Hi! I am a 4th year undergrad architecture student and I recently got an offer to draw some plans for a client. I was wondering if anyone could help me with how to charge the client. It is a small project and I would just be drawing plans. In advance, I appreciate everyone's advice!
Non Sequitur
Jun 8, 18 11:45 am
Are you legally allowed too? Depending on the location, your local arch association, or even building department, might take issue.
Sugey
Jun 8, 18 11:53 am
Since it is a small project the owner will take the plans to the city for review and they can then assign him an architect/contractor for the project. The plans are just to illustrate what the owner wants to do in his property to the city.
JLC-1
Jun 8, 18 12:25 pm
drawing plans is
illegal? the police is getting crazy.....
Non Sequitur
Jun 8, 18 12:31 pm
It is if done for permitting in my area... well, not arrest-able illegal, just fines and the high likelihood that the client needs to pay someone else to get to work done.
JLC-1
Jun 8, 18 12:37 pm
right, but he's just drawing the plans for somebody - the act of drawing plans, not the bureaucracy of presenting plans to the inquisition.
Non Sequitur
Jun 8, 18 12:39 pm
^correct, as was clarified above. I was just expanding on my initial comment.
Cost should be amount of hours estimated times twice the local minimum wage.
mtn_mn
Jun 8, 18 12:16 pm
I would come up with an hourly rate for drafting services that you feel is appropriate. You shouldn't have a legal issue unless you are claiming to offer professional architectural services.
randomised
Jun 8, 18 12:23 pm
Worked as a freelancer for an experimental design and build office after bachelor and at beginning of masters, very inspirational and insightful but it screwed up my first semester of my masters. So beware that it will take a lot of time, much more than you think in advance, and that it might interfere with your schoolwork...other than that great learning experience, I went from sitting in lectures to drilling and grinding my own drawings into reality the same day.
Sugey
Jun 8, 18 12:36 pm
No, there wont be any legal issues at all. I would like to know if anyone has done this before and how did they charge? The client would like a flat fee for the drawings. So what do y'all advice me?
JLC-1
Jun 8, 18 12:46 pm
flat fee with revisions could be a loss for you; estimate how many hours it will take you, use nonseq number for fee, and add a clause that any review will be billed at x/hour outside of the original scope.
Non Sequitur
Jun 8, 18 12:49 pm
Sugey, my number was twice your local minimum wage X the amount of time you expect to spend. Make sure to clearly list out the scope to the client so that they don't add more work for free.
mtn_mn
Jun 8, 18 1:07 pm
This sounds low to me. I wouldn't charge less than $40/hr, even as a student. I suppose it depends on your market. Don't undervalue your time.
Smile of Fury
Jun 8, 18 1:15 pm
- After you come up with your fixed price get 1/4 of it at least before you even start the job. Don't provide any final drawings until the total amount has been paid.
- Write out a scope of work that the flat fee covers. Include a set number of revisions. Anything the client asks for outside of that should be hourly. JLC is right, this is a great way to lose money.
- Are you paying for the software you're going to use? If you want to be a professional you should act like one. Figure out how much the license will cost and work that into your fee
- $40/hr seems like a reasonable ballpark rate, of course that's subject to all kinds of other factors, including where you are.
Hi! I am a 4th year undergrad architecture student and I recently got an offer to draw some plans for a client. I was wondering if anyone could help me with how to charge the client. It is a small project and I would just be drawing plans. In advance, I appreciate everyone's advice!
Are you legally allowed too? Depending on the location, your local arch association, or even building department, might take issue.
Since it is a small project the owner will take the plans to the city for review and they can then assign him an architect/contractor for the project. The plans are just to illustrate what the owner wants to do in his property to the city.
drawing plans is illegal? the police is getting crazy.....
It is if done for permitting in my area... well, not arrest-able illegal, just fines and the high likelihood that the client needs to pay someone else to get to work done.
right, but he's just drawing the plans for somebody - the act of drawing plans, not the bureaucracy of presenting plans to the inquisition.
^correct, as was clarified above. I was just expanding on my initial comment.
Cost should be amount of hours estimated times twice the local minimum wage.
I would come up with an hourly rate for drafting services that you feel is appropriate. You shouldn't have a legal issue unless you are claiming to offer professional architectural services.
Worked as a freelancer for an experimental design and build office after bachelor and at beginning of masters, very inspirational and insightful but it screwed up my first semester of my masters. So beware that it will take a lot of time, much more than you think in advance, and that it might interfere with your schoolwork...other than that great learning experience, I went from sitting in lectures to drilling and grinding my own drawings into reality the same day.
No, there wont be any legal issues at all. I would like to know if anyone has done this before and how did they charge? The client would like a flat fee for the drawings. So what do y'all advice me?
flat fee with revisions could be a loss for you; estimate how many hours it will take you, use nonseq number for fee, and add a clause that any review will be billed at x/hour outside of the original scope.
Sugey, my number was twice your local minimum wage X the amount of time you expect to spend. Make sure to clearly list out the scope to the client so that they don't add more work for free.
This sounds low to me. I wouldn't charge less than $40/hr, even as a student. I suppose it depends on your market. Don't undervalue your time.
- After you come up with your fixed price get 1/4 of it at least before you even start the job. Don't provide any final drawings until the total amount has been paid.
- Write out a scope of work that the flat fee covers. Include a set number of revisions. Anything the client asks for outside of that should be hourly. JLC is right, this is a great way to lose money.
- Are you paying for the software you're going to use? If you want to be a professional you should act like one. Figure out how much the license will cost and work that into your fee
- $40/hr seems like a reasonable ballpark rate, of course that's subject to all kinds of other factors, including where you are.