When you start planning a rehabilitation or a new-build project, it’s common to have doubts about an architect’s fees, especially if you want to stick to your budget as much as possible. Familiarizing yourself with an architect’s fees will help you determine the best time to start a renovation project or even a new construction.

Architectural fees depend on the size and use of the building, as well as the quality of the project desired by the client. The choice of an architectural professional plays a vital role in obtaining idealized architectural projects within the established parameters.

Architectural fees are divided into different phases, ranging from the conception of ideas with the Owner to the execution and detailing of concepts, including the coordination of the various specialties that make up the project.

Preliminary Program

This phase is fundamental for a correct understanding of the objectives, concerns and program priorities that you have defined for your project. This phase is essential for a correct understanding of the objectives, concerns and programmatic priorities that you have defined for your project.

This will be the document that sets out the objectives, organic and functional characteristics, as well as the financial constraints of the work. From this document, the office can begin to draft its fee proposal. Once the preliminary program has been defined, we can draw up an estimate of the value of the project.

The overall value of the work is calculated taking into account the areas planned in the preliminary program and the cost per square meter (prices in euros/m², according to market values). The cost of the work obtained will allow you to confirm your financial availability for the investment.

PROJECT PREPARATION STRATEGY

It’s important to remember that each architect or firm has its own structure and expenses derived from its professional practice, as well as the human and material resources it uses to carry out its work. Depending on these overheads, the price of an architect for the same job can vary between architects/offices.

In order to correctly estimate architectural fees, the architect must also take into account the working philosophy when drawing up projects, since different resources can be mobilized depending on the specific case. However, we can already say that there are certain strategies that, with a few exceptions, our architects tend to adopt across the board:

• Compliance with the regulations of the class bodies that regulate the exercise of the various professional activities involved;
• Compliance with all regulations, standards and specifications in force;
• Compliance with all provisions of official bodies relating to the project;
• Selection of materials, techniques and equipment for the construction of all works;
• Adaptation of the project to the needs of the program and the financial constraints presented;
• Integration of ecologically sustainable construction principles.

MJARC is a company that makes a commitment to the Owner of the Work in the pursuit of a building that is optimized in the construction process and in the most energy-efficient solutions. In addition, MJARC’s Quality Management System is certified in accordance with ISO 9001 standards.

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What are the architectural fees in Portugal?

Despite being the main question when you want to hire this professional, the answer is not certain. Why is that? Because with the exception of public works, there isn’t, and can’t be, according to EU rules on competition in the services market, any scale for setting fees.

As a rule, an architect’s fees in Portugal represent a percentage of the estimated cost of the work. On the other hand, they may be based on an hourly rate.

What criteria determine an architect’s price?

Although the profession is regulated, architects’ fees are not. In other words, it’s up to each professional to set the price they charge, taking into account their skills and experience.

Despite this, there is a very common way of calculating these costs: the more time the architect devotes to the project, the higher the fee. So it’s easy to see that the cost of hiring an architect depends on the size and complexity of the project, as well as the professional’s experience. In addition, the amount will depend on the tasks they will be responsible for.

First of all, it’s important to define the program very well. The more specific you are, the more accurate the buget will be. You should also let the professional know how much you are willing to spend on the work, as this is the only way the architect will be able to meet your requirements without going beyond your financial means.

What’s the next step in starting your architectural project?

Now that you know which factors influence architectural fees, it’s time to start your project. How? Naturally, with the help of a professional, in this case an architect. For this, you can count on MJARC.

MJARC is a company that is committed to creating an optimized building, both in the construction process and in the most energy-efficient solutions.

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