowledge
  When it comes to architects, they have immense knowledge of the structural and conceptual innovation of buildings. However, here building designers lack the skill.


• Different qualifications
  Even though building designers have adequate expertise and knowledge through various projects, they lack the formal education of architects, limiting their expertise in building plans.


• Licensing differences
  Throughout Australia, the licensing rules for building designers vary. In Victoria, the building designers have to be registered with the building practitioners board. But in other states building designers have fewer requirements to fulfill.

Now that you have an idea about building designers, let us give you an insight into their charges for building designs in Australia.

Project-wise Building Designer’s Cost in Australia

• Small building renovation: $2,000- $5,000


• Medium-sized home (150-250 sqm): $5,000- $15,000


• Large home (250-400 sqm): $10,000- $25,000


• Custom home (Luxury): $20,000- more

Factors Influencing Building Designer Costs Across Australia

Multiple factors change the servicing charges of building designers in different regions of Australia.

• Scope of the project
  The cost of your designer will be more if you are constructing a building from scratch. As the new building construction requires structural plans and approvals, it increases the overall cost. Furthermore, when you go for a designer for renovations, you may need to pay extra to your designers to remove the complex structures from the building.


• Size and complexity of the building
  Earlier we have explained to you the cost for different types of homes and buildings across Australia. The custom materials, unique designs, and advanced features of the building will increase the expense of the designer.


• Building designer’s experience and reputation
  Based on the experience and reputation around the locality, the designers charge you. A junior designer with less experience will cost you less than the established and high-end luxury project-handling building designers.


• Location
  Like any other service, rural designers charge you far less than the designers in metropolitan areas like Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. The higher cost of living in the cities makes the designers charge you more.


• Additional services
  You may need some specialised facilities that you will get from building designers. The designers make everything easy for you but that comes with some extra payment.

Apart from that, your designer charges may differ based on how you hire. You can hire building designers based on hourly rates, fixed fees, or the total construction cost. In Australia, if you go for the hourly rates, it will be around $50 to $250 per hour. Fixed rates are more or less similar to the data we have provided earlier. And for the percentage-based hiring, you will need to pay 3-5% of the total building construction cost. So, considering all these factors your building designer will charge you. So, it will be better to talk to your designer and get a custom quotation for the job.

Conclusion

Hiring a building designer for your new home or commercial place is the best and most cost-effective solution in Australia. Get all your information together and find a trusted and reliable designer who understands your goals properly to get your home done. Talk to your local building designers, and ask for reviews from your neighbours to decide who can give life to your dream home.