The short answer
An in-house drafter is cheaper only if you keep them busy all year. If your Revit workload comes in peaks, paying for project hours costs less, because you pay nothing between projects.
The in-house math
| Cost item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median wage, architectural and civil drafters | $66,150 / year | BLS, May 2025 |
| Benefits share of total compensation, private industry | 30.1% | BLS ECEC, March 2026 |
| Wage plus benefits | about $94,600 / year | $66,150 ÷ 0.699 |
| Not included | Revit license, hardware, office space, recruiting, training, idle weeks | |
At about 1,800 productive hours a year, that is roughly $52 per productive hour before software and overhead.
The outsourced math
| Option | Rate | You pay between projects |
|---|---|---|
| In-house drafter | about $52 / productive hour, plus overhead | Full salary |
| MDG Standard | from $19 / hour, 10–14 business days | $0 |
| MDG 7-Day Express | from $25 / hour, 7 days | $0 |
Our quotes are in fixed hours, approved before we start, with a 15-hour minimum per project.
When to hire instead
Hire when you have steady Revit work every week, need someone on site, or need design judgment rather than production. Outsource when work comes in peaks, a deadline is close, or a backlog of conversions and families is waiting.
Questions
How much does it cost to convert a building from CAD to Revit?
It depends on size, LOD and source quality. We quote fixed hours: a 20-hour job from clean DWG is $380 on Standard; the same job from scans is 30 hours, $570.
Why are offshore rates lower?
Lower local costs. The risk is quality and time zone, which is why we offer a free one-floor sample and work 1–2 hours from New York.
Is there a minimum?
Yes, 15 hours per project.