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Enter the parameters — calculation updates live. Minimums follow the European RIBA / HOAI standard.
Full cycle: concept + working drawings. 9–12% of construction. RIBA standard.
Services overview
| Service | Fee | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Private house concept (turn-key) | from €4,000 · 3% of construction | 4–8 weeks |
| Working documentation (incl. facade, interior, supervision) | from €10,000 · 6–9% of construction | 2–4 months |
| Public building | from €10,000 · 4% of construction | 2–6 months |
| Residential development (cottage village) | 1.5% of land cost | 3–6 months |
«Minimum + percentage» is the standard of the RIBA Institute (UK), HOAI (Germany, state regulation 2021), SIA-102 (Switzerland), AIA (US), and the working practice in France, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium. Specific figures and source links — in the «Where my 9–12% sits on the European scale» section below.
Why a percentage of construction, not a fixed price per square meter?
A percentage of construction is the global premium-architecture standard: RIBA in the United Kingdom, AIA in the United States, HOAI in Germany (a state-level norm). A fixed per-meter rate is the format of generic developers and contractors.
Why a percentage is fairer
- A house at €5K/m² needs five times the detailing work of one at €1K/m². The percentage accounts for this.
- The percentage protects against inflation: estimates grow with material costs, the fee follows.
- The architect becomes a partner in the project, not a price-list service.
Protection for you
- The minimum is fixed at the start — you know the floor.
- If you need predictability, we can fix a cap at the start.
- Calculation is based on the actual construction estimate — no speculation.
Where my 9–12% sits on the European scale
A summary of the current institutional standards and typical market rates for architects in Europe and the US. All figures come from official sources — professional institutes and architectural-press publications 2024–2026. Source links at the end of the section.
| Country / institute | Standard | Typical fee on a private house | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom RIBA |
RIBA Plan of Work 2020 (2024 Amendment) Mandatory scales abolished in 1981. RIBA publishes guidance and the Domestic Professional Services Contract. |
£250,000 build → 10% £500,000 build → 9% £1m build → 8% Loft / extension: 10–14%. Listed buildings: 12–16%. |
7 stages of the RIBA Plan of Work (0–6). Stages 0–3 (concept + permission) ≈ ⅓ of fee; 0–4 (+ working drawings) ≈ ⅔; 0–6 — 100%. |
| Germany HOAI 2021 |
Honorarordnung für Architekten und Ingenieure Mandatory until 2019. After CJEU ruling (C-377/17) — a guidance regulation with Honorartafeln by Honorarzone I–V. |
€500,000 build, Honorarzone III → ≈ 12–14% for full basic services (Grundleistungen, LP 1–9). Honorarzone I (simple) → V (complex). Private house — usually zone III. |
9 Leistungsphasen (LP) with precise percentages: LP1 2% · LP2 7% · LP3 15% · LP4 3% · LP5 25% · LP6 10% · LP7 4% · LP8 32% · LP9 2% |
| Switzerland SIA |
SIA-102:2014 «Regulations for Services and Fees of Architects» Freedom of contract. SIA provides formulas — time-based or «volume of services» from construction cost. |
Calculated via the standard SIA-102 model — typically 10–18% on a private house in Swiss practice. House build cost: CHF 2,500–4,000/m² (UBS, homegate.ch). |
11 SIA phases (strategy → operation). Architect usually covers 5–9. |
| Austria Kammer ZT |
LM.VM (Service and Compensation Models) since 2014 Mandatory scales abolished. The Chamber of Civil Engineers publishes the LM_OA model for building design. |
Design up to building-permit filing — 2.25–4.17% of construction. Full cycle — typically 9–13%. Projects below €100,000 — hourly rate. |
LM_OA model: phases from concept to supervision. |
| France MOE |
Maîtrise d'œuvre (MOE) Free scales. Benchmarks published by trade press. |
Full cycle — 8–15%, benchmark 10%. Up to building permit (permis de construire) only — ≈ 3%. Supervision + working drawings — 5–10%. |
APS → APD → PC → DCE → DET → AOR. |
| United States AIA |
AIA Owner-Architect Agreement The Sherman Antitrust Act forbids the institute from recommending mandatory scales. AIA publishes guidance. |
New construction — 8–15%, sometimes up to 20% (premium, custom). Renovation — 10–20%. Custom homes: 10–20% typically. |
5 base phases: SD → DD → CD → Bidding → CA. |
| Netherlands / Belgium BNA / Ordre |
Free scales. BNA / Ordre des Architectes comparison | Belgium — 5–15%, or €45–59/hour (gross). Netherlands — 5–15%. |
Close to RIBA phasing. |
Sources: RIBA — Setting fees · HOAI Leistungsphasen · SIA Architects Law CH · UK fee data 2024 · AIA — Calculating fees · ACE Sector Study 2024 — Architectural Profession in Europe.
Germany's HOAI 2021 — 9 phases with precise percentages
Germany's HOAI is the most transparent regulation in Europe. The fee is broken into 9 clearly defined phases with exact percentages of the total fee. This makes it easy to compare which part of the work you are buying at each stage.
| Phase | Name | Share of fee | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| LP 1 | Grundlagenermittlung | 2% | Brief analysis, problem definition |
| LP 2 | Vorplanung | 7% | Pre-design, variants, rough cost |
| LP 3 | Entwurfsplanung | 15% | Concept design, refined cost |
| LP 4 | Genehmigungsplanung | 3% | Building-permit documents |
| LP 5 | Ausführungsplanung | 25% | Working drawings |
| LP 6 | Vorbereitung der Vergabe | 10% | Tender documents, specifications |
| LP 7 | Mitwirkung bei der Vergabe | 4% | Tender support, bid evaluation |
| LP 8 | Objektüberwachung | 32% | Author supervision and site documentation |
| LP 9 | Objektbetreuung | 2% | Warranty-period support |
| Total LP 1–9 (full cycle) | 100% | ~10–14% of the construction estimate for Honorarzone III | |
Source: HOAI.de · Leistungsphasen, Honorartafeln.
Where Vitaliy's 9–12% lands on the European scale
Comparison by range
- RIBA UK 2024: 8–10% for a new house → I'm inside the band
- HOAI Germany (Zone III): 12–14% full cycle → I'm at the lower bound
- SIA Switzerland: 10–18% typical → I'm in the lower half
- MOE France: 8–15%, benchmark 10% → I'm in the middle
- AIA US: 8–15% new build, 10–20% premium → I'm in the middle
What this means in practice
My 3% for concept + 6–9% for working drawings = 9–12% full cycle — sitting at the lower bound of the institutional standards of Europe and the US.
The result — a vedic-architecture concept with a triple cross-check (Vastu Vidya + Western Φ canon + Russian sazhens) that, billed in the UK, Germany or Switzerland, would cost 30–60% more.
This isn't «cheaper because lower quality». It's the lower bound of RIBA pricing — with added proportioning expertise and a remote-first format.
Worth knowing: mandatory scales no longer exist in Europe
Following the 2019 ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (case C-377/17 «Commission v Germany»), HOAI's mandatory scales were found incompatible with the EU Services Directive. Similar changes occurred in Austria (2014), the United Kingdom (back in 1981) and Italy (2006). Today these scales serve as guidance, not as obligations.
Every European architect may set their own price. Institutes (RIBA, HOAI, SIA, AIA) publish guidance — for client orientation and the protection of professional standards. My 9–12% is a deliberate choice: remain at the lower bound of institutional norms while maintaining a premium level of expertise.
Full package — total cost for different house sizes
Below are sample full-cycle costs (concept + working drawings + supervision) for various private houses. Minimums are factored in.
| House | Construction | Concept (min €4K · 3%) | Working (min €10K · 6–9%) | Total project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 m² compact | €80,000 | €4,000 (minimum) | €10,000 (minimum) | €14,000 |
| 180 m² medium | €140,000 | €4,200 | €10,000–12,600 | €14,200–16,800 |
| 250 m² spacious | €220,000 | €6,600 | €13,200–19,800 | €19,800–26,400 |
| 400 m² large | €400,000 | €12,000 | €24,000–36,000 | €36,000–48,000 |
Payment terms
The fee is split into three tranches:
| Tranche | When | Share |
|---|---|---|
| First | At the start, after brief and contract | 30% |
| Second | After the concept master plan is approved | 40% |
| Third | On delivery of the completed album | 30% |
Payments are settled in euros, or in another currency by agreement. Bank transfer, IBAN, cryptocurrency are all accepted.
Combined packages and discounts
- Concept + Working drawings as a bundle — a single fee of 9–12% of construction, fixed at the start, no surprises.
- Large projects (construction over €1M) — bespoke arrangement.
- Residential developments of 5+ houses — 30% discount on each subsequent type-house.
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