What will the design and permitting fees cost?

In addition to the construction cost, one should factor design and permitting fees into their budget.

All fees tend to track relative to construction costs. For example, a larger project will take more money to build, requiring more time for architects and engineers to document and the jurisdiction to review the project. Each project will break down differently based on many factors, but we find our design fees will track within 8-12% for a typical project.

The biggest factors impacting the fee are scope of work, interactions of design, design changes, and legal requirements. For example, if a project is relatively small, say simply a bathroom, kitchen, or deck project, our fees could track higher than 12% since there is a standard amount of work any project requires particularly with design development / permitting. The general rule is that cost savings apply as projects scale up, so a large remodel such as a whole house remodel will equate to the lower end of our estimates.

Other factors like permitting will fall within 2-4% of construction cost. Engineering will vary significantly based on the type of engineer (Geotechnical, Civil, Structural) and scope of work, but for budgeting would be good to assume 1-4% each.