To put the conversation around drafting costs into context, let’s look at one of our previous projects: a renovation and first-floor addition in Maroubra, a laid back beachside suburb in eastern Sydney.
For this particular project, the complete design and CDC approval process was approximately $30,000 – $40,000.
This was not simply Gardner’s drafting or design fee. The overall amount included our design fees as well as the consultants and approval costs required to take this particular project through the design and CDC process.
It also shouldn’t be used as a guide for what another renovation, extension or first-floor addition will cost. Another project with a similar floor area could require considerably less work or considerably more.
And that’s really the point.
Why Can Drafting Quotes Vary So Much Between Projects?
A drafting quote isn’t simply a calculation of
“square metres × drafting rate = project fee”.
Two homeowners could both be planning a 40m² extension, yet the amount of work required to design and approve those projects could be very different.
One might involve a relatively straightforward addition to an existing home. The other might require structural changes, difficult site levels, planning investigations, additional consultants and several design options before the right solution is found.
This is why we generally look at three broader areas when preparing a fee proposal:
Design, Approvals and Construction (Buildability).
Rather than looking at those as three isolated items, it helps to understand how we work through them as your project develops.
What Do We Look at When Preparing Your Drafting Quote?
What Are You Actually Trying to Achieve?
The first question isn’t “How many drawings do you need?”
It’s: “What are you trying to change about your home?”
You might be planning an extension, renovating an existing layout, adding a first floor, reconfiguring internal spaces or designing a new home.
Each involves a different level of design work.
For example, our Maroubra clients weren’t simply adding more floor area. The project involved renovating the existing home while extending both the ground and first floors.
That meant we needed to consider how the entire home would function after the work was completed, rather than designing the new areas in isolation.
We therefore start by understanding the problem you’re trying to solve and what you ultimately want the home to do for you.
How Much of Your Existing Home Will Be Affected by the New Work?
Adding 30m² to a house doesn’t necessarily mean we’re only designing 30m².
We need to understand how the proposed work interacts with the existing home.
In our Maroubra project, a major part of the work was understanding how the proposed extensions would interact with the existing house.
Do existing walls need to move? Will the roof form change? Does the staircase need to be repositioned? Will new openings or windows be created? Will room layouts need to change? Will the new design affect how people move through the home and how the new and existing areas connect?
Something that looks relatively simple on a floor plan can have much larger structural and construction implications once you start investigating how it actually works.
That’s why the relationship between the new design and the existing building is an important part of determining the scope of work.
What Is Unique About Your Property?
The house itself is only part of the equation.
We also need to understand the site it sits on.
The slope of the block, access, orientation, neighbouring properties, existing levels and general site conditions can all influence what is practical and how much investigation or design work is required.
For example, changing floor levels on a more complicated site may have implications beyond simply altering a line on a drawing.
Understanding these conditions early helps us identify potential design and construction issues before too much time has been invested in developing an option that may not be practical.
What Are You Actually Allowed to Build on the Property?
Before progressing too far with the design, it is important to understand what the relevant planning controls allow. The Maroubra case is a good example of why this needs to be considered early in the process.
Depending on the property, this may mean investigating:
- zoning and setbacks
- building height
- Floor Space Ratio (FSR)
- heritage requirements
- bushfire or flood controls
- aircraft noise
- easements and other property constraints.
These controls can directly influence the size, position and form of what you’re able to build.
They can also determine what approval pathway is available for the project – CDC or DA.
Will Your Project Need a CDC or DA?
One of the things we investigate is whether the proposed project is likely to qualify for a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) or whether it will need to proceed through a Development Application (DA). For Maroubra, this was an essential part of the process too.
Why does that matter when we’re discussing a drafting quote?
Because the approval pathway can change the amount of investigation, design work and documentation required.
We don’t want to assume an approval pathway simply because a project appears straightforward at first glance. We need to understand the property and proposed works before determining what is realistically achievable.
How Difficult Will the Design Be to Actually Build?
A design can work beautifully on a floor plan and still create significant challenges when someone needs to build it.
Removing a load-bearing wall, creating a large opening, adding another floor, changing existing levels or designing an unusual roof form can require more structural consideration and coordination.
With the Maroubra project, because we were extending an existing home across the ground and first floors, the design needed to be developed with engineering requirements in mind too.
This is an area where the relationship between Gardner Design & Drafting and Gardner Construction becomes particularly useful.
We’re not only thinking about whether something can be drawn or approved. We’re also asking:
How will this actually be built?
If a design decision is likely to have a significant construction implication, we’d rather identify and discuss it while the project is still on the computer than discover it much later on site.
Which Consultants Will Your Project Need?
Depending on the project, your designer may not be the only professional involved.
The project could also require input from professionals such as a:
- surveyor
- structural engineer
- certifier
- town planner
- hydraulic engineer
- BASIX (Building Sustainability Index) consultant
- water service coordinator
- acoustic consultant
- bushfire consultant
Not every project requires every consultant.
The important part is identifying which ones are likely to be required for your particular project and making those requirements clear as early as reasonably possible.
These external costs are also important when comparing drafting quotes. A lower initial drafting fee does not necessarily mean the total design and approval process will cost less if essential consultant, certification or reporting costs haven’t been considered.
How Much Design Exploration Will Your Project Need?
Different clients also arrive at the design process at very different stages.
One homeowner might already have a relatively clear idea of what they want.
Another might know that the existing house no longer works for their family, but not know whether the best solution is an extension, internal reconfiguration or first-floor addition.
The second project may require us to investigate and compare several options before arriving at the right design.
That design thinking is part of the work involved in the project, even if the final outcome eventually looks straightforward.
How Much Documentation Will the Project Require?
A drafting fee also isn’t simply determined by the final number of drawing sheets.
We need to consider how much documentation will ultimately be required to properly progress the design through approval and prepare it for construction.
The information required also becomes clearer as the project develops.
Early stages focus more heavily on understanding the brief, site and planning requirements. As the design develops, we gain a better understanding of the complexity of the works, consultant requirements and documentation that will eventually be necessary.
How Are Drafting Fees Managed as the Project Develops?
This same thinking continues once the project begins.
We enter into a design services agreement for the overall design service, but the work and associated fees are broken into clearly defined phases and stages.
We then use a progress payment system based on those stages.
Importantly, we don’t invoice a stage in advance. The work identified for that stage is completed first, and the progress invoice is then issued.
This means you can see what work has been undertaken and what you’re paying for at each point in the process.
It also creates natural checkpoints.
You aren’t necessarily committing to the entire design and documentation cost before we’ve properly investigated how the project needs to develop.
One of those checkpoints may occur once a design is sufficiently developed to be sent to Gardner Construction (or any nominated builder you choose) for preliminary costing.
We can then compare the proposed design with your construction budget before progressing too far into later documentation.
If there’s a significant gap between the design and the available construction budget, we can discuss design changes, scope adjustments or other options before additional work is undertaken.
The purpose of this staged approach is transparency and control.
You’re progressively paying for work that has actually been completed, while having sensible opportunities to review the design, budget and next step before moving forward.
What Happens If the Project Changes During Design?
Changes during design are normal.
It’s expected that there will be conversations, refinements and revisions as ideas develop.
However, there’s an important difference between developing the agreed design and substantially changing the original project brief.
For example, refining a room layout as the design develops is very different from deciding to add an additional storey after significant design work has already been completed.
If the project scope changes significantly, we discuss the additional work and associated cost before proceeding.
We don’t believe clients should receive surprise invoices for additional work they weren’t aware of.
Ready to Understand What Your Project Will Really Involve?
Every project is different, and a useful drafting quote should reflect more than just the size of the extension or the number of drawings required.
At Gardner Design & Drafting, we take the time to understand your home, your goals, the planning requirements, likely consultants and how the design will actually be built before defining the scope of work.
The aim is to give you a clearer understanding of what’s involved, what’s included, what may sit outside our fee and what the next steps are before you commit further time and money.
If you’re planning a renovation, extension, first-floor addition or new home, speak with our team about your project and we can help you understand the likely design and approval pathway.
Drafting Quote FAQs
Can you accurately quote a drafting project before seeing the property?
Not usually. We can get a good understanding of what you’re trying to achieve during the initial conversation, but the property itself can reveal planning, structural or site conditions that affect the scope. That’s why we generally want to understand the property properly before finalising a fee proposal.
What information should a homeowner have ready before speaking with a draftsman?
Start with what you’re trying to achieve, the problems you’re trying to solve and the construction budget you have in mind. You don’t need to have every detail worked out before the first conversation.
Does the size of an extension determine the drafting fee?
No. Size is one factor, but it doesn’t tell us how the new work will affect the existing house, what approvals are required or how structurally complex the project may be.
Why can two similar-sized extensions require different amounts of design work?
The properties, existing structures, planning controls and proposed changes may be completely different. One project may be relatively straightforward, while another requires structural coordination, additional consultants or more design exploration.
Can removing an internal wall affect the drafting and engineering required?
Yes. A wall that looks simple to remove may be load-bearing or supporting part of the floor or roof above. That can require additional structural consideration and coordination with an engineer.
How do you determine whether a project needs a CDC or DA?
We look at the proposed work together with the planning controls that apply to the property. The approval pathway can’t always be determined from a quick project description, which is why the property and design need to be investigated properly.
When do you know which consultants will be required?
Some requirements can be identified early, while others become clearer as the site, design and approval pathway are investigated. We try to identify likely consultants as early as reasonably possible so the client understands what may be required.
Are consultant fees included in Gardner’s design fee?
No. Surveyors, engineers, certifiers and other consultants are third parties, so their costs may sit outside Gardner’s own design fee. We aim to make these costs and exclusions clear so you’re not comparing proposals based only on the headline design fee.
What should a homeowner compare when reviewing two drafting proposals?
Look beyond the final price. Compare the scope of work, inclusions and exclusions, approval requirements, consultant costs, level of documentation, payment stages and whether construction and buildability are being considered.
What is the difference between a normal design revision and a change in scope?
Normal design development might involve refining a room layout or adjusting how spaces connect. A significant scope change is something larger, such as substantially increasing the project or adding another storey after significant design work has already been completed.
Why is construction knowledge useful during the design stage?
A design needs to work in construction, not just on a drawing. Considering buildability early can help identify structural or construction implications while the design can still be adjusted, rather than discovering them later on site.
When should the construction budget be checked against the proposed design?
Once the design is developed enough to understand the proposed scope, it can be checked against the construction budget before progressing too far into detailed documentation. If there is a significant gap, design or scope adjustments can be discussed while changes are still easier to make.
Does the client pay the entire design fee upfront?
No. Gardner works through clearly defined phases and stages using progress payments. The work for a stage is completed before the relevant invoice is issued, so clients progressively pay for work that has actually been undertaken.
