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Written by: Carolyn Young
Carolyn Young is a business writer who focuses on entrepreneurial concepts and the business formation. She has over 25 years of experience in business roles, and has authored several entrepreneurship textbooks.
Edited by: David Lepeska
David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.
Published on April 22, 2023
Investment range
$2,700 - $6,000
Revenue potential
$80,000 - $600,000 p.a.
Time to build
1-3 months
Profit potential
$72,000 - $180,000 p.a.
Industry trend
Steady
Commitment
Full-time
Important elements to think about when starting your architecture firm:
Trends
Challenges
Startup costs for an architecture firm range from $2,700 to $6,000 if you run your business from home. Costs include a computer and design software.
You’ll also need to get an architect’s license from your state. You should also explore getting a certification from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).
You’ll need a handful of items to successfully launch your architecture business, including:
| Start-up Costs | Ballpark Range | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Setting up a business name and corporation | $100 - $500 | $300 |
| Business licenses and permits | $200 - $300 | $250 |
| Insurance | $100-$500 | $300 |
| Website | $200 - $1,000 | $600 |
| Initial Marketing Budget | $300 - $500 | $400 |
| Computer | $800 - $1,200 | $1,000 |
| Design software and a drafting table | $1,000 - $2,000 | $1,500 |
| Total | $2, 700 - $6,000 | $4,350 |
Architects typically charge 10-15 percent of the construction cost. That price assumes the architect will oversee the project, along with the contractor. Architects that only do design, which is mainly for residential projects, charge about $150 per hour.
These calculations assume full service and an average fee of $20,000. Your profit margin, assuming you’ll work alone, should be about 90%. In your first year or two, you could work from home and do four projects a year, bringing in $80,000 in revenue.
This would mean $72,000 in profit, assuming that 90% margin. As you gain traction, you might land 20 projects a year and get into higher priced projects that bring in $30,000 each.
At this stage, you’ll have an office and staff, including junior architects, reducing your margin to around 30%. With annual revenue of $600,000, you’d make a tidy profit of $180,000.
There are a few barriers to entry for an architecture firm. Your biggest challenges will be:
Now that you know what’s involved in starting an architecture firm, it’s a good idea to hone your concept in preparation to enter a competitive market.
Market research could give you the upper hand even if you’ve got the perfect product. Conducting robust market research is crucial, as it will help you better understand your customers, your competitors, and the broader business landscape.
Research architecture firms in your area to examine their services, price points, and customer reviews.
This should identify areas where you can gain a competitive edge to drive better business decisions.
You’re looking for a market gap to fill. For instance, maybe the local market is missing an architectural firm that specializes in new homes or focuses on remodeling, renovations, and interior design.
You might consider targeting a niche, such as landscape architecture.
This could jumpstart your word-of-mouth marketing and attract clients right away.
Once you determine what type of architecture you want to do, you’ll need to decide the extent of the services you want to offer. You can offer design only, or you can oversee full construction projects. You could also expand your services by offering interior design.
Architects typically charge 10% to 15% of the total construction cost of the project. If you offer design services only, you can charge about $150 per hour. Check market prices in your area to make sure you’re competitive. Once you hire staff, you’ll want to consider your costs when pricing projects.
Once you know your costs, use this Step By Step profit margin calculator to determine your mark-up and final price points. Remember, the prices you use at launch should be subject to change if warranted by the market.
Your target market will depend on your specialty. If you decide to focus on residential design, your target market will be homeowners you might find on Facebook and Instagram. If you aim for commercial projects, your best bet to find business owners will be LinkedIn and Google Maps.
In the early stages, you may want to run your business from home to keep costs low. But as your business grows, you’ll likely need to hire workers for various roles and may need to rent out an office. You can find commercial space to rent in your area on sites such as Craigslist, Crexi, and Instant Offices.
When choosing a commercial space, you may want to follow these rules of thumb:
Here are some ideas for brainstorming your business name:
Once you’ve got a list of potential names, visit the website of the US Patent and Trademark Office to make sure they are available for registration and check the availability of related domain names using our Domain Name Search tool. Using “.com” or “.org” sharply increases credibility, so it’s best to focus on these.
Finally, make your choice among the names that pass this screening and go ahead and reserve your business name with your state, start the trademark registration process, and complete your domain registration and social media account creation.
Your business name is one of the key differentiators that sets your business apart. Once you pick a name, reserve it and start with the branding, it’s hard to switch to a new name. So be sure to carefully consider your choice before moving forward.
Here are the key components of a business plan:
If you’ve never created a business plan, it can be an intimidating task. You might consider hiring a business plan specialist to create a top-notch business plan for you.
Registering your business is an absolutely crucial step — it’s the prerequisite to paying taxes, raising capital, opening a bank account, and other guideposts on the road to getting a business up and running.
Plus, registration is exciting because it makes the entire process official. Once it’s complete, you’ll have your own business!
Your business location is important because it can affect taxes, legal requirements, and revenue. Most people will register their business in the state where they live, but if you are planning to expand, you might consider looking elsewhere, as some states could offer real advantages when it comes to architecture firms.
If you’re willing to move, you could really maximize your business! Keep in mind, it’s relatively easy to transfer your business to another state.
Business entities come in several varieties, each with its pros and cons. The legal structure you choose for your architecture firm will shape your taxes, personal liability, and business registration requirements, so choose wisely.
Here are the main options:
We recommend that new business owners choose LLC as it offers liability protection and pass-through taxation while being simpler to form than a corporation. You can form an LLC in as little as five minutes using an online LLC formation service. They will check that your business name is available before filing, submit your articles of organization, and answer any questions you might have.
Choose Your State
The final step before you’re able to pay taxes is getting an Employer Identification Number, or EIN. You can file for your EIN online or by mail or fax: visit the IRS website to learn more. Keep in mind, if you’ve chosen to be a sole proprietorship you can simply use your social security number as your EIN.
Once you have your EIN, you’ll need to choose your tax year. Financially speaking, your business will operate in a calendar year (January–December) or a fiscal year, a 12-month period that can start in any month. This will determine your tax cycle, while your business structure will determine which taxes you’ll pay.
The IRS website also offers a tax-payers checklist, and taxes can be filed online.
It is important to consult an accountant or other professional to help you with your taxes to ensure you are completing them correctly.
Securing financing is your next step and there are plenty of ways to raise capital:
Bank and SBA loans are probably the best option, other than friends and family, for funding an architecture business. You might also try crowdfunding if you have an innovative concept.
If you’re successful, at some point you may be able to attract angel investors or venture capital to grow your firm to the next level.
Starting an architecture business requires obtaining a number of licenses and permits from local, state, and federal governments.
Federal regulations, licenses, and permits associated with starting your business include doing business as (DBA), health licenses and permits from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other intellectual properties, as well as industry-specific licenses and permits.
Licensing requirements for an architecture firm vary by state. Your firm may need several types of licenses depending on what services you offer. Check with your state’s professional licensing board for requirements.
You may also need state-level and local county or city-based licenses and permits. The license requirements and how to obtain them vary, so check the websites of your state, city, and county governments or contact the appropriate person to learn more.
You could also check this SBA guide for your state’s requirements, but we recommend using MyCorporation’s Business License Compliance Package. They will research the exact forms you need for your business and state and provide them to ensure you’re fully compliant.
This is not a step to be taken lightly, as failing to comply with legal requirements can result in hefty penalties.
If you feel overwhelmed by this step or don’t know how to begin, it might be a good idea to hire a professional to help you check all the legal boxes.
Before you start making money, you’ll need a place to keep it, and that requires opening a bank account.
Keeping your business finances separate from your personal account makes it easy to file taxes and track your company’s income, so it’s worth doing even if you’re running your architecture business as a sole proprietorship. Opening a business bank account is quite simple, and similar to opening a personal one. Most major banks offer accounts tailored for businesses — just inquire at your preferred bank to learn about their rates and features.
Banks vary in terms of offerings, so it’s a good idea to examine your options and select the best plan for you. Once you choose your bank, bring in your EIN (or Social Security Number if you decide on a sole proprietorship), articles of incorporation, and other legal documents and open your new account.
Business insurance is an area that often gets overlooked, yet it can be vital to your success as an entrepreneur. Insurance protects you from unexpected events that can have a devastating impact on your business.
Here are some types of insurance to consider:
As opening day nears, prepare for launch by reviewing and improving some key elements of your business.
Being an entrepreneur often means wearing many hats, from marketing to sales to accounting, which can be overwhelming. Fortunately, many websites and digital tools are available to help simplify many business tasks.
You may want to use industry-specific software, such as Unanet, bqe, or Scoro, to manage your projects, workflows, costs, and reporting.
Website development is crucial because your site is your online presence and needs to convince prospective clients of your expertise and professionalism. You can create your own website using services like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace. This route is very affordable, but figuring out how to build a website can be time-consuming. If you lack tech-savvy, you can hire a web designer or developer to create a custom website for your business.
Your customers are unlikely to find your website, however, unless you follow Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices. SEO will help your website appear closer to the top in relevant search results, a crucial element for increasing sales.
Make sure that you optimize calls to action on your website. Experiment with text, color, size, and position of calls to action such as “Schedule Consultation Now”. This can sharply increase purchases.
Here are some powerful marketing strategies for your future business:
Unique selling propositions, or USPs, are the characteristics of a product or service that sets it apart from the competition. Customers today are inundated with buying options, so you’ll have a real advantage if they are able to quickly grasp how your architecture firm meets their needs or wishes. It’s wise to do all you can to ensure your USPs stand out on your website and in your marketing and promotional materials, stimulating buyer desire.
Global pizza chain Domino’s is renowned for its USP: “Hot pizza in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.” Signature USPs for your architecture business could be:
You may not like to network or use personal connections for business gain. But your personal and professional networks likely offer considerable untapped business potential. Maybe that Facebook friend you met in college is now running an architecture business, or a LinkedIn contact of yours is connected to dozens of potential clients. Maybe your cousin or neighbor has been working in architecture for years and can offer invaluable insight and industry connections.
The possibilities are endless, so it’s a good idea to review your personal and professional networks and reach out to those with possible links to or interest in architecture. You’ll probably generate new customers or find companies with which you could establish a partnership.
If you’re starting out small from a home office, you may not need any employees. But as your business grows, you will likely need workers to fill various roles. Potential positions for an architecture business include:
At some point, you may need to hire all of these positions or simply a few, depending on the size and needs of your business. You might also hire multiple workers for a single role or a single worker for multiple roles, again depending on need.
Free-of-charge methods to recruit employees include posting ads on popular platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Jobs.com. You might also consider a premium recruitment option, such as advertising on Indeed, Glassdoor, or ZipRecruiter. Further, if you have the resources, you could consider hiring a recruitment agency to help you find talent.
Architecture is bold work, aiming to create functional, pleasing spaces for families, businesses, consumers and more. With your own architecture firm you’ll be following your passion and helping build your community while also making a nice living.
You’ve gained some business savvy, so now it’s time to hit the drafting table and start designing your entrepreneurial future.
Architecture firms can be very profitable. It is, however, a very competitive industry, so it can take time to build your business. Once you have a portfolio of work to show, it should be easier to acquire clients.
The growth potential of an architecture firm is unlimited. You can grow your firm in your area, and then expand to other locations. It takes a significant amount of resources, though, to really take your firm to a high level.
It’s possible to start an architectural design firm as a side hustle, but it would be difficult to schedule enough time to even manage one project. It’s best to start an architecture firm as a full-time business.
If you have all the education and experience you need, you can start your firm fairly simply. However, with no track record it can take considerable time and effort to land your first clients.
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