Fees
Architectural Fees
Depending on the type of project and its complexity the fee will vary. Common methods of compensation include: hourly rates; a stipulated sum; a percentage of construction costs or a combination.
Residential Fee
Typically an architectural fee for full services are between 7% and 15% of the cost of construction. Factors that affect the fees include the scope of the project, the level of quality and detail, and economic conditions.
The architect's fee is usually a relatively small part of the cost of the entire building project, including the actual construction cost (on which the fee is computed), the furnishings and equipment, and the interest paid on the mortgage. If you consider the cost of a house over a twenty-five year period, your actual expenditure is probably two and a half times the initial price tag. Here is a simplified hypothetical case for a new house:
Land Purchase Price |
$100,000 |
House Construction Cost |
$200,000 |
Architect's Fee @ 10% of Construction Cost |
$20,000 |
Miscellaneous Closing Fees |
$10,000 |
Landscaping, Driveway |
$12,000 |
Interest on $150,000 Mortgage @ 8% |
$441,054 |
Taxes @ $4,000 per annum for 25 years |
$100,000 |
Total |
$847,054 |
The architect's fee, which is a one-time expense, is actually less than 3% of the cost of the house over a twenty-five year period—not counting maintenance costs, which would reduce the architect's percentage even more. If the mortgage accounts for 75%, in stead of the 50% indicated in this example, the architect's percentage, overall, would be reduced to around 2%. It is also worth noting that, even with a tight set of plans and specs, the range of prices in competitive bidding often varies by more than the amount of the architect's fee.
Commercial Fee
The fees related to commercial desing are determined according to the complexity of design. A laboratory would have a higher fee than a storage building. Typically a fee for full architectural services are between 5% and 12%. A larger project will have a smaller percentage fee than a smaller project of the same building type.
Example: A museum (complex project) with a budget of $500,000 might have the following fee:
$500,000 x 10% = $50,000
A storage building with the same budget might have the following fee:
$500,000 x 7.5% = $37,500
Hourly Rate
Brown+Wootton can be hired for an hourly rate @ $120.00/hour for on-site consultation for design services.
Construction Fees
Construction fees are based on the final design and vary with each project. An architect can help you design within a realistic budget. Construction costs are related to the complexity of the project and type of construction. Remodeling projects cannot usually be estimated as accurately because of unknowns.
Hourly Rate
Brown+Wootton can be hired for an hourly rate @ $120.00/hour for construction services or estimating services.
 |
||
 |
