Our potential clients are naturally interested in knowing what our services will cost. Because architectural services are not a commodity, it is difficult to know how much time will be required to complete design services. A construction project is a like a new invention. Though the parts and procedures may be common, they have never before been put together in this particular way before.
In the construction of a house, literally thousands of decisions must be made involving perhaps hundreds of people. The process is subject to adjustments on its way from inception to completion. It may be availability issues from a manufacturer, changes in building codes or structural requirements or, most likely, changes in the owner’s program or time schedule. These are just a few of the many ways the time required for services can be impacted. To set a fee or percentage of construction cost for such an unpredictable process would, without exception, result in work done that is either under or over compensated.
Furthermore, the diversity in our client’s capacity to make decisions varies tremendously. It is impossible to predict changes that may be requested through the process. Because this is a creative process for both the client and the architect, it is critical that changes can be entertained and implemented if appropriate. Though we hope to make any change during the design phase of a project when the costs are minimal, the owner should always have that option further into the process.
For this reason the services of this office are billed hourly for completed work only. We understand however, clients want to at least have a general idea of what the project will cost. Because we have completed over 500 projects we can look back and find similarities that help us estimate costs.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the cost of architectural services is that they are typically lower than the cost of real estate services. Furthermore, an investment into architectural involvement typically adds value to a property. Architecturally designed houses nearly always demand higher prices than those built without an architect. As a matter of fact, houses for sale that have been produced by this office are advertised as such because the realtor believes it adds to the house value.
As with most things, there must be an element of trust in the process of producing architecture. We feel having provided over 30 years of services to hundreds of clients is the best testimony of our capabilities.