How Much Does 3D Rendering Cost?

3D rendering prices vary from visualization studio to studio. No matter it is 3D architecture rendering or 3D product rendering that you are looking for, rendering prices can range dramatically from $99 to $1,800 for a 3D still image. How come? You will find your answer in this article. Read the 3D rendering price list below and the mystery of architecture 3D rendering cost will be revealed. To know the cost of 3D product rendering, read another post here: 3D product rendering price.

Quick Takeaway

Imagist3ds rendering service goes to middle-tier pricing among the 3D visualization industry, with premium rendering quality. The hyper-realistic rendering cost starts at $199 (limited-time discount available from time to time). To get a specific rendering price for your project, click the “Quote” button below and send a rendering project brief: architecture plans, elevations or drawings to our project manager. Please note that this price is for U.S. market, for rendering price of other markets, Australia, India, China, UAE or Europe, please contact our customer service team with your project detailed requirements to get the precise quote: support@imagist3ds.com.

Want more rendering prices guide insight first? Read on:

Part 1. Different Rendering Types Cost Differently

There are multiple solutions for architectural visualization. To take a few examples, floor plan renderings, interior renderings, architectural exterior renderings, 3D architectural animation and even VR architectures. The cost range of these visualizations vary.

Imagist3ds Portfolio Exterior Rendering

Floor Plan Renderings Fee

Floor plan rendering is the most inexpensive types of work, its cost starts at $99 and can reach $500 per plan depending on if you would like it rendered as a colorful 3D floor plan with interior elements included or just a simple 2D black and white line work.

Imagist3ds 3D Floor Plan Site Plan

3D Interior Renderings Fee

3D interior rendering service is appreciated by home builders and architects who would like their architecture design to display a more intuitive view of the in and out even before it’s built. The interior rendering cost starts from $200 and needs about 3-10 days to finish the render.

Imagist3ds Portfolio Interior Rendering Cafe Coffee Shop

Exterior 3D Rendering Fee

The rendering prices of the exterior 3D rendering service can be different depending on whether you would keep the environment simple or add more landscaping, people and greenery in the rendering. Prices of 3D exterior renderings starts from $200 and needs 3-10 days to finish.

Imagist3ds Portfolio Exterior Rendering

3D Animation and VR Fee

3D animation and virtual reality fee are usually higher because still 3D designs and walkthrough/flythrough are both required. The more moving people, moving vehicles and other details needed, the more rendering time and post-production work are needed when making the animation and also when making revisions. Therefore, the 3d walkthrough price would be higher and quote by seconds of video time needed.

Imagist3ds VR AR Architecture Demonstration

Commercial V.S. Residential Rendering

Commercial renderings cost higher than residential ones because they are larger in scale and take more time to include details. In some cases, some clients ask for higher rendering image resolutions for printed marketing which can also increase the price of their project.

Dubai Project 1 gigapixel scaled

If you need professional advice on the best 3D visualization solution, or you have more questions about 3D visualization prices, feel free to contact us; if you already have an idea in your mind, send us the brief or design plans for a more accurate quotation.

 

Part 2. 3D Rendering Price List: Various Tiers in the Market, Which One to Choose

I can still see confusion in your eyes, because you will find different rendering price tiers even for the same rendering type with 3d modeling and rendering services. Let’s cut to the chase:

 
1. Low Tier Pricing – $99-$199

I found some 3D rendering studios or freelancers provide a $99 next day delivery service. I am not saying these types of services are scams but the truth is you get what you pay for. They are able to deliver your rendering the next day, but don’t expect the work to be photorealistic or free of hidden charges.

Best for: Those run a tight budget and quality is not a big issue.

Double check before commencing:

  • Which software do they use for rendering?
  • Are the fine details such as window reflections, furniture and landscaping included?
  • How many revisions are included in the package, and do they charge for extra revisions?
  • What resolutions do they send for final images?
 
2. Middle Tier Pricing – $200-$5000

Imagist3ds provides high-quality still architectural renderings to architect-related clients all over the world under this price range. This price range is widely chosen by architects, real estate agents and developers, real estate marketing agencies, home builders and designers.

The price usually guarantees a more photorealistic 3D rendering with details, and strictly sticks to your deadline. Choosing this price range of service means you are working with skilled 3D artists who can correct mistakes regarding your feedback, and do timely revisions and keep daily progress updates via email as Imagist3ds do.

 

How much does 3D rendering cost?

Why does the rendering price range dramatically?

  • For some large projects with multiple architectures to render in aerial view, it can be much more complicated. The rendering price for these luxury and large projects can be higher.
  • For residential ones, it generally costs about $200-$600.

In short, it depends on the rendering types and scenes you need, the complexity of the project and the deadline you expect for your project. Check the following table for a more detailed price list: (Please note that this price is a rough quote only, for a more precise quote, please send your project brief to Imagist3ds. Moreover, the price is for U.S. orders only, for rendering projects of Australia, India, China and Europe, please contact our project manager as well.)

Best for: Those working on home renovation, regulatory approval, and real estate presale or those larger-scale rendering projects such as townhouse renders, resort hotels and budget of the project is not the primary concern, but the final quality and turnaround time.

 

Ask Yourself Before Starting:

  • How long have they been in this business?
  • Does the quality and environment of their previous work meet your project requirement?
  • What is their turnaround time?
  • Are their projects international or are they local based?
  • Whom do you contact if you start the project?
  • Do they seem knowledgeable and professional?
 
3. High Tier Pricing – $5000- $15,000

This tier is appreciated by those large corporations or those IPO companies that place a high value on quality. It’s perfect for those who are looking for more detailed architecture renderings for design planning, conceptualization or regulatory approval of those grand scale properties like: A high-rise development, super mall, skyscraper and more.

Tips to consider before commencing the project:

  • Have the service provider worked on large landmark projects before?
  • Have they work with the top brands in your industry before?
  • Do they guarantee on quality or quick turnaround time?
  • Does their portfolio looks too good to be true?
  • What is their monthly projects capacity?
  • Is there a long waiting line?

 

Part 3. What factors affect the 3D rendering price?

If you’ve ever tried outsourcing a 3D render project, you will note that most 3D archviz studio doesn’t precisely list their price on their website, some shows the starting fee, while some show the price range. Please note that it doesn’t necessarily mean these companies are trying to fool you with hidden prices or additional terms of service. Actually, it is because of the essence of the industry: There’re many factors that affect the price of a 3D rendering, depending on what kind of visualization and quality you are expecting.Check the following factors that vary the 3D rendering price:

1. The architecture visualization type you are expecting

3D animation are more expensive than image rendering; exterior renderings are more expensive than interior renderings; commercial or high-rise rendering are more costly than residential buildings; aerial renderings are costly than person view renderings.

 

2. The number of viewing angles you need

For static 3D renderings, if you need several views rendered, you will need to tell the project manager and mark down the selected viewing angle in the brief so that you will get a more precise price quote.

 

3. The complexity of your project

If you need more details for the final renderings, for example, custom design needed to be done by the 3D artists (that needs more time on 3D modeling before starting the 3D rendering), or you need a larger resolution of the final images (The regular resolution fo the final image is 4K pixel and 8K pixel for VIP customers, if you need larger resolution, that needs more detail and render time to finish the work. You can ask for it before the project start )

 

4. The time left for the project

Deadline is also the key elements that affect the price. If you have an urgent project that needs to be done in short without sacrificing the quality, the 3D archviz agencies need more hands working on your project or appoint more experienced 3D artists that can do high-quality renderings more efficiently – usually a senior 3D generalist manager with over 6-10 years of experience.

 

5. The completeness of your project brief

On any project rendering industry, you will be asked to submit a project brief that includes all the requirements and expectation references of the project. The more complete and contextual the project brief is, the smoother and higher-efficient the rendering project can be.

In short, architecture rendering fees are affected by rendering types, labor cost and render time. While rendering cost (labor and technology cost) are quite fixed, rendering time can still be reduced a little bit, without sacrificing the quality of course, by implementing on a smooth workflow with the rendering service provider:

 

Part 4. Tips to Reduce Rendering Cost

 

1. Send Detailed Briefs

Before the project begins, a project brief with all plans, drawings, mood boards or environment references is required. The more information you provide, the better the rendering service provider will understand what you need. Some rendering studios also offer discounts for clients who send high-quality 3D modeling files which can be used directly for rendering. Here’s an example of what to include in a rendering project brief.

 
2. Avoid Major Design Change

Major design changes can result in a complete redo of the previous work. Some architectural visualization studios, will consider it a new project if the design change exceeds 60% of the work.

 
3. Include All Comments Per Time

If the client asks for a revision, all the views in your project need to be re-rendered. More redo is needed if a revision is requested after post-production because both re-render and 3D render Photoshop post-production has to be modified. It’s advisable to include all comments per time to save total rendering time. Architectural rendering companies tend to give loyal clients discounted prices.

 
4. Avoid Tight Deadlines;

Great things take time! Elaborate renderings require more time, and a tight deadline means a huge workload compressed into limited time and will require the services of more experienced 3D artists, therefore, outsource your project as early as possible to allow sufficient time for elaborate renderings.

If you do have a tight deadline, Imagist3ds would be your ideal choice. We can deal with any architectural rendering service, tight deadline or not. There’s no long waiting line, and we have sophisticated Project Managers to keep you posted on progress updates.

 
5. Outsourcing by Project;

If more than one rendering type is required, you can consider outsourcing them by project because in most cases, elements created for the project can be reused for different rendering types or views. For example, if you need both 3D animations and still 3D renderings from different views, the rendering company can reuse some elements, and material they used for the animation without going through the hassles of re-modeling the design all over again.

With so many factors affecting the price of a rendering, it’s hard to simply set a fixed price as the answer to the inquiry: How much is a 3D rendering? The price mentioned above can only be reckoned as a pricing guideline. 3D architectural rendering is tailor made to clients’ specific needs, in other words, it is totally customized. Therefore, it is important to get directly in touch with us for a more accurate quote.