What it costs

Residential pricing, line by line

Design fees itemised and construction ranges for single-family new builds, additions, remodels and conversions.

Our design fee

from $5,750

Itemised below and quoted up front, so you can see what each drawing and calculation costs before you commit.

Every line item
City permits

Set by your city

Real, material, and not ours — paid to the jurisdiction, priced per parcel. We name every one of them.

What they are
Construction

A range, until we see the lot

The one that really moves. Finish level, site conditions and access decide it.

See the range
What Fortune charges

Our design fee, line by line.

Every drawing, calculation and registration we produce, priced by size band.

Fortune design fee by line item and project size band, in US dollars
Line item300–500sq ft500–1,000sq ft1,000–1,300sq ft1,300–2,000sq ft2,000–3,000sq ft3,000–4,000sq ft4,000–5,000sq ft
Design
Feasibility & code research$300$900$1,200$1,500$1,800$2,200$2,600
Site plan$300$900$1,200$1,500$1,800$2,200$2,600
Floor plans$750$2,250$3,000$3,750$4,500$5,500$6,500
Exterior elevations$600$1,800$2,400$3,000$3,600$4,400$5,200
Building sections & details$600$1,800$2,400$3,000$3,600$4,400$5,200
Roof plan$150$450$600$750$900$1,100$1,300
Schedules & general notes$300$900$1,200$1,500$1,800$2,200$2,600
Subtotal — Design$3,000$9,000$12,000$15,000$18,000$22,000$26,000
Structural
Foundation plan$625$875$1,125$1,500$1,875$2,375$2,875
Floor & roof framing plans$750$1,050$1,350$1,800$2,250$2,850$3,450
Lateral / shear-wall design$375$525$675$900$1,125$1,425$1,725
Structural details$375$525$675$900$1,125$1,425$1,725
Structural calculations$375$525$675$900$1,125$1,425$1,725
Subtotal — Structural$2,500$3,500$4,500$6,000$7,500$9,500$11,500
Title 24 energy
Energy modeling (CF1R)$149$165$180$195$225$255$285
HERS registration$38$41$45$49$56$64$71
CF2R/CF3R formsplan-check support$38$41$45$49$56$64$71
Report PDFs & documentation$25$28$30$32$38$42$48
Subtotal — Title 24$250$275$300$325$375$425$475
Design fee total$5,750$12,775$16,800$21,325$25,875$31,925$37,975
Provisional. Estimates for planning, not a quote — your feasibility report replaces every figure here with numbers for your actual property. The table scrolls sideways on a small screen.
What the build runs

Construction, as a range.

Quoted per square foot and as a total, at the low and high end of the finish levels we build.

Construction cost range by project size band
Construction300–500sq ft500–1,000sq ft1,000–1,300sq ft1,300–2,000sq ft2,000–3,000sq ft3,000–4,000sq ft4,000–5,000sq ft
Cost per sq ft$340–$520$330–$500$320–$480$310–$470$300–$450$300–$440$290–$430
Priced onthe representative project for this band400 sq ft750 sq ft1,150 sq ft1,650 sq ft2,500 sq ft3,500 sq ft4,500 sq ft
Construction total$136,000–$208,000$247,500–$375,000$368,000–$552,000$511,500–$775,500$750,000–$1,125,000$1,050,000–$1,540,000$1,305,000–$1,935,000
A range, deliberately. Each total is the rate above applied to that band’s representative project, so a job at the top or bottom of a band lands outside it. Finish level, site conditions and access move this more than anything else on the page.
Inside the construction number

Where the build money goes.

Twelve trades, adding to 100% of the construction cost — not of your total project.

100% of the construction cost, split twelve ways

  • Framing & structure15%
  • General conditionsoverhead & profit12%
  • Foundation & concrete9%
  • Exteriorsiding, windows, doors9%
  • Interior finishesflooring, paint, trim9%
  • Site workdemo, grading, utilities7%
  • Plumbing7%
  • Electrical7%
  • Insulation & drywall7%
  • Kitchen & bathcabinets, counters, fixtures7%
  • HVAC & mechanical6%
  • Roofing5%

Shares, not dollars. This is one standard allocation the workbook applies across every size and every category we price, so treat it as the shape of a ground-up build rather than a forecast of your own job.

Not our money

What the city charges — and why we don't print a number.

Permit fees are paid to your jurisdiction, not to Fortune. They are set per parcel — by your city, your zone, your square footage, and which agencies have to sign off. A single average would be a guess with someone else's money. So here are the fees a project like yours is normally asked for, what sets each one, and when you get the real amount.

  • Plan checkCharged when your drawings enter review. Scales with the valuation of the work and with how many departments have to look at it.Set by your city
  • Building permit & inspectionThe permit itself, plus the inspections through construction to final sign-off.Set by your city
  • School feesA per-square-foot levy on new habitable area.Set by your school district
  • Development impact fees (DIF / RTCIP)Your project's contribution to roads, parks and public facilities.Set by your city, above a regional minimum
  • Water & sewer capacityCharged when a new unit connects to the system, or an existing connection has to be upsized.Set by your water and sewer agency
  • State & city surchargesGeneral plan maintenance, seismic (SMIP) and lead-safe administration.Set by state and local schedules

We check every one of these against your address before you spend anything, and the feasibility report gives you the figures for your actual property. See what your city requires.

How it works

Four steps, one accountable team.

01

Feasibility

We check your lot, zoning and setbacks before you spend on drawings.

02

Design

Architectural plans built to clear plan check, not only to look good.

03

Permit

Submittal, corrections and city liaison. We handle the reviewer.

04

Build

Construction and project management through to final inspection.

Start with a free consultation.

Under an hour, no pressure — we talk through what your lot allows and give you a ballpark for your property. No charge, and no obligation to go further.

Free consultationRegulations by city