R.S. Means Cost Comparison: Light Commercial Buildings

By Jim Haughey, Director, Research and Analytics, Reed Construction Data

Cost comparisons in dollars per square foot in select metro markets

		Office, 1-story			Day Care Center			Convenience Store			Fast-food Restaurant
	'06	'05	% chg.	'06	'05	% chg.	'06	'05	% chg.	'06	'05	% chg.
For more data, visit R.S. Means at www.rsmeans.com or call (800) 448-8182
Atlanta	127.00	114.55	10.9	113.99	104.01	9.6	81.59	76.67	6.4	135.77	124.90	8.7
Baltimore	131.55	118.17	11.3	118.07	107.30	10.0	84.51	79.10	6.8	140.63	128.85	9.1
Boston	163.74	147.56	11.0	146.97	133.99	9.7	105.20	98.77	6.5	175.05	160.89	8.8
Chicago	161.40	143.06	12.8	144.87	129.90	11.5	103.69	95.75	8.3	172.55	155.98	10.6
Cleveland	142.42	128.68	10.7	127.82	116.84	9.4	91.49	86.13	6.2	152.25	140.30	8.5
Dallas	119.02	107.67	10.5	106.83	97.77	9.3	76.47	72.07	6.1	127.24	117.40	8.4
Denver	135.40	122.80	10.3	121.52	111.51	9.0	86.99	82.19	5.8	144.75	133.90	8.1
Detroit	150.53	135.93	10.7	135.11	123.43	9.5	96.71	90.98	6.3	160.93	148.21	8.6
Houston	125.49	112.17	11.9	112.63	101.85	10.6	80.62	75.08	7.4	134.16	122.31	9.7
Kansas City	147.09	131.68	11.7	132.02	119.57	10.4	94.50	88.14	7.2	157.25	143.58	9.5
Los Angeles	151.91	136.68	11.1	136.34	124.11	9.9	97.59	91.48	6.7	162.40	149.03	9.0
Miami	124.12	110.67	12.1	111.40	100.49	10.9	79.74	74.07	7.6	132.68	120.67	10.0
Minneapolis	157.83	143.18	10.2	141.65	130.01	9.0	101.39	95.84	5.8	168.72	156.12	8.1
New Orleans	123.29	109.79	12.3	110.66	99.70	11.0	79.21	73.49	7.8	131.80	119.72	10.1
New York City	185.62	168.82	10.0	166.60	153.29	8.7	119.25	113.00	5.5	198.44	184.07	7.8
Philadelphia	161.40	144.68	11.6	144.87	131.38	10.3	103.69	96.84	7.1	172.55	157.76	9.4
Phoenix	125.22	111.79	12.0	112.39	101.51	10.7	80.44	74.83	7.5	133.86	121.90	9.8
Pittsburgh	141.18	127.55	10.7	126.71	115.82	9.4	90.70	85.37	6.2	150.92	139.08	8.5
Portland, Ore.	146.82	132.43	10.9	131.77	120.25	9.6	94.32	88.64	6.4	156.96	144.39	8.7
St. Louis	144.62	129.93	11.3	129.80	117.98	10.0	92.91	86.96	6.8	154.60	141.67	9.1
San Diego	148.88	133.80	11.3	133.63	121.50	10.0	95.65	89.56	6.8	159.16	145.89	9.1
San Francisco	173.65	156.31	11.1	155.86	141.94	9.8	111.56	104.63	6.6	185.64	170.44	8.9
Seattle	147.92	133.93	10.4	132.76	121.61	9.2	95.03	89.64	6.0	158.13	146.03	8.3
Washington, D.C.	138.84	124.17	11.8	124.61	112.76	10.5	89.20	83.11	7.3	148.42	135.40	9.6
Winston-Salem, N.C.	111.59	96.66	15.4	100.16	87.77	14.1	71.69	64.70	10.8	119.30	105.40	13.2