our professional fees

An investment in the services of a registered professional will safeguard the overall investment in the project. A professional fee constitutes a fraction of the overall cost of the project and pales into insignificance when measured against the total project cost, including the operating costs over the lifespan of a building. High quality design can maximise the efficiency of even the smallest building, and a project that has had the input of a professional from the beginning is often less expensive to maintain and will command a greater return on the investment in the long term.

Fees will vary depending on factors such as the location and complexity of the project and the extent of the service expected from the (architect) professional. Architectural fees are calculated as:

  • a percentage of the project cost (project cost-based fee), or
  • an hourly rate (time-based fee); or
  • based on specific activities or outcomes (deliverables-based fee).

SACAP publishes Professional Fees Guidelines for project cost-based fee and time-based fee https://www.sacapsa.com/documents/uploads/Gazettee-Final-Guideline-Professional-Fees.pdf. These guidelines provide a ‘best practice’ base figure that can and should be adjusted to consider the diverse factors applicable to a specific project. The guideline fees are not prescriptive; freedom exists for the client and professional to mutually agree on the levels of service and remuneration.

There’s also:

Square meter rate-based fee:

This is not generally a recognised method for the calculation of fees but may be applied on projects that require additions or alterations to an existing structure where an accurate project cost cannot be determined beforehand.

Disbursements:

The reimbursement of the professional’s expenses incurred on a project will generally be charged separately. Items such as the cost of travel, copying of drawings and documents, payments to local authorities for information, deposits and building plan submissions will be incurred. Whichever method is used for the calculation of fees, it is important to request that the architect provides you with a written offer for their service and to agree on the fees prior to the start of a project. The fees are usually divided into the various work stages described below. It is customary for an architect to issue accounts on a regular basis. This is typically monthly, based on the progress achieved in each work stage. It is usually beneficial to agree on a monthly schedule to facilitate cash flow for both parties.