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How much does an architect charge in Mexico?

By Arkham Projects · Published on · Data reviewed on

In Mexico, the 2022 housing fee schedule of FCARM, the national federation of architects' associations, sets a minimum of 4% of the estimated construction cost for a complete executive project (proyecto ejecutivo). It is a benchmark, not a mandatory rate: the Federal Civil Code lets architect and client set the fee by mutual agreement.⁠[1]⁠[2]

General information from third-party and official sources; not legal or tax advice.

How do architects charge?

How architects in Mexico charge and when each method is used. Source: Unión Internacional de Arquitectos (UIA), Comisión de Práctica Profesional, «Recommended Guideline for the Accord Policy on the Development of Architects Compensation» (aprobada en la Asamblea General de 2014); Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022; FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa. Data reviewed on September 28, 2026.
Fee methodHow it is calculatedWhen it is usedSource
Percentage of construction costA percentage of the construction cost that varies with project type, size and characteristics, and decreases as the cost rises.When there is an estimated construction cost. If that cost changes, the amount changes with it.[3] Unión Internacional de Arquitectos (UIA), Comisión de Práctica Profesional, «Recommended Guideline for the Accord Policy on the Development of Architects Compensation» (aprobada en la Asamblea General de 2014)
Per square meterA fixed amount per m² of gross or usable floor area (or per m³), tied to a project phase.When the floor area is known: the total is known as soon as the area is.[4] Unión Internacional de Arquitectos (UIA), Comisión de Práctica Profesional, «Recommended Guideline for the Accord Policy on the Development of Architects Compensation» (aprobada en la Asamblea General de 2014)
By time (hourly, daily or weekly)A rate by the hour, day or week for the time actually worked.When the work is hard to estimate in advance; the trade-off is an uncertain final amount.[5] Unión Internacional de Arquitectos (UIA), Comisión de Práctica Profesional, «Recommended Guideline for the Accord Policy on the Development of Architects Compensation» (aprobada en la Asamblea General de 2014)
Lump sumA fixed amount for the commission, calculated early on with one of the other methods.When you want to know the total from the start. The UIA notes that combining methods by project phase is often better for the project and the client.[6] Unión Internacional de Arquitectos (UIA), Comisión de Práctica Profesional, «Recommended Guideline for the Accord Policy on the Development of Architects Compensation» (aprobada en la Asamblea General de 2014)
By design stageThe executive project is split into stages: concept design, schematic design, construction documents and engineering.When only part of the project is contracted, for example concept design and schematic design.[7] Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022
Site direction by weeks and visitsA share of the design fee plus an amount for each week of construction, based on weekly site visits.When the architect also directs and supervises construction, not just the design.[8] FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa
Per site visit or consultationA fixed amount for each technical site visit or consultation, expressed in regional daily minimum wages.When you only need a one-off review of the works or a consultation, without hiring a full project.[9] FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa

Fee schedules published by third parties

Fee schedules published by third-party associations and bodies. Source: Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022; FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa; Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de Yucatán, A.C., «Aranceles profesionales del Ingeniero Civil». Data reviewed on September 28, 2026.
ItemValueSource
FCARM 2022 (housing): minimum fee for a complete executive project, all four stages, without affordability or repetition adjustments4% of the estimated construction cost (0.040 factor)[1] Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022
FCARM 2022 (housing): split of the executive project among concept design, schematic design, construction documents and engineering5% / 20% / 33% / 42%[7] Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022
FCARM 2022 (housing): formula (base cost per m², built area and factors for city, housing type, type of work, affordability, repetition and stages)H = CBM × V × FI × FGE × FM × FA × FR × FACP × FEPE[10] Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022
FCARM 2022 (housing): base construction cost per m² (CBM) used in the formula, from CMIC's parametric cost for T11 social housingMXN 9,286.80 per m² (November 2022)[11] Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022
FCARM 2022 (housing): base cost adjustment by type of houseMid-range ×1.15 · residential ×1.30 · luxury ×1.90[12] Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022
FCARM 2022 (housing): repeating the same house design, as a share of the first project's fee2nd: 40% · 3rd: 25% · 4th: 10% · 5th onward: 5%[13] Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022
FCARM 2007: minimum architectural design fee, as a percentage of the estimated direct construction costH = CO × FS × FR / 100[14] FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa
FCARM 2007: floor-area factor (S = project floor area in m²); the percentage decreases as the area growsFS = 15 − 2.5 × log(S)[15] FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa
FCARM 2007: responsible site director and site supervision5% of the design fee + an amount per construction week and visits[8] FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa
FCARM 2007: technical site visit (minimum)12 regional daily minimum wages[9] FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa
FCARM 2007: technical consultation (minimum)7 regional daily minimum wages[9] FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa
Yucatán Civil Engineers' Association (undated document; model contract from 2004): site direction and professional responsibility for residences15% of total fees[16] Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de Yucatán, A.C., «Aranceles profesionales del Ingeniero Civil»

Fee schedules published by third-party associations and bodies: not Arkham Projects' fees.

What an architectural project usually includes

  • The four stages of a housing executive project in the FCARM 2022 schedule: concept design, schematic design (anteproyecto), construction documents and engineering.
  • Site direction and supervision are not among those four stages: the FCARM 2007 schedule calculates them separately, by construction weeks and site visits.
  • In a full service for residences, the Yucatán Civil Engineers' Association schedule splits the fee among design, supervision, control, planning, administration and site direction.
  • Outside the FCARM 2022 schedule, to be agreed separately: complementary studies, special installations, travel expenses and specialist advice.
  • Also outside that schedule: permitting and paperwork, signatures of the responsible site director or co-responsible experts, and BIM models.

How Arkham Projects handles fees

How much does it cost to design a house with Arkham?

Every project is unique and the fees depend on it. In the first conversation we assess the plot, your needs and your budget, at no cost. In the working meeting with Jorge Duarte Torre you receive the order of magnitude of the fees, with no second appointment just to talk about money.

What percentage do architects charge in Mexico?

FCARM's fee schedules, the professional benchmark in Mexico, express the architect's fee as a percentage of the estimated construction cost. The 2022 housing schedule sets a minimum of 4% of that cost for a complete executive project (proyecto ejecutivo), as long as there are no affordability or repetition adjustments.

The percentage is not fixed: it falls as the project grows. In FCARM's 2007 schedule, minimum architectural design fees are a percentage of the estimated direct construction cost that depends on a floor-area factor, FS = 15 − 2.5 × log(S). The International Union of Architects (UIA) describes the same principle: the percentage varies with project type, size and characteristics, and decreases as the construction cost rises.

Sources: ⁠[1]⁠[14]⁠[15]⁠[3]

How much does an architect charge per square meter?

Charging per square meter is one of the methods recognized by the International Union of Architects (UIA): a fixed amount per m² of gross or usable floor area, tied to a project phase, so the total is known as soon as the area is. FCARM's 2022 housing schedule also starts from square meters and combines them with factors: its formula, H = CBM × V × FI × FGE × FM × FA × FR × FACP × FEPE, multiplies a base cost per m² by the built area and by factors for city, housing type, type of work, affordability, repetition and contracted stages.

That base cost (CBM) is CMIC's parametric cost for T11 social housing, which was MXN 9,286.80 per m² in November 2022. The same schedule adjusts it by type of house: ×1.15 for mid-range, ×1.30 for residential and ×1.90 for luxury homes. It is a 2022 construction cost, not what the architect charges for each square meter.

Sources: ⁠[4]⁠[10]⁠[11]⁠[12]

How much does an architect cost to draw plans?

In Mexico, the plans to build a house are part of the executive project (proyecto ejecutivo), and FCARM's 2022 housing schedule sets a minimum of 4% of the estimated construction cost for the complete executive project. That minimum comes from a 0.040 factor applied when all four stages are contracted (concept design, schematic design, construction documents and engineering) with no affordability or repetition adjustments; if fewer stages are contracted, the formula adjusts it with a factor for the contracted stages.

The minimum covers the project only. The schedule leaves out complementary studies, special installations, travel expenses, specialist advice, permitting and paperwork, signatures of the responsible site director or co-responsible experts, and BIM models, which are agreed separately as additional work. In Mérida, the building permit for a house larger than 45 m² requires 5 sets of drawings signed by a Municipal Construction Expert (PCM, Perito en Construcción Municipal): ask whether an architect's proposal includes that signature.

Sources: ⁠[1]⁠[7]⁠[10]⁠[17]⁠[18]

How much does an architect charge to oversee construction?

Overseeing construction is charged separately from design: in FCARM's 2007 schedule, the responsible site director and site supervision cost 5% of the design fee plus an amount for each week of construction, based on weekly site visits.

One-off visits have their own minimum: the same 2007 schedule sets 12 regional daily minimum wages for a technical site visit and 7 for a technical consultation. In Yucatán, the Civil Engineers' Association schedule for residences assigns 15% of total fees to site direction and professional responsibility, within a service that also covers design, supervision, control, planning and administration of the works. That document has no edition date; its model contract dates from 2004.

Sources: ⁠[8]⁠[9]⁠[16]

Are architect fee schedules mandatory in Mexico?

Not for the client: Mexico's Federal Civil Code lets the architect and the client set the fee by mutual agreement (Article 2606). Only when there is no agreement is the fee set according to local custom, the importance of the work and of the matter, the client's means and the professional's reputation; and where a fee schedule governs the services, that schedule is the standard for setting the fees claimed (Article 2607).

For architects, FCARM presents its schedule as a minimum baseline that members should not go below, with each member association responsible for enforcing it. Its actual use is limited: in an FCARM assessment involving more than 200 professionals from its seven regions (August 2022), only 23% of members used the fee schedules, due to differing local practices, values above market rates and lack of knowledge.

Sources: ⁠[2]⁠[19]⁠[20]⁠[21]⁠[22]

Frequently asked questions

How much does an architect charge per hour in Mexico?

When an architect charges by time, the International Union of Architects describes an hourly, daily or weekly rate for the time actually worked, which leaves the final amount uncertain. For consultations and site visits, FCARM's 2007 schedule sets a minimum for each one: 7 regional daily minimum wages for a technical consultation and 12 for a technical site visit.

Sources: ⁠[5]⁠[9]

How much does a schematic design cost in Mexico?

In FCARM's 2022 housing schedule, the schematic design (anteproyecto) accounts for 20% of the executive project, and the earlier concept design for 5%; construction documents take 33% and engineering 42%. The complete executive project has a minimum of 4% of the estimated construction cost; if only some stages are contracted, the schedule's formula adjusts them with a factor of its own.

Sources: ⁠[7]⁠[1]⁠[10]

How much does an architect charge per project?

A fixed price per project is what the International Union of Architects calls a lump sum: an amount calculated early on with one of the other methods, such as a percentage of construction cost, a rate per m² or time. The UIA notes that a combination of methods by project phase often serves the project and the client better than one single fee. To compare two lump sums, check which design stages, site services and extras each one includes.

Sources: ⁠[6]

How much VAT does an architect charge in Mexico?

Mexico's VAT Law sets a general rate of 16% (Article 1); the tax is known locally as IVA. When you compare proposals from architects, check whether each amount already includes VAT or whether it is added on top, and ask for the proposal to state it in writing, so you do not compare an amount with VAT against one without it.

Sources: ⁠[23]

Sources

  1. Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022 — For a complete housing executive project (all four stages), the 2022 FCARM schedule applies a 0.040 factor to the estimated construction cost; without affordability or repetition adjustments, the minimum equals 4% of that cost. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  2. Código Civil Federal, art. 2606 (Cámara de Diputados, LeyesBiblio) — In Mexico, the Federal Civil Code allows the provider and the client of professional services to set the fee by mutual agreement (Article 2606). (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  3. Unión Internacional de Arquitectos (UIA), Comisión de Práctica Profesional, «Recommended Guideline for the Accord Policy on the Development of Architects Compensation» (aprobada en la Asamblea General de 2014) — The International Union of Architects describes percentage compensation: the architect charges a percentage of the construction cost that varies with project type, size and characteristics and decreases as the cost rises. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  4. Unión Internacional de Arquitectos (UIA), Comisión de Práctica Profesional, «Recommended Guideline for the Accord Policy on the Development of Architects Compensation» (aprobada en la Asamblea General de 2014) — Another method recognized by the UIA is a fixed amount per square meter of gross or usable floor area (or per m³), tied to a project phase; the total is known once the area is known. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  5. Unión Internacional de Arquitectos (UIA), Comisión de Práctica Profesional, «Recommended Guideline for the Accord Policy on the Development of Architects Compensation» (aprobada en la Asamblea General de 2014) — The UIA also describes time-based compensation: the architect charges an hourly, daily or weekly rate for the time actually worked, which leaves the final amount uncertain. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  6. Unión Internacional de Arquitectos (UIA), Comisión de Práctica Profesional, «Recommended Guideline for the Accord Policy on the Development of Architects Compensation» (aprobada en la Asamblea General de 2014) — The UIA recognizes the lump sum (a fixed amount calculated early on with one of the other methods) and notes that combining methods by project phase is often best. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  7. Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022 — The 2022 FCARM schedule splits a housing executive project into four stages: concept design 5%, schematic design 20%, construction documents 33% and engineering 42%. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  8. FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa — For the responsible site director and site supervision, FCARM's 2007 schedule adds to 5% of the design fee an amount based on construction weeks and weekly site visits: Hc = H × 0.05 + (NS × NV × SMD × 10). (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  9. FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa — FCARM's 2007 schedule sets the minimum fee for a technical site visit at 12 regional daily minimum wages, and 7 for a technical consultation. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  10. Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022 — FCARM's housing fee schedule (2022) computes minimum fees as H = CBM × V × FI × FGE × FM × FA × FR × FACP × FEPE: base cost per m², built area, and factors for city, housing type, type of work, affordability, repetition and contracted stages. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  11. Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022 — The 2022 FCARM schedule uses as base cost per m² (CBM) the CMIC parametric cost for T11 social housing, which was MXN 9,286.80 per m² in November 2022. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  12. Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022 — The 2022 FCARM schedule adjusts the base cost of social housing by type of house: mid-range ×1.15, residential ×1.30 and luxury ×1.90. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  13. Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022 — When the same house design is repeated, the 2022 FCARM schedule charges 40% of the first project's fee for the second, 25% for the third, 10% for the fourth and 5% from the fifth onward. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  14. FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa — FCARM's 2007 schedule computes minimum architectural design fees as a percentage of the estimated direct construction cost: H = CO × FS × FR / 100, with a floor-area factor (FS) and a regional factor (FR). (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  15. FCARM, «Arancel de honorarios profesionales de la Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana» (aprobado el 22 de noviembre de 2007), edición publicada por el Colegio de Arquitectos de Reynosa y la Sociedad de Arquitectos de Reynosa — In FCARM's 2007 schedule, the fee percentage decreases as the project's floor area grows, following the factor FS = 15 − 2.5 × log(S), applicable up to 400,000 m². (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  16. Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de Yucatán, A.C., «Aranceles profesionales del Ingeniero Civil» — In the Yucatán Civil Engineers' Association schedule for residences, site direction and professional responsibility account for 15% of total fees, which also cover design, supervision, control, planning and administration of the works. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  17. Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022 — The 2022 FCARM schedule does not cover complementary studies, special installations, travel expenses, specialist advice, permitting and paperwork, signatures of the responsible site director or co-responsible experts, or BIM models: these are agreed separately as additional work. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  18. Ayuntamiento de Mérida, Portal Ciudadano: ficha del trámite MID-DEU-130 — The permit for a house larger than 45 m² requires 5 sets of legible drawings, double-letter size or larger, with dimensions, scales and areas, signed by a Municipal Construction Expert (PCM, Perito en Construcción Municipal). (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  19. Código Civil Federal, art. 2607 (Cámara de Diputados, LeyesBiblio) — Absent an agreement, the Federal Civil Code sets fees according to local custom, the importance of the work and of the matter, the client's means and the professional's reputation (Article 2607). (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  20. Código Civil Federal, art. 2607 (Cámara de Diputados, LeyesBiblio) — The same Article 2607 of the Federal Civil Code provides that, where the services are governed by a fee schedule, that schedule is the standard for setting the fees claimed. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  21. Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022 — FCARM presents its schedule as a minimum baseline: architects should not agree to fees below it, and each member college is responsible for enforcing it. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  22. Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM), «Aranceles. Tomo I. Género habitacional», Comisión Nacional del Arancel, 2022 — According to an FCARM assessment involving more than 200 professionals from its seven regions (August 2022), only 23% of its members use the fee schedules, due to differing local practices, values above market rates and lack of knowledge. (accessed on September 28, 2026)
  23. Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado, art. 1 (Cámara de Diputados, LeyesBiblio) — VAT is calculated by applying the general 16% rate to the values set by law (Article 1 of the VAT Law). (accessed on September 28, 2026)

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About Arkham Projects

Arkham Projects is an architecture firm founded in 2013 in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, by Min Peniche Calafell and Jorge Duarte Torre; it designs custom homes and architecture for real estate developments.

  • more than 100 projects
  • more than 70 national and international awards and recognitions
  • founded in Mérida in 2013

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