Build a full proforma in Analytics, from construction cost to residual land value, so you can see whether a site pencils while you draw. Each example below follows how Giraffe's Residential and Industrial templates build the same line. Every calculation uses the calculation builder: click the + next to a category name, add components, type a formula, pick an operation, and click Save.

Learn each part of the builder in Create a Calculation.

Set up a rate or assumption

Store a rate like a soft cost percentage, a vacancy rate, or a cap rate as its own calculation, so you can change it in one place. The templates show these as the bold, editable values.

Click the + next to a category name.
Name the calculation, for example Soft Cost %.
Leave the components empty.
Type the value as the formula, for example 0.2 for 20%.
Set the operation to Constant.
Click Save.

Other calculations can then use this rate as a Measure component.

Calculate hard cost

Calculate hard cost in Analytics by multiplying each building's gross area by its Hard Cost rate. Set the Hard Cost rate on each usage in the Usage Editor, as a cost per unit of area.

Click the + next to a category name and name the calculation Hard Cost.
Add a Property component for your gross area property, GBA (A).
Add a Property component for Hard Cost (B).
Type the formula A * B.
Set the operation to Sum, so Giraffe adds up the cost of every building.
Click Save.

The gross area property uses your project's gross area name. GBA is the default.

Calculate soft cost

Calculate soft cost in Analytics as a percentage of hard cost. The Residential and Industrial templates both use 20%.

Create a Soft Cost % rate with the formula 0.2 and the Constant operation.
Create a calculation named Soft Cost.
Add a Measure component for Hard Cost (A) and a Measure component for Soft Cost % (B).
Type the formula A * B and click Save.

Set a Soft Cost rate on each usage and build it the same way as hard cost: gross area times Soft Cost, with the Sum operation.

Calculate contingency

Calculate contingency in Analytics as a percentage of hard and soft cost. The templates use 10%.

Create a Contingency % rate with the formula 0.1 and the Constant operation.
Create a calculation named Contingency.
Add Measure components for Hard Cost (A), Soft Cost (B), and Contingency % (C).
Type the formula (A + B) * C and click Save.

Calculate total construction cost

Calculate total construction cost in Analytics by adding hard cost, soft cost, and contingency together. This matches Estimated Construction Costs in the Residential template.

Create a calculation named Estimated Construction Cost.
Add Measure components for Hard Cost (A), Soft Cost (B), and Contingency (C).
Type the formula A + B + C and click Save.

Keep every cost line in one category, and add a Subtotal component for that category's currency total. The formula is A.

Calculate a developer fee

Calculate a developer fee in Analytics as a percentage of construction cost. The Residential template uses 3% and the Industrial template uses 15%.

Create a Developer Fee rate, for example 0.03, with the Constant operation.
Create a calculation named Est Developer Fee.
Add Measure components for Estimated Construction Cost (A) and Developer Fee (B).
Type the formula A * B and click Save.

Calculate annual rent

Calculate annual rent in Analytics from the rent set on each usage. Enter rent as a monthly figure, then multiply by 12.

For homes, the Residential template uses the Dwelling Price of every dwelling:

Create a calculation named Total Potential Rent.
Add a Property component for Dwelling Price (A).
Type the formula A * 12, set the operation to Sum, and click Save.

For commercial space, the Industrial template uses a rent per square foot:

Create a calculation named Max Potential Rent.
Add Property components for your saleable area (A) and Net Rent (B).
Type the formula A * B * 12, set the operation to Sum, and click Save.

Calculate NOI

Calculate net operating income (NOI) in Analytics by taking vacancy and operating expenses off your annual rent. The Residential template uses 5% vacancy and 15% operating expenses.

Create a Vacancy rate (0.05) and an Operating Expenses rate (0.15), each with the Constant operation.
Create a calculation named NOI.
Add Measure components for Total Potential Rent (A), Vacancy (B), and Operating Expenses (C).
Type the formula A * (1 - B) * (1 - C) and click Save.

Calculate stabilized value

Calculate stabilized value in Analytics by dividing NOI by a cap rate. The templates use a 6.5% cap rate.

Create a Cap Rate rate with the formula 0.065 and the Constant operation.
Create a calculation named Stabilized Value.
Add Measure components for NOI (A) and Cap Rate (B).
Type the formula A / B and click Save.

Calculate return on cost

Calculate return on cost in Analytics by dividing NOI by total project cost.

Create a calculation named Return on Cost and select Percent as the unit.
Add Measure components for NOI (A) and your total cost line, such as Estimated Construction Cost (B).
Type the formula A / B * 100 and click Save.

Calculate residual land value

Calculate residual land value in Analytics by taking construction cost and fees off the stabilized value. This shows what you can afford to pay for the site.

Create a calculation named Residual Land Value.
Add Measure components for Stabilized Value (A), Estimated Construction Cost (B), and Est Developer Fee (C).
Type the formula A - B - C and click Save.

Calculate FAR

Calculate floor area ratio (FAR) in Analytics by dividing total gross area by site area.

Create a calculation named FAR and select Unitless as the unit.
Add a Property component for GBA (A) and a Site area component (B).
Type the formula A / B, set the operation to Sum, and click Save.

Giraffe divides each building's area by the full site area, then adds the results, which gives total gross area over site area.

Count dwellings by type

Count homes of one type in Analytics with a filter and the Count operation. The Residential template's Site Plan tab counts each home type this way.

Create a calculation named, for example, Townhome Count.
Add a filter for the usage you want to count, such as Townhome.
Set the operation to Count and click Save.

Calculate dwelling density

Calculate dwelling density in Analytics by dividing total dwellings by site area. The Residential template reports it in dwelling units per acre (DU/AC).

Create a calculation named Dwelling Density.
Add a Property component for Dwellings (A) and a Site area component for the site in square feet (B).
Type the formula A / (B / 43560) to convert square feet to acres. For a site in square metres, divide by 10000 instead to get dwellings per hectare.
Set the operation to Sum and click Save.

Template costs, rents, and rates are placeholder values. Check every rate against your project's location and local market before you rely on the results.

Common Calculations in Analytics