What does a 3D rendering cost?
A photorealistic exterior rendering costs from about CHF 690 per view, an interior from about CHF 590, a bird's-eye view from CHF 890; a sixty-second animation from CHF 4,900 and a 360° tour of one apartment from CHF 1,900. Prices in EUR for Germany and Austria follow the same ranges. The first view carries the model-building; every further view from the same model costs a fraction.
What drives the price
Four things: whether a usable 3D model exists or has to be built from plans; how much real surroundings must be modelled (a villa in a meadow is cheaper than a block in a city street); how many views come from the same scene; and the deadline. Materials, furniture and people are included in a professional rendering and should not appear as extras.
Typical budgets by project
A single-family house for a permit and a listing: two exterior views and two interiors, around CHF 2,500. A multi-family building of 20 to 40 apartments sold off-plan: four exteriors, six interiors, an aerial and 3D floor plans for each unit type, around CHF 9,000 to 14,000. A development with a film, a 360° tour and a project website: CHF 25,000 to 40,000. Competition entries: two to three views in three weeks, CHF 2,000 to 4,000.
How to keep the cost down
Order the views together, not one at a time: the model is built once. Send the architect's 3D model if there is one. Decide the finish schedule before the first preview, because a material change after approval is a new render. And reuse the scenes: the interior that became four stills also becomes the 360° tour, and the exterior model becomes the aerial and the film's opening shot.
Related questions
Are the prices the same in EUR for Germany and Austria?
Quotes for German and Austrian clients are in EUR and follow the same ranges; VAT is reverse-charged within the EU.
Why is the first view the most expensive?
It includes building the model and the surroundings. Once the scene exists, a second camera angle is a few hours of work, which is why further views cost two to three times less.
Is there a cheaper option than a full rendering?
For an existing building, virtual staging of a photo starts at CHF 190 per image. For a permit, a photomontage into a site photo is often cheaper than a fully modelled scene.