How do designers, architects and contractors charge for their services?
Everyone works a bit differently, so it’s important to clarify in pre-contract conversations just how they do charge. In general, contractors and builders will provide you with a bid for the overall project, based on labor costs and desired materials. Architects and independent designers tend to be fee-based, and will charge based on the time or overall budget involved in the project. Some mark up products and allied professionals’ labor. Some don’t. Some take professional discounts and charge you full price; in these instances, the 10 to 15 percent is added to their compensation. Some kitchen and bath showrooms apply retainers or design fees to the cabinetry sales, but mark up labor provided by their subcontractors to cover their coordination time. It’s important to understand how you’ll be charged, and what you’re getting for those charges, in order to truly compare different bids.
