An excerpt from the COMET STUDIOS residential “Client Workbook”
At the beginning of every project, Comet Studios offers this Workbook full of questions to help our Clients consider the many intangible and tangible qualities that contribute to the creation of their home. This Workbook also provides an opportunity for our Clients to record, clarify and develop their dreams and ideas into a cohesive architectural program that is later incorporated into the design process.
We encourage our Clients to include any additional descriptive information such as drawings, magazine clippings, photos, writings, etc. We recommend that our Clients start a scrapbook of photographs and ideas illustrating favorite architectural themes, elements, spaces, furniture, artwork, domestic objects and finish details such as window styles, appliances, lighting fixtures, and surface finishes.
Keep in mind that a home is one of the largest investments most people will ever make. Designing and building a home is demanding and requires an enormous number of decisions. The Comet Studios Design Process, however, offers a very unique and special opportunity to create an environment that fulfills and nurtures our Clients’ needs, desires, lifestyle, and dreams. How well the home responds to each Client’s specific needs and desires will be proportionate to the amount of time they put into the early programming and planning of their home.
Our Client Workbook includes the following Budget Worksheet that Comet Studios provides help our Clients establish a realistic Project Budget. We offer this to you, our Web Site Visitor, with the hope that you will find this information useful.
Budget Worksheet
Establishing a realistic Project Budget as part of the first stage of Project Programming is critical to the success of every project. The Project Budget is primarily based on Cost of Construction that varies greatly and is determined by many factors such as government fees, the location of the project, its topography, square footage, architectural design, quality of construction, materials, finishes, system requirements and site specific guidelines such as subdivision CC&Rs. We can help you get started by giving you estimates of per square foot building costs for similar projects in locations that we are familiar with. For locations that are new to us, we ask competent local builders provide this information. Collected information is then used to establish a realistic budget for your proposed project. For every project, it is very important to establish a realistic Project Program and Budget before starting the design process.
| 1. What is your budget range for your house? | $__________ |
| 2. What is the anticipated square footage of your project? | ___________ sq.ft. |
| 3. What is your anticipated cost per square foot? (We can help you to determine these cost ranges in your area.) Use a high, medium and low cost range. | $__________ per sq.ft. |
A. Multiply the overall square footage by the cost per square foot: |
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Total sq. ft. x $ High Cost sq.ft. =
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$__________ High Subtotal A |
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Total sq. ft. x $ Medium Cost sq.ft.=
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$__________ Medium Subtotal A |
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Total sq. ft. x $ Low Cost sq.ft. =
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$__________ Low Subtotal A |
B. The following items are not usually included in the above figures and must be considered separately: |
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Possible sales tax on above subtotal:
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$__________ |
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Land costs (include escrow, survey, topographical map, and perc test costs):
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$__________ |
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Architectural Fees:
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$__________ |
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Blueprints, Reimbursables & Consumables:
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$__________ |
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Interior Design Fees:
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$__________ |
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Landscape Design Fees:
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$__________ |
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Landscape Materials and Installation:
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$__________ |
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Building and Other Permit Fees (may be included in contractor’s bid):
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$__________ |
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Site Development (septic/sewer, water hook up or well, tree removal, road, driveway, site repairs, grading, importation of fill or top soil, irrigation, drainage) These items may be included in contractor’s bid:
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$__________ |
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Utility Costs (electricity, heat source, Media, telephone hookups):
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$__________ |
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Window Coverings:
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$__________ |
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Specialties such as upholstery for Built-ins:
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$__________ |
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Construction interest:
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$__________ |
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Loan or Appraisal Fees:
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$__________ |
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Contingency:
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$__________ |
Subtotal of B Items = |
$__________ |
Now add the cost of A & B to determine the range of your budget: |
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Total Cost High A $ + $ Total Cost High B =
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$__________ High |
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Total Cost Medium A $ + $ Total Cost Medium B =
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$__________ Medium |
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Total Cost Low A $ + $ Total Cost Low B =
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$__________ Low |
Green Building Construction Cost Guide
Information from our Green Building Construction Cost Guide » is often incorporated into an enhanced version of the Budget Worksheet, providing a more comprehensive and accurate project cost analysis.
Next Steps
After our Clients have completed the “Client Workbook” and established a realistic and definitive Project Program and Budget, they are then ready to get involved with the exciting Design Process.
Please visit the rest of our web site to learn more about what our studio can do for you
and Download a PDF version of our Comet Studios Brochure».
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