CAD drafting services in Ireland typically cost between €35 and €120 per hour depending on the service type, complexity and turnaround. A simple floor plan redraw costs €150–€400 per drawing; a full Revit BIM model for a commercial building ranges from €12,000 to €25,000+. This guide provides transparent, practical pricing for every major CAD and BIM service type in Ireland — with hourly rate tables, per-project cost estimates, and a clear explanation of what drives price and where you can reduce it without sacrificing quality.
What Affects the Cost of CAD Services in Ireland?
Ten factors determine where on the price range your project falls:
- Drawing complexity: a simple floor plan at 1:100 versus a coordinated M&E ceiling services drawing with clash annotations
- Discipline: architectural drafting is typically lower cost than MEP or specialist ELV drawing production
- Software required: AutoCAD 2D work is lower cost than Revit BIM modelling; Civil 3D for site and drainage work carries a premium
- Turnaround time: a 24-hour rush carries a 20–50% surcharge
- Volume: a 50-drawing project is priced more favourably per drawing than a 5-drawing project
- Level of Detail (LOD): LOD 200 Revit geometry costs less than LOD 350 with full MEP connections and coordination
- Irish regulatory compliance: drawings for FSC submission (IS 3218), planning authority submission or BCAR compliance carry a specialist premium
- Site survey required: if a site visit or laser scan is required before CAD production, this adds to total cost
- Revision rounds: unlimited revisions vs. fixed scope — define this in the brief
- Provider location: onshore Irish, nearshore European or specialist offshore firm
2025 CAD Service Rate Guide — Ireland
| Service Type | Hourly Rate (€/hr) | Per Drawing / Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2D AutoCAD drafting — simple | €45–€60 | €150–€350 per drawing | Floor plans, elevations, simple details |
| 2D AutoCAD drafting — complex | €60–€75 | €300–€600 per drawing | Coordinated M&E, complex sections |
| PDF to CAD conversion | €35–€55 | €100–€350 per sheet | Vector: lower end; raster/scanned: higher end |
| As-built drawing production | €55–€80 | €300–€800 per drawing | Site visit/survey cost additional |
| Revit BIM modelling — Architectural | €65–€95 | Project-based | LOD 300; scale by GFA |
| Revit BIM modelling — MEP/ELV | €75–€110 | Project-based | LOD 300 + coordination; scale by system count |
| ELV drawing package (full) | €60–€90 | €250–€700 per drawing | Fire/CCTV/ACS/data — system-dependent |
| CAD to Revit conversion | €70–€100 | Project-based | Includes CAD cleanup + modelling |
| 3D laser scan to CAD | €85–€120 | Per survey area | Scan hardware/mobilisation cost separate |
| Drawing register / doc control | €40–€60 | Project setup + monthly | Monthly retainer option available |
| Technical illustration / 3D render | €75–€130 | Per image/animation | Complexity and resolution-dependent |
Per-Project Cost Estimates — Irish Project Types
| Project Type | Scope | Estimated Cost (€) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning permission drawings — house extension | 4–6 drawings | €600–€1,200 | 3–5 days |
| Fire Safety Certificate drawings | 8–12 drawings (IS 3218) | €1,500–€3,000 | 5–10 days |
| Commercial fit-out as-builts (1,000m²) | 15–20 drawings | €2,500–€5,000 | 1–2 weeks |
| Industrial unit full drawing set | 30–50 drawings | €5,000–€12,000 | 2–4 weeks |
| Revit BIM — office block (3,000m²) LOD 300 | Full architectural + MEP model | €12,000–€25,000 | 6–10 weeks |
| ELV full system drawing package | Fire/CCTV/ACS/data | €3,500–€8,000 | 2–3 weeks |
| PDF to CAD conversion (20 drawings) | Mixed complexity | €1,500–€3,500 | 3–5 days |
| Hospital refurb as-built BIM (scan to Revit) | Scan + LOD 300 Revit | €15,000–€40,000 | 6–12 weeks |
| Data centre ELV BIM (5,000m²) | Full ELV Revit LOD 300 + clash | €20,000–€45,000 | 8–14 weeks |
Onshore Irish vs. Nearshore vs. Specialist Offshore — Cost Comparison
Location is the biggest lever in CAD cost management for Irish practices:
- Onshore Irish (Dublin/Cork): €55–€120/hr — highest cost; best local knowledge of Irish planning and regulatory requirements; no time-zone or communication lag; suitable for complex regulated work requiring close collaboration
- Nearshore (Eastern Europe, Portugal): €30–€55/hr — similar time zone (±1–2 hours); EU GDPR and IP framework; lower cost than Ireland; growing quality pool for Revit BIM work
- Specialist offshore (India — Irish-focused firms): €18–€35/hr — 40–60% saving; works to Irish standards (IS 3218, ISO 13567, AEC UK); time-zone overlap of 4–5 hours (IST 9am–1pm = Irish 4:30am–9:30am; IST 2pm–7pm = Irish 9:30am–2:30pm); suitable for high-volume, well-specified work
Risk-adjusted calculation: €500 saved offshore on a drawing set can be wiped by €1,500 in rework if the brief was inadequate. The saving is real when the outsource partner has demonstrated knowledge of Irish standards and a structured QC process. See our outsourcing CAD drafting guide for the QC framework that protects that saving.
Pricing Models — Hourly, Fixed-Fee, Project-Based, Retainer
- Hourly rate: best for undefined scope, small jobs, ongoing revisions. Risk: scope creep runs up cost if not managed
- Fixed fee per drawing: best for defined drawing types (planning packs, fire cert submissions). Requires a clear brief to avoid scope disputes
- Project-based lump sum: best for full BIM models and large drawing sets with defined deliverables. Fixed cost certainty for the client; requires thorough scope definition
- Monthly retainer: best for practices with ongoing drafting overflow — a fixed monthly commitment guarantees resource allocation. Typically €3,000–€8,000/month for a dedicated drafter resource
Hidden Costs to Watch For
- Rush surcharge: 24-hour turnaround typically adds 20–50% — build lead time into your project programme
- Unlimited revisions not scoped: revisions beyond the agreed number are chargeable; define this in the brief
- Survey not included in quote: as-built quotes that exclude site visit cost — confirm upfront
- Software licence cost: Civil 3D, Revit LT vs. full — some providers pass through licence costs for specialist software
- Irish regulatory knowledge premium: IS 3218, BCAR, FSC submissions require specialist knowledge that is not standard in a generic CAD service
AI and Automation — Will CAD Services Get Cheaper?
AI-assisted drafting is reducing production hours by 20–30% in leading firms for standard floor plan work. Scan-to-BIM automation is reducing as-built survey time. AI PDF-to-CAD tools are reducing conversion time for vector PDFs. The direction is clear: routine 2D drafting costs will decline 15–25% over 2025–2027 as AI tools mature and adoption increases.
What this means for Irish buyers: the per-drawing cost of standard AutoCAD work will likely decrease. Complex BIM coordination, ELV specialist drawings, Irish regulatory compliance work (IS 3218, BCAR) and scan-to-BIM — areas requiring specialist engineering judgement — will remain at premium rates. The value proposition for specialist outsource firms shifts from "cheaper drafter" to "specialist knowledge delivered at lower cost."
Budgeting Rule of Thumb for Irish Projects
CAD and BIM production costs typically represent 1.5–3% of construction contract value for a full drawing set. For a €5m commercial fit-out, expect €75,000–€150,000 in total design fees, of which CAD/BIM drafting production (as distinct from professional design fees) is typically €8,000–€25,000 depending on drawing set complexity.
10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a CAD Service in Ireland
- What CAD standards do you work to? (Accept: ISO 13567, AEC UK, BS 8888)
- Have you worked on Irish planning authority submissions before?
- Do you know IS 3218:2013 for fire alarm drawings?
- What is your QC process before delivery?
- What revision rounds are included in your quote?
- Which AutoCAD and Revit versions do you deliver in?
- Can you deliver ISO 19650-compliant BIM for OGP-mandated projects?
- Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
- What is your turnaround time and what is the rush surcharge?
- Do you offer a free sample drawing or trial drawing audit?
FAQs — CAD Services Cost Ireland
€45–€70/hr for 2D AutoCAD drafting, or €150–€600 per drawing. A planning permission package (4–6 drawings) costs €600–€1,200. A Fire Safety Certificate package costs €1,500–€3,000. A Revit BIM model for a 3,000m² office (LOD 300) costs €12,000–€25,000. Outsourced specialist firms cost 40–60% less than equivalent in-house resource.
A 3,000m² commercial office at LOD 300 (architectural + MEP): €12,000–€25,000. A 5,000m² healthcare facility (full MEP and ELV BIM + Navisworks coordination): €25,000–€60,000. Pricing depends on LOD target, number of floors, GFA, discipline scope and whether Navisworks clash detection is included. ASDV quotes within 48 hours.
Yes — a specialist Irish-focused firm in India (like ASDV) costs €18–€35/hr vs. €55–€120/hr onshore — a 40–60% saving. The saving is real with a well-briefed outsource partner working to Irish standards. It can be wiped by rework with a poorly briefed or non-Irish-specialist provider. ASDV's structured briefing process and IS 3218/ISO 13567 expertise protects the saving.
Irish-registered providers charge VAT at the standard rate (23%) on CAD services. Services purchased from non-Irish EU providers are subject to reverse charge VAT (you account for it). Services from non-EU providers (India, Philippines) are typically zero-rated for Irish VAT — the Irish buyer applies reverse charge under the Irish VAT Act 2010. Confirm VAT treatment with each provider before contracting.
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ASDV provides itemised, fixed-price quotes for all CAD and BIM services in Ireland — AutoCAD, Revit, ELV, as-builts and document control. No ambiguity.
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