My wife and I are starting the process of designing a home and I have never worked with an architect before. Construction is my trade and I will be the GC on this build, I just need someone to design a badass house.

My background- I am currently a superintendent for a production builder in New Braunfels. Previously, I was a superintendent for mid-end custom home builder and an assistant superintendent for a commercial GC building schools in Austin.

This will be the first time I hire an architect and build a house on my own, so I have a few questions. Most importantly - what is a reasonable fee to have an architect design a high-end custom home in central Texas? All I need is the architectural floor plans/elevations and then I can handle it from there (I have contacts with multiple engineering firms to design the structure).

Anyone have experience in this arena? Thanks!

Sounds like you need a designer, instead of an architect. An architect focuses on all aspects of building design and makes sure building codes are met. They usually charge a set fee based on the overall cost of the project (5%-20%...big bucks). In comparison, a designer focuses layout planning, space usage, and aesthetic design choices by creating floor plans and elevations. Some designers charge set fees based on sq footage, many charge by the hour. Whatever the case, they are a lot cheaper to hire. Generally, I would budget around $8K-$15K, assuming the house is around 3-5,000 sq ft and is nothing too out of the ordinary for an custom home.

I would recommend that you come up with a rough layout plan and decide what style of house you are looking for before meeting with a designer. Collect pictures of other houses you would ike to share with the designer in order to give them an visual idea of what you have in mind or prefer. This, and avoiding lots of 'back and forth' design changes, will help you save time and money during this phase.

We hired a designer a few years ago. We found him by asking the custom home builders in our area for recommendations. His name consistently came up. We interviewed him, looked at his previous designs, and then decided to hire him (Ken Boyd at Design One in Dallas). He doesn't advertise or have a website, probably because he gets so many referrals...maybe because he is old-school...maybe a little of both.

Great suggestion and insight. Thank you!

You get what you pay for ... if you're lucky, a builder buddy once quoted

We've done the % and the BTSF but what serves the Owners & Builders best is BTH.
The side benefit to those that do their homework is that the costs can be same/less with more IQ on board when needed.

Otherwise, I agree with the above comments.
My email is EZ to Google for a PDF Promo that explains more in the vein of this Q
YOU design the Bid Set package needs that can be $1/Total SF more or less.
More than that, invades our golfing time but we will not omit anything important or needed.

If you only need someone to hold your hand gratis through the interviewing, then hiring phase, I can do .... via email.

Agree firmly with the need for a 'designer'.

As a career cabinetmaker, I have met three general types of 'designers'.

First there are the elite ones. We're talking $300-$500 per hour, ones who will do crazy nice plans. But they will cost you a ton, will take forever, and may not listen to what YOU (the homeowner) has to say. They will do the work as a monument to their ego.

Second, is someone who has picked out some paint colors, wall paper, or countertops with friends, started their own business and call themselves a designer when they are really decorators. They may not be able to draw or come up with what you need. The bulk of 'designers' I have met in my 35 years of business fall into this category.

Last, IMO a true designer has back round in some level of decorating, but their skill is in space planning. Getting to know the client, their way of life, how they may live in 10-20 years, planning for the aging process (kitchen organizers, grab bars in baths, etc.). They will be able to sketch in front of you, do renderings, and possibly some level of scaled drawings.

If you find a decent one, you may not need to spend nearly as much on an architect. Hopefully they can work hand-in-hand so you get what you need and want for a reasonable price without a lot of duplication.

Bottom line, see their work. Talk to their customers. It's a big decision.

The two that I talked to in DFW when we were designing our home were $5/SF for design. This included all the back & forth but I had a rough design on sketch up that I had done to fit the lot and we negotiated a lower price for them to refine it.

This topic comes up every couple of months. Fees are going to range all over the place from $/SF proposals to % of construction costs. I have seen some recently as low as a $2-3/ SF. That's going to be a pretty basic set of plans (floor plans and elevations, maybe a typical section or 2 and some interior elevations with selections) and honestly it's probably suitable for like 95% of people.

My firm is pretty much 5-6% depending on the size of the house and home are typically $500-800/SF so a much more niche market in the San Antonio and Hill Country area. It's not atypical to be working on a set of plans for 6-9 months and then another 18-24 months of construction.

So to answer the question anywhere from 10k-200k

Howdy! I'm residential designer for a custom home builder in the Houston/Hill Country area. I also do homes on the side. $2-3 per sqft or percentage-based fees are for the over-priced, expensive firms. My fee is $1.50/total covered sqft. It would get you the full set of construction drawings including floor plan, exterior elevations, electrical, interiors, roof, rough plumbing/form layout and site plan. I'd be happy to help answer any questions you have.

https://www.houzz.com/pro/stevenbyrne

Well, since the 70's the percentage fees quotes exclude those projects that don't involve the Architect & their time in such topics. Changes = time = fees and sooo many arise - even for simple jobs - sooooo Architects & Engineers calculated P&O from past jobs and produced a simple quote of percentages, then crossed their fingers. The eventual project profits were supposed to overwhelm the occational losses but some did not fare well.

%-jobs I've seen or participated in past are most always large commercial or hospitals, luxury hold-your-hand residential from single to multiple. Such projects like these might take up so much Architect time that those in the firm charged with being on site, 24/7 hand-holding might only produce 5-7 in their career/lifetime. Fun for some, not for me. Me = BTH and such has always been fairest to all involved.

BTW there are ALL KINDS of Architects and just like doctors, many are specialists in one building type or another.

P&O Profit & Overhead
BTH By The Hour
BTW By The Way
70's 1970 era
https://www.dictionary.com/e/acronyms/

Why is a contractors fee on percentage? Same thing applies. Picking some engineered wood from home depot versus some exotic or reclaimed flooring that's 4 times the cost isn't any more difficult to install. The percentage really comes down to more expensive homes typically are more complex and have additional drawings and details required. It's also why we typically just set that as the cap fee and charge hourly against that total. Most times under but sometimes we go over and eat it or the owner realizes they made a bunch of changes and pay some additional services.

YIKES
Was the SF you mentioned TOTAL or LIVING?
What services did they provide beyond a set of Plans/prints to serve as Bid/Construction?
Usually we refer Extras to Specialists not trained to be Architects, nor we trained to be them.

Bottom Line:
Happy thus far? How many years now?

I've got a contact In San Antonio if you're still looking.

No Stars so just.give me a call. 713 212 9359