ᐅ Is it possible to determine the deductible costs with a rough estimate?

Hello everyone,

Now that the land is almost definitely secured and we have had initial talks with architects, one of them appeals to us quite well. Only one question remains unclear: How high will the fee be? According to the architect, he will provide a detailed fee breakdown before each work package. However, this doesn’t help me because I need to know the approximate costs BEFORE commissioning in order to properly calculate the overall project budget. After using the HOAI calculators, I arrived at a fee of 61,000€ for a total sum of roughly 400,000€ despite the minimum rate! If that is really the case, I will quickly reconsider the idea of building with an architect. I assume that the 400,000€ total cost does not include all billable items and that I am probably making a mistake in calculating the fee. The question is: How can I estimate an architect’s fee based only on an approximate total amount without a detailed breakdown of the individual construction costs, so I can include it in my overall budget?

Can I ask the architect for a fee offer in advance, specifying what the fee would be based on the corresponding total amount?

Thanks for your advice!

Best regards
Martin

Eligible costs include everything related to the architect and other professionals, meaning the construction of the building, garage, etc. If there are outdoor facilities, these are also included. Not included are costs for utility connections, fees, and similar expenses.

61,000 from 400,000 seems a bit high to me as well. We were previously told "approximately 11%" (minimum rate), and that matched our experience.

Personally, I consider 45,000 euros to be quite a lot. I roughly estimated 25,000 euros, but that somehow goes beyond what I imagined.

mertmk3 schrieb:
Although I personally consider €45,000 (about $50,000) quite a lot. I roughly estimated €25,000 (about $28,000), but that somehow exceeds my expectations.

No. You definitely won’t get below 10–11%. You’ll also need structural engineering, site supervision, etc.

If that already feels too much for you, an architect might not be the right choice anyway. With an architect, the house can quickly become tens of thousands of euros (in our case over €100,000) more expensive. Why? Because you have access to the entire market, not just a selection of 5 tiles and 3 doors. Architects often come up with really great ideas… unfortunately, they are not cheap either.

I’m just wondering why I practically get the planning services for free from the construction company when, according to HOAI, they should be quite expensive. And there is often an architect involved even then.
€60,000 just for planning services doesn’t seem like “too much for you” to me.

mertmk3 schrieb:
I’m just wondering why I basically get the planning service for free from the construction company, when according to HOAI it should be so expensive. And even then, an architect is often involved.
€60,000 just for planning services doesn’t seem to me like “that’s too much for you.”

Because a) with a construction company, you get a ready-made house from a catalog, so nothing is individually designed, and b) those costs are hidden in the overall house price.

It’s really that simple.