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Hard Cost vs Soft Cost Calculator
Hard cost is physical construction (labor, materials, equipment) — what most developers focus on. Soft cost is everything else: design, permits, interest carry, legal, insurance, marketing, developer fee. Industry typical 70-80% hard / 20-30% soft. Heavy regulatory markets push soft cost to 30-40%. This calculator builds the full project cost composition.
Total project cost
$6,770,000
Hard cost (construction)
$5,500,000
Soft cost
$1,270,000
Hard cost %
81.24%
Soft cost %
18.76%
How the math works
Hard cost = physical construction (labor, materials, equipment). Soft cost = everything else: design, permits, interest carry, legal, insurance, marketing, developer fee. Industry typical: 70-80% hard, 20-30% soft.
Soft cost % rises with project complexity, regulatory scrutiny, and longer construction durations. Heavy regulatory markets (NYC, SF) often see 30-40% soft cost share.
How to Use
- Enter hard cost (GC contract).
- Enter individual soft cost line items.
- Read total project cost and hard/soft percentages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's in soft cost?
Architecture & engineering, permits & fees, interest carry, title and legal, insurance during construction, marketing & lease-up, developer fee, lender fees, accounting.
Soft cost % benchmarks?
Standard new-build 20-25% soft. Renovation 25-30%. Highly regulated markets (NYC, SF) often 30-40%. Affordable/historic 30-50%.
Lender treatment?
Construction lenders fund 100% of hard cost up to LTC limit but typically only 80-90% of soft cost — borrower equity covers gap.
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