Building Groups Explained

One of the fundamental parts of calculating a design fee as a percentage of construction cost is characterizing the complexity of the project. There is a different fee table for each level of difficulty. The terminology may vary, but the solution is to place each type of building into the Group representing its level of complexity / difficulty. Traditionally there were five Building Groups. Here is what those Groups look like.
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Building Groups

Building Groups decrease in complexity as you step through the levels, usually. Sometimes the complexity increases. Let's start with the highest complexity in Building Group I. The following are common groupings of building types.
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GROUP I

• Custom Residences
• Special Decorative Buildings
• Custom Designed Furnishings
• Mausoleums And Memorials 
• Special Lighting
• ​Complex Laboratories

• Medical Hospitals
• Custom Swimming Pool
• Official Government Residence
• Decorative Work
• Exhibition Display
• Public Garden

• ​Air Traffic Control Tower
• Flight Service Station
• Legislative Building
• Mint

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GROUP II

• Laboratory Classrooms
• Libraries
• Auditoriums
• Museums
• Air Terminals
• Food Service Facilities
• Specialized Detention Areas
• Detention-Treatment Areas​

• Average Laboratories
• Mental Hospitals
• Simple Medical Hospitals
• Clinics
• Court Houses
• Theaters
• Complex University Buildings
• Special Purpose Classrooms

• Aquariums 
• Art Galleries
• Aquariums
• Communications Buildings
• Airport Terminals 
• Computer Centers 
• Convention Centers ​

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GROUP III

• Schools (Elementary And Secondary)
• General Office Space
• General Teaching Space
• General Detention Facilities 
• Specialized Factory Buildings
• ​Maintenance Hangars
• ​Banks And Financial Institutions
• Luxury Apartments
• Amphitheaters
• Medical/Dental Office Buildings
• Major Post Office Buildings
• Convalescent Hospitals
• Public Health And Service Centers​

• College Classroom Facilities
• Convention Facilities
• Correctional And Detention Facilities
• Extended Care Facilities
• Institutional Dining Halls
• Medical Schools
• Medical Office Facilities And Clinics
• Mental Institutions
• Office Buildings With Tenant Improvements
• Parks, Playground And Recreational Facilities
• Police Stations
• Public Health Centers
• Research Facilities​
• Vocational Schools​​

• Country Clubs And Marinas
• Restroom And Shower Buildings
• Firing Range Buildings
• Specialty Shops
• Field-Houses And Natatoriums
• Stadiums And Sports Facilities
• Emergency Response Stations
• Theaters, Auditoriums & Casinos
• Fraternal Buildings
• Veterinary Hospitals
• Hotels, City
• Clubs/Resort Lodges

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GROUP IV

• Armories
• Exhibition Halls
• Hangers
• Manufacturing Plants
• Office Buildings Without Tenant Improvements
• Printing Plants
• ​Regional Shopping Centers
• Fraternity And Sorority Houses

• Group Care Homes
• Health Clubs And Fitness Centers
• Branch Post Offices
• Bus Stations 
• Apartment Buildings
• Dormitory Buildings
• Service Garages​
• Day Care Centers
• ​Specialized Parking Structures​
• ​Visitor Centers​

• Hotels, Motels
• Gymnasiums
• Laundries And Cleaners
• Cold Storage Buildings
• Department Stores
• Public Recreation Facilities
• Racquetball And Tennis Clubs​

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GROUP V

• Storage Warehouses  
• ​Storage Facilities
• ​Recycling And Waste Transfer Structures
• ​Utilitarian Type Buildings​​
• Parking Structures

• Industrial Buildings Without Special Facilities
• Simple Loft Type Structures
• Warehouses Exclusive Of Automated Equipment​

• Greenhouse Structures 
• Storage Garages
• Prefab. Booths And Shelters ​

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Of course, lists like this can't list every building type, so you will often need to categorize your project based on "a similarity to" rather than "a match to" what you see listed here.

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FeeCalqs Uses Building Groups

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