# Forum Contacts & Links Estimating & Quoting  Typical price per sqm - or this too crude of an instrument?

## MeasureTwice

Starting to look at getting a relatively substantial extension on our small house with the additional option of first floor too. 
I've just touched base with a building company I've communicated with before and they have come back to me and suggested I could use a typical $/sqm to get a rough ball park _In the interest of time constraints._ _Use $4k Per square metre as ground level_  _Use $5.5K per square metre as first floor_  _Plus your selections for wet areas._  
Inner West Melbourne location, small scale building company with great reputation. 
Do these numbers look reasonable? 
Can anyone explain how a first floor per sqm is more expensive than ground floor - given the subfloor is somewhat already there for the ground floor? 
Cheers

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## pharmaboy2

1st floor - staircase space, scaffolding, waterproofing both during construction and permanent , materials need more handling 
rates - depends entirely on the quality at the end of the job, which maybe why you are choosing the builder.  High quality well designed house with someone who has expectations of flat walls, well finished details, scribed fit, no bounce in floors is probably 3x the cost as std project home build, throw it up as fast as possible.   For a comparison for joinery, sons kitchen company - install for project home - team of 3 one day, possibly a second fit visit -any @@@@ups by other trades are the builders problem.  For non project home, team of 2, 4 days install - minimum of one revisit, usually 2 to realign hinges - thorough check after its been in use for a few weeks  - zero blemishes allowed, minimal to no filler.  cost to client is around 50% higher for an identical kitchen (well close enough identical)

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## Bart1080

...a quick internet search (some included below) indicate those figures are on the "high end" build.  obviously so many build variations that would affect the final per sqm price potentially including including cost of materials since COVID etc. 
Not sure how accurate the prices indicated are in terms of real world costs.  https://www.realestate.com.au/advice...build-a-house/ https://hipages.com.au/article/how_m..._build_a_house

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## MeasureTwice

so my initial understanding was that given the sqm numbers: 
a single level extension of say 30 sqm => 30 x $4k =  $120k
a ground and first floor with the same 30sqm footprint would be the ground floor price plus the first floor price? => (30 x $4k) + (30 x $5.5k) = $285K 
or does the "first floor price" apply to ground and first floor, therefore becoming just 30 x $5.5k =  $165k?

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## MeasureTwice

Thanks for the details pharmaboy.  Appreciate the difference if my initial understanding in comment #4 was correct, i was just surprised if the first floor price was in addition to the $4k/sqm ground floor price as well 
Thanks also Bart. I had read some of these docs and was wondering whether anyone had first hand recent experience and whether my adding up made sense

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## MeasureTwice

> so my initial understanding was that given the sqm numbers: 
> a single level extension of say 30 sqm => 30 x $4k =  $120k
> a ground and first floor with the same 30sqm footprint would be the ground floor price plus the first floor price? => (30 x $4k) + (30 x $5.5k) = $285K 
> or does the "first floor price" apply to ground and first floor, therefore becoming just 30 x $5.5k =  $165k?

  The building company confirmed that a two storey extension is in fact $4k/sqm for ground + $5.5k/sqm for first floor 
Wow! That would make a 200sqm house  with 100sqm footprint (100sqm ground +100sqm first) a whopping $950k!!!!!

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## joynz

Rates for extensions are higher than for a complete build.

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## MeasureTwice

> Rates for extensions are higher than for a complete build.

  I would understand/expect this to be the case, but based on most articles quoting SIGNIFICANTLY less than that I am surprised by how much.  like the article Bart referenced: https://www.realestate.com.au/advice...build-a-house/  
"Wolf Architects director Taras Wolf, on the other hand, said the cost of building an architecturally designed house starts at a minimum $3000 per sqm, right up to $5382 per sqm or $50,000 per Australian house square (9.29sqm)."

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## damienh

> rates - depends entirely on the *quality at the end of the job*, which maybe why you are choosing the builder.  *High quality well designed house with someone who has expectations* of flat walls, well finished details, scribed fit, no bounce in floors is probably 3x the cost as std project home build, throw it up as fast as possible.   For a comparison for joinery, sons kitchen company - install for project home - team of 3 one day, possibly a second fit visit -any @@@@ups by other trades are the builders problem.  For non project home, team of 2, 4 days install - minimum of one revisit, usually 2 to realign hinges - thorough check after its been in use for a few weeks  - zero blemishes allowed, minimal to no filler.  cost to client is around 50% higher for an identical kitchen (well close enough identical)

  I second @pharmaboy2. It's truth. Understated even.  
We bought a project home by a brand name developer, built in a few months, costs a fraction of traditional builds. And you get what you pay for, truly. Quality is low (budget, economical). Everything is the cheapest possible material and labour option, flimsy, breakable, chippable, squeaky, creaky, poor movements, unreplaceable. Any corner that can be cut will be cut. Will frustrate anyone used to decent buildings: offices, universities, libraries, etc.  
Whereas projects at work are typically $10-30m residential projects/developments (joinery packages $100-300k), for exclusive clientele, months of planning. Some lasting years. Coordination of trades is one challenge, getting a dream team. When carpentry, flooring, ceiling, etc is square and perfect, that helps to make premium cabinets look and function immaculately. Everything flows seemlessly, like an bespoke car. However, warped floors, wavy ceilings, dodgy plumbing behind walls, and anything uneven or out of plumb, will be noticed. Also causing delays, frustrating and demoralising workers. You want the best you can afford, highly skilled and passionate workers, not miserable grunts, not slave-labourers. Happy workers do better work. Proud workers do work worth boasting/sharing about. Everyone on their A-game. The best builders are notoriously difficult book, usually working on their own projects, or doing favours for old friends.

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