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Drawings & documents · Fees

Hours and the fee

Estimate the hours task by task, then set the fee three ways and check it against those hours.

The hour estimate #

The Hours tab is a table of numbered sections (like "2-0 Schematic design"), each with its tasks.

The four numbers at the top:

  • Hours to land it: hours in sections that aren't billable, like admin and writing the proposal.
  • Hours to complete it: hours in billable sections.
  • Total hours expected: both, with the admin share.
  • Fee from hours: billable hours at their rates, with the fee at 80% and 120% of the hours beside it.

Rates and settings #

  • Hourly rate: the default rate for any task with no role.
  • Hours per day: how many hours a "day" of work is.
  • Efficiency: 100% uses the estimate as typed. Below 100% means the work takes longer than planned: at 75%, the hours are divided by 0.75.
  • + Role rate: add a role (like Principal or Staff) with its own rate. Tasks can use it.

The card's corner shows the blended rate: the fee from hours divided by the billable hours.

Sections #

Click + Section at the bottom of the table to add one. In its row:

  • the section's name
  • Billable: untick for hours you spend to land the project but don't bill
  • Lump sum or Hourly: how that part is billed
  • the fee phase its hours belong to (or No phase). The phase split compares each phase's fee with these hours.
  • move up, move down, and remove

Tasks #

Click + Task under a section. For each task, pick how its hours are counted:

  • Days: days × hours per day.
  • Hours: hours typed directly.
  • Count × h: a count times hours each, like rooms to survey × hours per room.

Then pick a Role, or leave it on Default rate. Each row shows its hours and, in billable sections, its fee.

Set the fee #

On the Fee tab, The fee you set picks which number becomes the Chosen fee:

  • % of cost
  • $ per SF
  • Hours × rate
  • My number: type your own fee.

You can also click Use this on any of the three method cards below. The chosen card says Chosen.

The service scope and quality come from the left column.

Percent of construction cost #

The % of construction cost card has one row per scope, each with its own percent. Edit the percents to match how you charge.

Run against picks which construction cost the percent applies to: Low, Mid, High or Actual. Actual is the construction budget from the left column; with no budget typed, it uses the mid estimate. The highlighted cell is the one in use. The cost comes from the Construction cost tab.

Cost per SF #

The $ per SF card has a rate per scope for each quality. The fee is the rate × the building SF (conditioned plus unconditioned) at your quality.

SF column scales the area: 80%, Accurate or 120%.

Hours × rate #

The Hours × rate card shows the billable hours, the blended rate, and the fee from hours, with the fee at 80% and 120% of the hours.

Check the fee against the hours #

The four numbers at the top of the Fee tab check the chosen fee:

  • Chosen fee, and the method it came from.
  • Effective rate: the fee divided by the billable hours, next to your planned blended rate.
  • Hours the fee buys: the fee divided by the blended rate, next to the estimate.
  • Against the estimate: how many hours the fee covers beyond the estimate, or how many it's short.

Green means the fee covers the hours. Red means it's short. With no tasks yet, add some on the Hours tab.