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BDAA Practice & Fee Benchmark Survey 2026
Thank you for agreeing to participate in the 2026 BDAA Practice and Fee Benchmark Survey.
By taking less than 10 minutes to complete this survey, you will help create Australia’s most comprehensive Practice and Fee Benchmark Report for our members. Your contribution will provide valuable benchmarking data on professional fees, business performance and industry trends, helping practices across Australia make more informed business decisions and strengthen the profession.
All responses are confidential and will be reported only in aggregated form.
The findings will be officially unveiled at the National Festival of Design in Canberra this October.
Thank you for helping shape the future of Australia’s building design and Energy assessing professions.
SECTION 1 - Business Profile
1.
Which best describes your primary profession?
Building Designer
Architect
Draftsperson
Energy Assessor
Interior Designer
Building Consultant
Builder
Engineer
Landscape Designer
Other (please specify)
2.
Are you a BDAA Member
Yes
No
3.
In which States, Territories or Countries do you currently undertake projects?
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
Australian Capital Territory
Northern Territory
International (please specify)
4.
Is your primary business office located in:
Metropolitan
Regional
Office
Home Office
Hybrid Office/Home Office
5.
Including yourself, how many people work within your business?
Sole Practitioner
2-5 people
6-10 people
11-20 people
More than 20 people
6.
How long have you been operating your business?
1-5 years
6-10 years
11-15 years
16-20 years
Over 21 years
SECTION 2 - Business Activity
7.
Approximately how many projects does your business complete each year?
1-10
11-20
21-35
36-50
51-75
76-100
101-150
151-199
200+
8.
Approximately what percentage of your work consists of the following? (Only answer those that apply to your business)
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
New Homes
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Alterations & Additions
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Medium Density Housing
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Multi Residential under 3 storeys
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Multi Residential over 3 storeys
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Duplexes
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Town Houses
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Apartments
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Commercial
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Industrial
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Hospitality
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Health
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Education
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
Other
<10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-70%
71-99%
100%
9.
What is the average individual construction value of your projects?
Under $300,000
$300,000-$500,000
$500,001-$750,000
$750,001-$1,000,000
$1,000,001-$1,500,000
$1,500,001-$2,000,000
$2,000,001-$3,000,000
$3,000,001-$4,000,000
$4,000,001-$5,000,000
Over $5,000,000
Large Scale Projects (please specify the average project value)
10.
What is the average size of your residential projects?
Under 150 square metres
150-250 square metres
251-350 square metres
351-500 square metres
Over 500 square metres
We don't do residential work
SECTION 3 - Pricing Structure
11.
How do you primarily charge for projects?
Fixed Fee
Percentage of Construction Cost
Hourly Rate
Staged Lump Sum
Hybrid Model
Other (please specify)
12.
What percentage of the construction cost do you typically charge as your professional fee (if applicable)?
Less than 4%
5-9%
10-15%
Over 16%
13.
What is your standard hourly rate, excluding GST (if applicable)?
Under $120
$121-$150
$151-$180
$181-$220
$221-$259
Over $260
14.
What percentage of your projects are quoted as a fixed fee (if applicable)?
1-25%
26-50%
51-75%
76-99%
100%
For Energy Assessors Only - What do you typically charge for a standard NatHERS Certificate?
SECTION 4 - Typical Project Fees
15.
For a new custom home with a construction value of approximately $1,000,000, what would your approximate professional design fee generally be?
Under $20,000
$20,000-$30,000
$30,001-$40,000
$40,001-$50,000
$50,001-$60,000
$60,001-$80,000
Over $80,000
I don't design new homes
16.
For an alteration or renovation project valued at approximately $500,000, what would your approximate professional design fee generally be?
Under $10,000
$10,000-$20,000
$20,001-$30,000
$30,001-$40,000
Over $40,000
I don't design alterations or renovations
17.
For each of the following services, please indicate whether it is included in your standard fee, charged separately, or not offered.
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Initial Consultation
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Site Measure
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Existing Conditions Drawings
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Concept Design
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Design Variations
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Council Meetings
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Design Development
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Development Application Documentation
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Construction Certificate Documentation
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Construction Documentation
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Consultant Coordination
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
BASIX/NatHERS Coordination
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Interior Design
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Tender Assistance
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Contract Administration
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Construction Site Inspections
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Project Management
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Joinery Design
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Electrical Layout Design
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
Landscape Design
Included in standard fee
Charged as a separate fee
Not offered
SECTION 5 - Charging Practices
18.
What deposit do you normally require before commencing work?
No Deposit
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
More than 50%
19.
How are consultant fees generally managed?
Client appoints and pays consultants directly
I engage consultants and invoice at cost
I engage consultants and apply an administration fee
Depends on the project
SECTION 6 - Variations & Scope Management
20.
Which of the following normally trigger an additional fee?
Client design changes after concept approval
Additional client meetings beyond the agreed scope
Additional council or certifier requests
Design changes resulting from consultant advice
Construction documentation revisions
Interior design changes
Material or product specification changes
Additional site visits
Construction phase changes requested by the client
Delays caused by the client
Delays caused by authorities
Tender revisions
Other (please specify)
21.
Approximately what percentage of your projects involve fee variations?
Less than 10%
10-25%
26-50%
51-75%
More than 75%
SECTION 7 - Business Performance
22.
How have your professional fees changed over the past 2 years, and how do you expect them to change over the next 12 months?
Increased/Increase significantly
Increased/Increase slightly
Stayed/Stay about the same
Reduced/Reduce slightly
Reduced/Reduce significantly
Over the past 2 years
Increased/Increase significantly
Increased/Increase slightly
Stayed/Stay about the same
Reduced/Reduce slightly
Reduced/Reduce significantly
Over the next 12 months
Increased/Increase significantly
Increased/Increase slightly
Stayed/Stay about the same
Reduced/Reduce slightly
Reduced/Reduce significantly
23.
Do you believe you currently charge appropriately for your expertise and services?
Yes
Mostly
Unsure
Probably not
Definitely not
24.
How often do clients negotiate your fees?
Almost every project
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
25.
How do you ensure your design will meet the client's expected construction budget?
I consult with builders at the concept stage
I consult with quantity estimators at the concept stage
I have relevant experience
Client only provided an approximate budget guideline
Other (please specify)
26.
What is your greatest challenge when determining professional fees?
Competition from lower-cost providers
Defining project scope
Estimating time accurately
Client budget expectations
Council and regulatory requirements
Confidence in charging professional fees
Winning new work
Lack of experience and industry knowledge
Other (please specify)
27.
Overall, how would you describe the current financial performance of your business?
Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Fair
Poor
SECTION 8 - Business Economics
28.
Approximately what percentage of your gross annual revenue is spent on business overheads?
Under 20%
20-30%
31-40%
41-50%
More than 50%
Unsure
29.
What is your largest business expense?
Staff wages
Software subscriptions
Equipment
Insurances
Office rent/loan
Marketing
Motor vehicles
External consultants
Other (please specify)
30.
Approximately how long does a typical project take from the initial client meeting until completion of construction documentation?
Less than 2 months
2-4 months
4-6 months
6-9 months
9-12 months
More than 12 months
31.
How many active projects does your business typically manage at any one time?
Under 5
5-10
11-20
21-40
More than 40
SECTION 9 - Clients & Marketing
32.
Approximately what percentage of enquiries become paying clients?
Under 20%
20-40%
41-60%
61-80%
More than 80%
33.
Where do most of your new clients come from?
Previous clients
Word of mouth
Builder referrals
Real estate agents
Architects
Google Search
Social media
BDAA referrals
Repeat builders
Paid Advertising
Other (please specify)
34.
Which statement best describes your current workload?
Busier than I would like
At my preferred capacity
Looking for additional work
Workload varies significantly throughout the year
SECTION 10 - Technology
35.
Which software and apps do you primarily use?
Archicad
Revit
AutoCAD
Chief Architect
Vectorworks
SketchUp
BricsCAD
Chief Architect
Enscape
Rhino
Photoshop
Lumion
3DS Max
Bluebeam
Workflow Max
TOOLS
Evitat
Adobe Acrobat
Microsoft 365
HERO
First Rate 5
AccuRate
BERS Pro
Xero
Quickbooks
MYOB
Other (please specify)
36.
Do you currently use Artificial Intelligence within your business?
Daily
Weekly
Occasionally
Not yet
37.
If you use Artificial Intelligence, where is it currently used?
Client communications
Design concepts
Specifications
Marketing
Administration
Research
Business management
Image generation
Document preparation
Other (please specify)
SECTION 11 - Industry Outlook
38.
Which project sectors do you expect to grow within your business over the next five years?
New homes
Alterations & additions
Medium-density housing
Apartments
Commercial
Industrial
Heritage
Sustainable housing
Passive House
Modular construction
Interior design
Other (please specify)
39.
What do you believe will have the greatest impact on professional fees during the next five years?
Artificial Intelligence
Building regulation
Labour availability
Construction costs
Interest rates
Consumer expectations
Increased competition
Housing demand
Economic conditions
Sustainability requirements
Other (please specify)
SECTION 12 - BDAA Member Resources
40.
Which fee-related resources would you most value from the BDAA?
National Fee Benchmark Report
Online Fee Calculator
Proposal templates
Scope of services templates
Client agreement templates
Variation templates
Business coaching
Profitability workshops
Fee negotiation training
Business benchmarking dashboard
Project fee calculator
Other (please specify)
SECTION 13 - Final Question
41.
In your opinion, what single change would most improve the profitability of businesses in Australia, and what advice would you give another member about setting professional fees?
