The 3 levels of render
Level 1 - Volumetric/concept
Massing, shadow, no final materials. Useful for study. Symbolic charge or included in the project.
Level 2 - Client presentation
Real materials, treated lighting, furniture, vegetation. This is the render that sells the project. This is where most of it lives.
Level 3 - Hyper-realistic
A render that gets mistaken for a photo. Heavy post-production, people, context, atmosphere. For developers, marketing, high-end.
Table by typology (per image)
| Typology | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Residential exterior | R$ 600–1.400 | R$ 1.500–3.000 |
| Residential interior | R$ 700–1.600 | R$ 1.800–3.500 |
| Apartment interiors | R$ 800–1.800 | R$ 2.000–4.000 |
| Commercial | R$ 900–2.200 | R$ 2.500–5.000 |
| Development/launch | R$ 1.500–3.500 | R$ 4.000–8.000+ |
How to charge (3 models)
- Per image. The most transparent. You define how many, the client pays by the number.
- Closed package. Ex: "5 exterior images + 3 interior for R$ 9.500". Good for a client who wants predictability.
- Built into the project. Only if it is level 1. A level 2/3 render built in without being highlighted turns into a loss.
Extras that cost money
- Furniture revision (client swapped an armchair): R$ 150–400 per image.
- Lighting change (day ↔ night): R$ 250–600.
- People inserted: R$ 80–200 per person.
- Animation/walkthrough: R$ 80–200 per second.
Put everything in the contract. Render is where scope "leaks" the most: the client thinks they can ask for 12 revisions because "it's just pushing a button".
Render as a separate line in the budget
Limify builds the budget with the render highlighted, revisions registered and automatic extras. The client sees the value, and you bill every extra revision.
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