How much do architects charge, what’s the basis for it?
Like charted accounts, doctors, lawyers an architect’s work is addressed as “PRACTISE”. And so there is no business virtue to it. Remuneration Received by the architects is addressed as “FEES”.
The guidelines for this is the regulations laid down in the Architects Act 1972 in the constitution. There is a governing body for the practise of architecture in India called ”the council of architecture”and has laid down the scale of charges for said type of architectural services under conditions of engagement. The council of architecture C0A prescribes the minimum fees. Architect may charge the prescribed fees or higher based on the way he works, his popularity ,projects on hand, type of project you want him to work on!
The fee for projects other than housing shall be 5% five percent on total cost of works assigned. There have been instances of architects working on a fees per sft, charges per hour – time spent making the design drawing, a monthly retainer etc. Each one has a different approach. You need to sit with your architect to realise and arrive at scale of charges and stages of payment. COA has also laid down guidelines on stages for payment and percentage of the total fees to be paid.
All you need to know is that there are multiple way the architect charge and all these shall start with a retainer or advance and adjusted in total fees once the design scheme is finalised.
The point I am trying to make deal here is that what architects do with you 9 project in “custom design” a one piece work or only one piece work.
The architect’s fees form a small part of the cost of the project. Do not look at the fees of the architect as cost, take it as a value because of which your building will be built the way you have thought.
The basis for the fees is the charges of the consultants like structural, electrical, plumbing and sanitary, acoustics, landscape and et al. The salaries for the staff – associate, junior architects, draughtsman the whole team that develops the
design of the architect, draws the detail, makes the drawings or involved in production of drawing. The softwares that are required to do this, cost for his time etc. The amount that is paid as fees is less significant when compared to the value the architect adds to the project. It might, for some, feel to be huge but it is only one time. Imagine a book written only for you, no reprints, the author writes it just for you.
Like an artist doing an artwork and selling it, only once.
As far as possible do not negotiate the architect’s fee. He might either get demotivated or make him work only for that negotiated amount. As this is a creative field all that an architect requires is motivation. He will be happy to work with a qualitative client who does not negotiate on his fees and so will not want to negotiate his services.