Hiring an architect costs $6,623 on average according to Angi and HomeAdvisor; Fixr reports a $26,000 to $71,000 range for full architectural services on a new 2,500 sq. ft. home build.1,2,3 Angi (2026 data) and HomeAdvisor (2025 data) publish a matching $6,623 national average, with most homeowners spending $2,189 – $11,541; smaller projects can run as low as $550 and larger engagements can exceed $50,000.1,2 Fixr (updated December 2022) scopes its $48,500 national average to plans, design, and construction oversight for a new 2,500 sq. ft. home, with low-end jobs at $2,500 (an initial meeting plus custom design plans with no continuing oversight) and high-end jobs at $150,000 (full design and oversight of a custom 3,000 sq. ft. high-end build by a senior architect).3 Prices below are national averages*.
*National averages, not local quotes. Your price depends on project size and complexity, the fee structure, the architect’s experience, how involved they stay through construction, and local labor rates.
$6,623
national average (Angi/HomeAdvisor)
$48,500
average – full services, new 2,500 sq. ft. home (Fixr, 2022)
$2,189–$11,541
most homeowners (Angi/HomeAdvisor)
$2–$15
per sq. ft. (HomeAdvisor/Fixr)
What the sources say
| Source | Headline figures | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Angi (2026 data, updated Oct 2026) | $6,623 average; most homeowners $2,189 – $11,541; low-end $550; high-end $50,000+ | Corporate sibling of HomeAdvisor |
| HomeAdvisor (2025 data, updated Jun 2026) | $6,623 average; normal range $2,189 – $11,541 | Matching figures alone don’t establish independent corroboration between the siblings |
| Fixr (updated Dec 2022) | $48,500 average scoped to full services on a new 2,500 sq. ft. home; range $26,000 – $71,000; low-end $2,500; high-end $150,000 | Average carries a defined job scope; figures are older |
The siblings’ matching figures are presented as published. Where sources publish different figures for the same item, both are shown and the difference is not explained by the sources. The siblings’ general averages cover any residential project, while Fixr’s headline average covers a full-service new home build – the bases differ and are not compared directly.
Fee structures
Architects bill in several ways, and many firms combine methods across project phases.2,3
| Fee structure | HomeAdvisor (2025) | Fixr (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Per square foot | $2 – $15 | $2 – $15 |
| Hourly | Principal $150 – $250; project manager $125; intern $65 – $90 | $60 – $400 overall; most jobs $100 – $200 |
| Percentage of construction cost | 5% – 20% overall; 8% – 15% typical | 5% – 20% overall; 10% – 15% most projects |
| Fixed fee within mixed billing | – | Less common: a fixed fee for the management/oversight phase of a project otherwise billed by other methods, roughly 40% of the total architect fee (Fixr example: $16,000 of a $40,000 bill) |
The $2 – $15 per-square-foot figures and the 5% – 20% percentage spans are published by both HomeAdvisor and Fixr – separately published figures, and the pages state no shared sourcing.2,3
Hourly rates by role
The publishers define roles differently, so the figures below are not compared directly.1,2,3
Angi (2026): licensed architect $100 – $250, junior architect $60 – $120, draftsperson $50 – $100, project manager $80 – $150.1
HomeAdvisor (2025): principal architect $150 – $250, project manager $125, intern $65 – $90.2
Fixr (2022): intern $60 – $90, project manager $110 – $350, senior architect $200 – $400.3
Cost by project type
HomeAdvisor (2025) publishes residential project totals: home additions $2,400 – $14,000, full renovations $2,400 – $17,600, kitchen remodels $1,800 – $8,500, and bathroom remodels $800 – $3,500. For new construction it reports $25,000 – $40,000, and for full custom home builds $10,000 – $60,000.2
Fixr (2022) splits each project type into drawings-only and drawings-plus-oversight – a different basis from HomeAdvisor, so the two are not compared directly:3
| Project type (Fixr, 2022) | Drawings only | Drawings + oversight |
|---|---|---|
| Small project | $2,500 – $5,000 | $5,000 – $10,000 |
| Home addition | $4,000 – $9,000 | $8,000 – $20,000 |
| Remodel | $8,000 – $10,000 | $16,000 – $40,000 |
| New construction | $10,000 – $30,000 | $20,000 – $150,000 |
Angi (2026) prices by project size instead: a small remodel runs $5 – $15 per sq. ft. ($2,500 – $7,500 total), a medium addition $4 – $12 per sq. ft. ($4,000 – $12,000), and a large custom home $2 – $10 per sq. ft. ($6,000 – $30,000).1
Percentage fees by project
Where architects bill a percentage of construction cost, Fixr (2022) reports additions at 12% – 18%, remodels approaching 20%, and new home builds averaging 8% – 10% – dropping toward 5% for large homes and rising toward 15% for complex projects. HomeAdvisor (2025) reports 8% – 15% as typical for residential work overall.2,3
HomeAdvisor works an example: for a home build costing $115,000 – $450,000, percentage fees come to $9,200 – $67,500, averaging $32,500.2
Plans, blueprints, and drawings
HomeAdvisor (2025) prices building plans or blueprints at $2,000 – $20,000 depending on project size, not including revisions or oversight.2 Fixr (2022) prices custom plans at $2,500 – $15,000 and bills drawing work hourly: $60 – $250 per hour to modify pre-designed stock plans and $110 – $400 per hour for custom house plans.3 The two publishers’ plan figures differ, and the sources do not explain the difference.
Add-ons and related costs
The publishers price common add-ons differently, so the columns are not compared directly.1,2,3
| Add-on | Angi (2026) | HomeAdvisor (2025) | Fixr (2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3D renderings | $500 – $3,000 | $200 – $2,000 per image | $150 – $1,000 (up to $10,000 for multiple renderings) |
| Interior design consultation | $1,000 – $7,500 | – | – |
| Permit application assistance | $500 – $2,500 | – | – |
| Building permit (the permit itself) | – | $1,200 – $2,000 | $500 – $2,000 |
| Land survey | – | $200 – $1,100 | $400 – $1,000 |
| Reimbursable expenses | – | Passed through at cost | Cost plus 10% – 25% admin fee |
HomeAdvisor (2025) also publishes average fees by design phase – schematic design $6,656, formal design $5,600, construction plans $4,300, bid selection $1,600, and hands-on management $1,300 – without stating the project size those figures are based on. Fixr (2022) instead breaks the full-service fee into phase percentages, with construction documents and administration taking the largest shares.2,3
Related specialties
Fixr (2022) reports commercial architects charging 2.5% – 12% of total building costs on larger commercial projects, and residential landscape architects charging $70 – $150 per hour, or $2,000 – $7,000 for most full-scale design services.3
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire an architect?
Angi and HomeAdvisor report a $6,623 national average with most homeowners spending $2,189 – $11,541 across all residential projects. Fixr’s $48,500 average is scoped to full architectural services on a new 2,500 sq. ft. home build; small drawings-only jobs start around $2,500.1,2,3
How do architects charge for their work?
Common structures are hourly rates ($60 – $400 per Fixr; role-dependent rates from all three sources), per-square-foot fees of $2 – $15, and percentages of construction cost (5% – 20%, most often 8% – 15%). Many firms combine structures across project phases.1,2,3
What does an architect cost for a remodel or addition?
HomeAdvisor reports $2,400 – $14,000 for additions and $2,400 – $17,600 for full renovations. Fixr prices additions at $4,000 – $9,000 for drawings only ($8,000 – $20,000 with oversight) and remodels at $8,000 – $10,000 ($16,000 – $40,000 with oversight). The bases differ, so the figures are not compared directly.2,3
Related guides
Building Permit Cost
Structural Engineer Cost
Home Addition Cost
Kitchen Remodel Cost
Bathroom Remodel Cost
All cost guides
Sources
1. Angi — How Much Does an Architect Cost? (2026 data)
2. HomeAdvisor — How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Architect? (2025 data)
3. Fixr — Architect Cost (updated Dec 2022)