Background Information
The construction cost model accurately evaluates the relative construction cost of a multi-family building constructed using different construction materials including wood, steel, masonry, precast, ICF. The concept of multi-family included traditional apartment type buildings, condominium style buildings, student housing, elderly housing, and others.
It has long been, and in many cases is still, the opinion of design professionals, code officials and legislators that non-combustible, more robust construction solutions are significantly more costly than other alternatives such as wood with gypsum fire walls with sprinklers. This was combatted with the original 2005 Fire Safety Construction Cost Study, which documented in many cases these types of construction models can be used on an equal financial footing as the more lightweight models like metal stud and light wood frame. With the exception of the 2005 Fire Safe Construction Cost Comparison Study, there is no reliable published documentation available to refute the perception regarding the increased building cost associated with this approach.
Based on this lack of information, and perceived changes in the code and construction environment, the design of an updated comparative study was undertaken to accurately document the initial cost of construction a common multi-family residential building. Cost information was determined at three different time frames – December 2016, May 2017 and September 2017 and for three cities — Edgewater, NJ –Towson, MD – Dallas, TX.
Since the study was completed, additional cities were studied including to date: Pittsburgh, Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. All of the additional cities completed to date are on the website and as others are completed, they will be added promptly. A total of 28 additional cities are ordered as of this time which include Toronto, Halifax, Calgary, Montreal, Saskatoon and Vancouver.
Click on this link to view the results of the study: http://www.buildingstudies.org/