Accompanying this report are tables and charts based on RSMeans’ measures of dollar-per-square-foot construction costs. The results for 25 major cities are shown in four institutional sub-categories. These are all higher-level (i.e., college) educational buildings. Means has updated specifications with regards to its building cost models. For this reason, it is not valid to directly compare this year’s figures with last year’s. That is why the percentage change columns read “not applicable”.

College Building Construction Cost Comparisons

Among the four categories of college buildings shown in the table and graphs, it is most expensive to build a dormitory. A modest step down in cost per square foot is a college laboratory, with a college classroom after that. Those two categories differ only slightly in cost. Relatively least expensive to build is a college student union building.

New York is the Most Expensive; Cities in the South are Least Expensive

New York has the highest dollar-per-square-foot construction costs in the country. San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago round out the top five. Relatively low-cost cities are mainly in the southeast and southwest, including Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, Houston and Dallas.

The nation’s capital, Washington, is in the lower mid-range for construction costs among the 25 cities considered in the tables and graphs. Denver is just on the cusp of being among the lowest-cost. In California, Los Angeles and San Diego fall more than $20 per square foot below San Francisco in construction costs in these college-building categories. 

Some City Comparisons

It is interesting to make some regional comparisons. It costs about 27% more to build in Chicago than in Atlanta. The relationship is about the same between higher-cost Philadelphia and lower-cost Miami. The mark-up in New York, the most expensive city among the 25 shown, and Winston Salem, the least expensive, is slightly more than two-thirds or 68%.

These charts and tables were abstracted from RSMeans cost data publications for the A/E/C industry. For more information about RSMeans Square Foot Cost Guide and RSMeans CCI (Construction Cost Index), which indexes square foot costs for cities in the U.S. and Canada, visit the online bookstore at www.rsmeans.com and click on cost data publications (or call 1-800-448-8182).

"n/a" means not applicable. Recent adjustments to specifications mean that year-over-year percentage changes will not be valid in 2009.

Data source: Reed Construction Data – RSMeans/Tables: Reed Construction Data – CanaData.

College Laboratory Construction Cost:
April 2009 Ranking of Major U.S. Cities

Data source: Reed Construction Data – RSMeans/Chart: Reed Construction Data – CanaData.

College Classroom Construction Cost:
April 2009 Ranking of Major U.S. Cities

Data source: Reed Construction Data – RSMeans/Chart: Reed Construction Data – CanaData.

College Dormitory Construction Cost:
April 2009 Ranking of Major U.S. Cities

Data source: Reed Construction Data – RSMeans/Chart: Reed Construction Data – CanaData.

College Student Union Building Construction Cost:
April 2009 Ranking of Major U.S. Cities

Data source: Reed Construction Data – RSMeans/Chart: Reed Construction Data – CanaData.