project costs

How much will it all cost?

Building projects are made up of several elements;

• Construction costs - see below for general guidance
• Professional fees - including architects fees (see below) and other professionals such as structural engineers, quantity surveyors, topographical surveyors, etc
• Statutory fees - these include planning application fees and development contributions levied by local authorities
• Other client costs - items which are not covered in the builders costs, such as loose furniture, curtains, moving costs and temporary accommodation

The initial Feasibility Study that we offer includes all of these costs in an outline Cost Plan.

We have a free Project Starter Pack which gives lots of background information on writing your brief, how the project process works, and guidance on project costs – contact us to download your copy.

For one off houses or whole house retrofit projects, building costs are typically in the range €2,800 - €3,500 per square metre (before vat). This excludes external works or landscaping, which vary widely between projects.

Factors that impact on the cost include;

• High quality finishes or internal fitting out
• Work to Protected Structures or historic buildings
• Site access, ground conditions, etc

Building to Passive House standard also impacts on construction cost - however, the additional investment is offset against substantially reduced running costs of a low energy house, much higher quality and greatly increased comfort levels. As Irish Building Regulations continue to catch up with Passive House standards, the cost differential will continue to reduce further. Indeed, studies have shown that Passive House projects can be built for similar costs to "conventional" construction if planned for at the outset of the project.

Architects fees are usually based on a percentage of the net construction cost (before vat).

The fee depends on the size and complexity of the project, and is typically between 8 - 12% of the construction cost for a residential project. This fee is for all work stages from Feasibility Study through to Completion.

We offer a fixed fee for the initial Feasibility Study (the first stage of the project). After this stage a percentage fee is agreed, once the full scope and extent of the project has been established. The initial fixed fee is then credited against the overall percentage fee.