Now that you're certain you've picked the right songs to record AND done all your preproduction homework, it's time to start "auditioning" potential recording studios. Most commercial studios will be pleased to give you a tour.  This opportunity to check out the facility, play some music in the room, (bringing your own is perfectly acceptable,) and have all your questions answered about rates, equipment, amenities, engineers, etc., is an important step.  If the studio seems unwilling to fit you in, or you get the feeling that they're bothered by your call, that's not a good sign and you should scratch them off and contact the next studio on your list. Check out a minimum of 3 studios before choosing the one that "feels" right to you.  Don't forget your budget!  Remember, you want to FINISH this project not get halfway there and find you have to shelve it.

During your tour at each studio, the subject of price should be discussed. Depending on the size of your group, length and complexity of your songs, the type of project and how ready you are to make your recordings, you can evaluate your project with the studio and make a pretty good estimate of the amount of time your project will take.  For a full CD project, a good rule of thumb is that for each song you are going to record, you should allow at least 12 hours from start to finish in the studio.  4 hours to lay down the basic track, 4 hours for over dubbing various instruments, vocals and background vocals, and 4 hours to mix.  See if the studio will offer "lockout rate" which is a block of hours for a set price. Some studios will let you work on an hourly rate, we do that as well, but most of the higher-end studios prefer to set a lockout rate for a given number of hours.

If you visit a studio and you believe it has everything you could possibly ask for, but the price is too high, then you may certainly try to negotiate a deal for a better rate. Is the studio willing to give you a discount for coming in on days that are open around the schedule of the studio's ongoing projects? These days might fall on the weekends or around major holidays throughout the year. If you are willing to be "on call" to fill in time that is canceled on short notice, the studio may give you a discount that will help to maximize your budget.

Working the "midnight session" is also a possibility, but be aware of the pitfalls.  It is less likely that you will give your best performance during those times, unless you, and your group, are all nightowls.  It is also questionable that the engineer will get his best sounds for you and your band at that hour. You may pay less for studio time after midnight, but your project may also suffer and result in a lesser quality than you desire.