ᐅ How much does an architect cost?

Hello,
we are currently looking for an architect in Berlin. The first one we contacted immediately quoted the maximum fee allowed according to the fee schedule. That really surprised me. How much did your architects charge?
Katharina

You should get several offers. An architect usually has some flexibility, and if you mention that you have another who can offer a lower price, they will often reduce their fee. It’s like poker; a little bluffing is necessary.

I have also experienced that architects get annoyed when you say you want to consult several others and see if they charge less. Then they suddenly lower their price... but you should always ask others anyway.

Just like Fliese said, we did the same. And everyone lowered their prices. The one we eventually chose was even reduced by one third. Others offered even bigger discounts, but their quality wasn’t as good.

I would also strongly recommend never accepting the first offer. Always ask for several, including examples of past work and price estimates. We chose the architect with the best price-performance ratio, who also lowered their price because there was competition.

Yes, I agree with the others! And just as Rohbau describes, that’s how my parents did it as well. It’s important to let all the architects know that you are also looking elsewhere and that there are other offers that might be more affordable. Most of them are usually willing to lower their price (which is often initially exaggerated anyway).