What influences an architect’s fee?
Project size
A larger project generally requires more documentation and coordination, although square footage alone does not determine complexity.
A small kitchen addition affecting the rear façade, structure, Planning Code, and property line may require more work than a larger interior renovation.
Existing-building complexity
San Francisco buildings often contain incomplete records, past alterations, sloping floors, concealed structural conditions, older utilities, and construction that differs from City drawings.
The architect may need to field-measure the property, research records, and reconcile these conditions before designing the remodel.
Planning requirements
Exterior additions, roof decks, façade changes, neighborhood context, historic resources, and expansions can require Planning review.
A purely interior project may follow a simpler process than a project changing the building envelope or adding floor area.
Structural work
Removing walls, enlarging openings, adding stories, excavating a lower level, modifying foundations, or installing large doors can require structural engineering and more detailed architectural coordination.
Number of rooms is not the whole story
A “kitchen and two bathrooms” can mean a finish update within the existing layout or a complete reconfiguration involving structure, plumbing, electrical service, ventilation, waterproofing, windows, and exterior work.
The latter is a fundamentally different architectural scope.
Level of customization
Custom millwork, detailed interiors, lighting design, premium finishes, built-in furniture, complex stairs, and specialty doors require more design and documentation than a permit-focused renovation.
Construction-phase involvement
Some owners want the architect to prepare permit drawings and stop after approval. Others want assistance with contractor bidding, submittals, site visits, design questions, finish decisions, and construction changes.
Those services should be identified clearly in the proposal.
Common architectural fee structures
Architects may charge using one or a combination of the following methods.
Fixed fee
A fixed fee covers a defined scope of services. This gives the owner predictability but requires a clear understanding of what is included and excluded.
Additional services may apply when the scope changes.
Hourly fee
Hourly billing can work well for feasibility studies, consultations, uncertain scopes, record research, or limited assignments.
The proposal should list staff billing rates and explain how time will be tracked.
Percentage of construction cost
For some projects, the fee is calculated as a percentage of the anticipated or final construction cost.
This can align the architectural scope with the project’s scale, but the agreement should explain how the construction cost is defined.
Phased fee
Many residential projects are divided into phases, such as:
Existing conditions and feasibility
Schematic design
Design development
Permit or construction documents
Permitting
Bidding
Construction administration
This allows owners to understand where the fee is being spent and, depending on the agreement, authorize work progressively.
What is usually included?
Every firm structures its services differently, but a residential architectural proposal may include:
Site visit and field measurement
Existing-condition drawings
Code and Planning research
Schematic design options
Client meetings
Design development
Permit drawings
Consultant coordination
Permit submission
Responses to agency comments
Contractor pricing support
Construction administration
Do not assume that every item is included simply because the proposal says “architectural services.”
What costs are usually separate?
Potential additional costs include:
Structural engineering
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering
Energy documentation
Civil engineering
Land surveying
Geotechnical engineering
Arborist reports
Historic-resource reports
Hazardous-material testing
Permit fees
Printing and delivery
3D visualization
Interior design
Kitchen design
Lighting design
Contractor estimates
Special inspections
A lower architectural fee may exclude items included by another firm.
Why do architectural proposals vary so much?
Two architects may understand the project differently.
For example, one proposal might assume:
No structural work
No Planning entitlement
Limited design options
Owner-selected finishes
One permit-review cycle
No construction support
Another might include:
Multiple design studies
Detailed interior elevations
Consultant coordination
Planning applications
Full permit management
Bidding assistance
Construction site visits
The fees cannot be compared meaningfully until the scope is aligned.
How should you compare proposals?
Ask each architect to clarify:
Which phases are included?
How many design options and meetings are assumed?
Are existing-condition drawings included?
Is permit submission included?
Are responses to City comments included?
Which consultants are required?
Are consultant fees included or separate?
Is interior design included?
Is contractor bidding support included?
Are site visits during construction included?
What triggers additional services?
How are reimbursable expenses handled?
The best proposal is the one that matches the service your project needs—not necessarily the one with the lowest initial fee.
Example project types
Creates Cool’s residential work includes:
San Francisco lower-level remodels
Rear and vertical additions
ADUs and JADUs
Whole-house renovations
Garage conversions
New detached residential structures
Legalization and code-compliance projects
Historic and Planning-sensitive properties
A lower-level remodel involving emergency escape, windows, laundry, utilities, and permit coordination has a different fee structure from a new fourth-floor addition with a roof deck and major structural work.
Similarly, a 300-square-foot addition involving a roof-form change, vaulted ceiling, bathroom reconfiguration, and full-house renovation requires more coordination than its square footage may suggest.
Should you pay for feasibility before requesting a full proposal?
For complex properties, a paid feasibility phase can be worthwhile.
It allows the architect to investigate:
What is legal and physically possible
Whether an addition is likely to receive approval
Which consultants are required
Whether existing records are reliable
Which design decisions drive cost
What permit path applies
The resulting proposal can then be based on a more accurate understanding of the project.
Architectural services should protect the larger investment
Architecture is one part of the project budget, but the architect’s work affects construction cost, usable space, permit risk, contractor pricing, and the long-term value of the property.
An incomplete or poorly coordinated drawing set can lead to change orders, delays, inconsistent bids, and decisions being made during construction when they are most expensive.
Creates Cool is a San Francisco-based architecture studio led by licensed California architect Elias Horat. The firm provides residential feasibility, design, permitting, consultant coordination, and construction support throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area.