sconnor707 Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Can you all provide some typical hourly rates to charge for drafting/chief architect work? I am an independent contractor and would to get some feedback on rates. I looked through the forum and could only find one post that quoted $25/hr. THANKS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRAWZILLA Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 These day ,I would get whatever you can, I never charge by the hour but by the job, that way I can do it faster and make more money and there is no problem with the customer complaining about your hours spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Carrick Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 You will get what you pay for. Depending on the capabilities of the person you hire and the type of work, you can expect to pay up to $100 per hour - or maybe a bit more. Several (probably most) of the power users charge $80-$100 per hour. There are some Chief users that may charge as little as $25 but you might be disappointed in the performance. The power users are much faster and have their systems fine-tuned to produce as much quality work as possible in the shortest amount of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsquaretech Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 The rule of thumb is take your wage amount and multiply by 3 to establish a billing rate. This generally allows for overhead and profit needed to operate a firm. If you are a free lancer without a formal office, you charge much less and you bug the heck out of us trying to run a firm. Bug the heck - I'm trying to be polite.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbuttery Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 rate can vary vastly from location to location some charge by hour, some by flat rate, some by sqft I never did sqft but would quess-timate all three and then give estimate based on the combined info - not sure I ever got it "right" one suggestion is to find the local rate for garage mechanics and basic plumbers or electricians or other trades but if you are just starting out then charge less until you establish experience and a reputation then move towards the higher rate never, ever work for free or vastly reduced rate I did my first project for free - never should have done that I should have said if it goes to permit then pay $x Lew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryceEngstrom Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Currently, $110 an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gawdzira Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Way too many variables. Where do you live? What is your experience? What are you doing (drafting, designing, coordination, submitting plans, planning commission meetings, extended research...)? Who is your clientele (builders, home owners, developers, the internet)? Are you experienced with the software? How hungry are you? Do you own a boat? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McQueen3D Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I charged $25 an hour as a freelancer, in 2005. Sorry to bug the the "firms" but that kept me off welfare for a while. The hours were great, too. That price got you the 3D model and visuals only, not permit-ready prints. Definately not enough to run a growing business on, though. In a cheap area it would take almost twice that and in a major metro area, three times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 A huge thing to consider is how good you are at what you do. Seems to be totally diregarded by some people. One person may only be worth $25.00 an hour depending on how fast and knowledgeable he/she is. Another guy may know a lot more, have a lot more predawn details, and may be able to get the job done 4 times as fast. So that person may well charge $125 an hour and be the better deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshall Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 If someone asked Bryce what he charges per hour, 110.00/hr, that might scare the perspective client away. But believe me, I would rather pay Bryce 110.00/ hr than somebody 35/hr and he is no good. You really get what you pay for. So what should you charge? How good are you? Are you as good and as quick as Bryce, if so, charge 110.00/hr. I ain't in Bryce's league, somewhere along the road he raised his rates higher than mine..... nice job Bryce..... but I bet Bryce is worth the money. I quote a fairly high fee, and if someone goes somewhere else, I am in a pretty good position now that I do not care. I do not want to be the cheapest guy on the block. So funny, I used to be proud of the fact that I was the cheapest guy on the block..... and it worked okay for me...... I mean how much does it cost to furnish the underside of a freeway overpass. After we pay our dues, it's time to reap the rewards. Some of us have been paying our dues since the Magna Carta was written.... is that you JC? I have been around since the Declaration of Independence was signed...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich_Winsor Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 ..... I do not want to be the cheapest guy on the block. So funny, I used to be proud of the fact that I was the cheapest guy on the block..... and it worked okay for me...... I mean how much does it cost to furnish the underside of a freeway overpass. LOL! I don't remember which of the first astronauts it was. Alan Shepard, I believe, who when asked what he was thinking while sitting on top of a rocket about to be launched into space replied that he was thinking that the rocket had been built by the lowest bidder. BTW, I think I'm beginning to see why your internet connection is so slow. Time-Warner isn't going to upgrade service to that overpass any time soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcrump Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 A contractor friend of mine summed it up well with the phrase "At the end of the day I would rather go home tired and hungry than tired, hungry and broke". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbuttery Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 look around your area and see what garage mechanics charge and skilled handymen and basic plumbers and other trades then consider your skills for the services you offer then charge a getting started rate with the intent to raise it\ after you have a few projects completed and have a proven track record keep track of your bid success percentage if you are getting 60% or more of every job you bid on - you're rate is probably too low if you are getting less than 30% - you're rate may be too high or you stink as a salesman or have bad breath or ??? Lew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairhaven_Homes Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 We have a design-build program that charges $110 per hour in Northern VA. When it began we charged $50 during the solw down years 2007-11. We make money on designs but the real reason for the fee is weeding out clients that don't want to pay for services. We've had clients eat up weeks of our time pricing internet homes and as soon as you ask for a dime the're gone so we started handing out the design agreement at the first meeting setting the tone as a serious business. I want the client to respect my time and efforts and we'll treat them and their family like gold. Otherwise we'd prefer they move on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbuttery Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I've always believed that you don't give the client a choice on doing design just as they have no choice to skip framing or roofs or permits design should be mandatory Lew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoenixPhlash Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 $125 per hour, plus engineering and t-24. Full docs ready for permit. No extra charge for permit cycle corrections. Base price [minimum] $4,200.00 for additions, $2,800.00 for interior renovation/remodel. Additional services to add would be contract consulting, project supervision/consulting (construction phase services), permit acquisition, contractor/sub-contractor review, or actual contract for construction by us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis_Gavin Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 "Do you own a boat?" That's FUNNY! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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