3D renderings are quickly becoming an essential part of every architect or builder’s project presentation. But trying to understand how much architectural renderings cost can make your head spin — it’s common to see prices ranging from $50 to over $10,000!
- Want to understand the factors that affect the cost of 3D rendering?
- Wondering if you’re already paying too much for your renderings?
- Looking for a cheaper and faster option that still provides quality renderings for your business?
In this 7-minute read, you’ll get everything you need to know. And as you’ll see, adding architectural renderings to your project workflow is easier than ever!
Types of Architectural Rendering Services (Including Costs)
Let’s start by breaking down the architectural rendering prices according to a variety of common rendering types.
IMPORTANT! – These prices are what you’ll pay for outsourcing your 3D image work to a rendering company. You can save a lot of money by keeping the rendering work in-house with all-in-one design + rendering programs like Cedreo.
3D floor plans ($50-$500)
3D floor plans help your clients visualize the entire interior space from a bird’s eye view. They make it easy for clients to see the size of each room, the furniture layout, and the overall flow of the space.
Since 3D floor plans tend to have fewer details, they are one of the cheapest renderings to produce.
Exterior renderings ($200-$1000+)
Exterior renderings show your client’s home from the outside. Depending on the level of detail, the image could also include surrounding greenery, adjacent buildings, and even accurate sun positioning.
Realistic details like those impress clients but will usually raise the exterior 3D rendering price.
Interior renderings ($100-$1,000+)
Interior 3D renderings show the inside of a home, usually from an eye-level perspective. A lot of realtors, builders, and designers use them to showcase the proposed finished space during the project planning stages.
Rendering prices for interior images can vary a lot depending on how big the interior space is you need to render — from single rooms to large commercial spaces.
Landscape renderings ($150-$700)
These renderings are popular with designers and landscaping companies. While the focus is on the patio, hardscapes, and greenery, landscape renderings often need to include partial views of the main building as well. This helps clients understand how the landscaping will work with their home, but it will increase the price.
Residential vs Commercial Architectural Rendering Costs
Architectural rendering prices for commercial buildings will almost always be more than rendering prices for residential homes. This is especially true for large properties like resorts, hotels, office buildings, etc. Commercial projects like these just tend to be larger, require additional design considerations, and have bigger budgets.
Because of that, the project team needs to create more 3D images throughout the planning process. Plus, the renderings themselves tend to be more complicated to create. All of that quickly raises the cost of commercial architectural renderings.
Common Pricing Strategies for Architectural Renderings
Most 3D rendering prices fall into one of these two pricing strategies. The size of your project will determine which of these will be the most cost-effective option for you.
Per-image pricing
Choose per-image pricing and you’ll be charged a set price per rendering. This is a nice option for smaller projects like bathroom remodels, kitchen remodels, or interior decorating.
You’ll usually find that the more images you purchase, the less expensive they’ll be. That’s because once the initial setup is done for the first image, subsequent images are much easier to produce.
Per-project pricing
Per-project pricing is a smart choice for larger projects. If you’re working with a rendering company, you first send them the project details. Then they’ll give you a quote for a group of renderings that showcase the entire project — interior, exterior, landscaping, etc.
PRO TIP! – Keep your 3D rendering in-house so you have more control over the cost.
What Affects The Cost of Architectural Renderings?
Since architectural rendering costs can vary so much, what are some things that help you narrow down your projected rendering prices? Here are 6 things to consider.
Type of project
The biggest factor that affects the cost of architectural renderings is the type of project. A small, one-room interior design project may only require one POV image. A new home design will require a variety of rendering types. And large commercial projects might need hundreds of images in addition to large 3D animation files.
Number of views
Although most of the initial setup is done to create the first image, each additional view will cost more. Every additional view requires extra details, additional processing time, and more man-hours.
Labor required
Taking 2D plans and turning them into photorealistic 3D views takes a lot of time, even for experienced 3D artists. 3D floor plans have the least amount of detail so they usually require the least amount of labor. But other 3D views with accurate textures and lighting can take hours or days to produce.
PRO TIP! – Fortunately you can save tons of money on labor costs by switching to 3D home design software that does the heavy lifting for you. With some, you can even produce high-quality renderings in just 5 minutes!
Rendering time
Once the 3D modeler submits the image for rendering, the computer may take minutes or even hours to create the image. A lot depends on how realistic the image needs to be and the speed of the computer. The smart choice is to use cloud-based rendering software so you can take advantage of powerful servers to get your renderings done in just a few minutes.
Project deadlines
The sooner you need your rendering, the more expensive it will be. That’s why if you’re working with a rendering company, it’s important to plan and start the rendering process as soon as possible.
Other factors
Here are a few other things you can factor in when figuring out the possible cost for an architectural rendering:
- Amount of rooms
- Daytime and nighttime views?
- Amount of furnishings and decorations
- Whether you need to show accurate lighting
- Surrounding areas you want in an exterior rendering
However, for many builders and architects, a lot of these factors can be reduced or even eliminated with one simple solution.
Reduce Architectural Rendering Costs With Cedreo
As you’ve seen, architectural rendering can be a complicated, time-consuming, and expensive process. That’s the last thing you need for your business.
So instead of paying big bucks for expensive renderings only to wait weeks for a finished image, why not make the smart decision and switch to Cedreo? Cedreo is the leading easy-to-use home design software that combines 2D and 3D design tools.
- No more back and forth with a rendering company every time you need to request edits.
- Speed up your sales cycle and capitalize on your client’s interest with top-quality renderings created faster than ever.
- Quickly make adjustments and share updated 3D views with your clients in real-time.
Even with no previous design experience, housing professionals can use Cedreo to create a home design complete with interior and exterior renderings in as little as 2 hours.
Here’s how:
- Import or draw the 2D floor plan.
- Define the property’s exterior boundaries and terrain.
- Finish adding structural elements — windows, doors, stairs, etc.
- Furnish and decorate with 7,000+ drag and drop design elements.
- Finish the exterior with furnishings, greenery, and surface materials.
- Adjust the sun’s orientation for accurate natural lighting inside and out.
- Bookmark multiple viewpoints to save time later.
- Submit an HD visual for processing and in 5 minutes your rendering is ready!
Why wait to save time and reduce your architectural rendering costs? Make the switch to Cedreo today!
