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Cost per Square Foot of Construction for Institutional Buildings

This post will be of particular interest for the criminal mind, or at least anyone interested in buildings that deal with criminals... We have some data from RSMeans on the construction cost per square foot of Institutional Buildings. The three building types studied are Police Stations, Courthouses and Jails.

Police Station Construction Cost

We'll start first with police stations since that's usually where the action begins. While there is a considerable spread geographically - $307.56 in New York, the most expensive city to $176.83 in Winston-Salem, the least expensive. The median hovers around $230 per square foot.

Courthouse Construction Cost

Courthouses are somewhat less demanding as they typically consist of larger spaces, however, security measures are increasingly affecting the cost of construction for all of these types of institutions. The regional spread is still very much apparent, but the median cost per square foot comes down to under $210 per square foot.

Jail Construction Cost

Jails are the most expensive construction type for this group. At an average of $371.28 per square foot in New york at the high end, to $215.76 per square foot in Winston-Salem on the low end, the median average cost is around $280 per square foot. This is largely due to the increased structural requirements for these types of structures.

Related Articles:

1. Price Per Square Foot Construction Cost for Medical Office Buildings
2. Cost per Square Foot of Commercial Construction by Region
3. Construction Cost per Square Foot of Community Centers in Major US Cities
4. Cost Per Square Foot of Educational Facilities by Region
5. How Much Does a Hydraulic 2-Stop Elevator Cost?
6. Water and Sewer Tap Fees – Construction Soft Costs
7. How Much Does it Cost to Build a Home?
8. Regional Costs of Concrete by the Cubic Yard

Tagged as: Commercial, construction cost, Institutional

1 Responses »

1. 

   Dean Dalvit

   April 12, 2012 • 4:38 pm

   Question via e-mail:

   great data, thanks
   do these numbers include outfitting the building or just physical building?
   we are a small town in tx going for a bond
   we are a $265/ sq ft., 6 million, 22,600 sq ft.
   -Dave

   Answer:

   Hi Dave,

   Thanks for your inquiry,

   The construction cost per square foot is the direct costs for the building initial construction, from the foundation to the roof, and including interior finishes, but not movable furniture, fixtures or other equipment that have no permanent connection to the structure of the building or utilities.

   The buildings in the RSMeans study are finished (flooring, ceilings, interior partitions, doors, etc.), but they do not include FF&E costs (furniture, moveable equipment, or specific fixtures not permanently connected to the building). Their costs also never include land costs, financing costs or soft costs like surveying, testing, architecture or engineering. These costs are just the building, finished and ready to furnish and equip for whatever specific purpose the end user would have.

   I hope that helps - If you would like to discuss the programming or design of your project, let me know and we would be happy to work with you. We do have an office in Central Texas, are licensed in all disciplines, and can serve the Houston area.

   -Dean