One of the first questions almost every client asks us is some version of: “So, roughly, what will design fees run on a project like this?”
It’s a fair question, and historically a hard one to answer quickly. Architectural and engineering fees depend on construction cost, building type, project complexity, and a handful of soft costs that don’t always come to mind until you’re deep into budgeting. Rather than making you wait for a phone call or a formal proposal just to get a ballpark number, we built a tool that puts a reasonable estimate right at your fingertips: the Prime Architects A/E Fee Calculator.
How It Works
The calculator is simple by design. You only need two inputs to get started:
1. Estimated Construction Cost
Slide the bar or type in a number, anywhere from a small renovation up to $50 million and beyond, to reflect the projected hard cost of your building (before soft costs).
2. Building Type / Complexity Group
Design fees don’t scale the same way for every kind of building. A warehouse and a custom-designed residence require very different levels of design effort, even at the same construction cost. We’ve grouped project types into five complexity tiers, from Group A (industrial buildings, parking structures, warehouses) up through Group E (custom residences and special decorative buildings), so the estimate reflects the actual scope of design work involved.
From there, the calculator instantly applies an industry-standard fee curve, the same kind of graduated percentage structure used across the profession, where the fee percentage adjusts as construction cost and complexity increase. It then returns an estimated design fee, both as a dollar figure and as a percentage of construction cost.
Don’t Forget the Soft Costs
Design fees are rarely the only number that matters when you’re budgeting a project. That’s why we built in an optional “Other Project Costs” section covering common pre-construction items (land and real estate costs, legal and loan fees, permits, taxes, insurance, feasibility studies) and post-construction items (FF&E, maintenance, security, owner’s insurance). Add in whatever applies to your project, and the calculator will roll everything into a total estimated project cost, giving you a fuller picture and not just a fee number in isolation.
What This Tool Is, and Isn’t
We want to be upfront: this calculator gives you a rough, non-binding estimate for early planning purposes. It’s built around basic services (programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration), and it won’t capture every nuance of your specific project. Actual soft costs vary by location, and fees can shift based on project-specific factors a formal scope discussion would uncover.
What it will do is save you time. Instead of guessing or waiting on a callback, you can walk into that first conversation with our team already armed with a realistic number, so we can spend our time talking about your vision instead of ballpark math.
Try It Yourself
Whether you’re an owner sketching out a budget, a developer evaluating feasibility, or a project manager who just needs a number for an early pro forma, the A/E Fee Calculator is free to use and takes less than a minute.
Ready to turn that estimate into a formal proposal? Reach out to our team at info@prime-arch.com or (405) 369-5797. We’d love to talk about your project.
This tool provides illustrative estimates only and does not constitute a formal fee proposal.
