Every discussion about fees starts wrong. The right question isn't "how much does the IAB schedule say I should charge?", it's "which schedule protects my margin given my cost, my portfolio and my positioning?". The IAB schedule is a minimum regulatory reference, not a market ruler. Whoever uses it literally is leaving between 30% and 60% of margin on the table.
In this guide, I compare the three pricing models used by healthy Brazilian offices, show real R$/m² and cost-per-deliverable ranges by project type, and finish with the 5-step method for you to build a schedule that starts from your real cost, not from a feeling or from what the competitor charges.
The IAB schedule: what it says vs. what happens in practice
The IAB schedule (Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil) and the CAU/BR reference serve as ethical benchmarks: they are floors to prevent devaluation of the profession. But they have three structural problems when used as an operational schedule:
- They don't account for the office's cost. The schedule is the same for a solo architect working from home and for an office with 12 people and a commercial space. Fixed cost varies 10x, so the price should vary too.
- Calculated on CUB. In a low-end project, the schedule turns out to be little. In a high-end project, it still underestimates the complexity and the real delivery time.
- They don't differentiate complexity. An 80m² renovation with a difficult client consumes 2x more hours than a new 80m² project. The schedule charges the same.
The result: architects who follow the schedule literally end up charging well on high-end projects and below cost on small ones. It's a regression-to-the-mean trap, and the cash flow feels it.
The three pricing models in use today
Model 1: tiered R$/m²
You charge a value per square meter, but with a decreasing tier: the R$/m² is higher on small projects and falls as the area grows. Good for standardized scope (new residential, standard commercial).
Model 2: cost per deliverable
Charging by fixed package. Schematic design = X. Construction documents = Y. 3D modeling = Z. Coordination = W. Good for a client who wants predictable investment.
Model 3: technical hour rate
You charge per hour of qualified work. Good for open scope: consulting, site supervision, post-delivery changes. Bad for a project with closed scope, the client can't predict the total.
In practice, every healthy office uses all three combined. R$/m² in the main contract, cost per deliverable for the add-ons, technical hour rate for whatever comes afterward. A single schedule can't handle reality.
Your schedule updated automatically
In Limify you register your schedule with the three models, and the platform applies the correct pricing automatically according to the project type. When your cost changes, your schedule changes, no broken spreadsheet.
Try it freeReal ranges: residential projects
The numbers below are compiled from small to mid-sized Brazilian offices, with a healthy structure (target margin between 25% and 40%). Use them as a benchmark, always cross-checking with your real technical hour rate.
New residential project (complete construction documents scope)
| Area | Standard | R$/m² 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 100m² | Mid | R$ 180 – 260 |
| 100–200m² | Mid-high | R$ 130 – 200 |
| 200–400m² | High | R$ 90 – 160 |
| 400m²+ | High / luxury | R$ 70 – 130 |
Residential renovation
A renovation charges more than a new project, generally 30–50% higher, because it has surveying, coordination with what already exists and more meetings.
| Area | Standard | R$/m² 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 80m² | Mid | R$ 220 – 340 |
| 80–150m² | Mid-high | R$ 180 – 280 |
| 150–300m² | High | R$ 140 – 240 |
Projects below 50m² should generally have a fixed minimum value (between R$ 9,000 and R$ 18,000), because the R$/m² becomes prohibitive and doesn't cover the fixed cost of coordination.
Real ranges: commercial and interiors
Commercial project (stores, offices, clinics)
| Type | R$/m² 2026 |
|---|---|
| Retail store up to 80m² | R$ 240 – 380 |
| Corporate office 100–300m² | R$ 180 – 260 |
| Clinic / practice | R$ 220 – 340 |
| Restaurant / café | R$ 260 – 420 |
Interiors (finished residential)
| Scope | R$/m² 2026 |
|---|---|
| Light decoration (furniture and finishing) | R$ 120 – 200 |
| Complete interior (construction documents + cabinetry) | R$ 220 – 380 |
| Interior with renovation | R$ 320 – 520 |
Cost per deliverable: extras
| Deliverable | 2026 range |
|---|---|
| 3D modeling (standard apartment/house) | R$ 1,800 – 4,500 |
| Photorealistic render (per image) | R$ 380 – 900 |
| Project coordination | R$ 4,500 – 14,000 |
| Site supervision (visit + report) | R$ 380 – 850 / visit |
| Complete descriptive memorial | R$ 1,200 – 3,200 |
How to build your schedule in 5 steps
The numbers above are a reference. Your schedule has to start from your real cost. The 5 steps:
- Calculate your real technical hour rate with the complete formula (fixed cost + owner's pay + taxes ÷ billable hours × margin). That's the floor for everything. If you haven't done this math yet, read the dedicated article before moving on.
- Estimate hours per type. How many hours does your team spend, on average, on a 150m² residential construction-documents project? And on an 80m² renovation? Use the last 5 projects as a base.
- Multiply and convert to R$/m². Technical hour rate × estimated hours ÷ area = your minimum R$/m². Add the flexibility range (10–20%) for negotiation.
- Set a minimum value per contract. Below a certain area, the R$/m² loses meaning. Establish floors: never less than R$ X in residential, R$ Y in commercial.
- Document the schedule and share it with the team. A schedule in the partner's head is a nonexistent schedule. Put it in a spreadsheet (or, better, on the platform) and train whoever sells to apply it without a reflex discount.
When (and how) to revise the schedule
A fee schedule isn't a monument, it's a living organism. Revise it:
- Every 3 months, check whether the technical hour rate and fixed cost are still consistent.
- Whenever a team member joins or leaves, the cost structure changes.
- When the Simples Nacional bracket changes, the rate goes up, the margin falls if you don't update.
- In January, a minimum annual adjustment of INPC + 2%. Without the adjustment, you're losing purchasing power every year.
A good schedule is a schedule that gets used. If it's sitting in a forgotten folder and you still price by feeling, the problem isn't the schedule, it's the process. The turning point comes when you can look at any brief and have a defensible price range in 30 seconds.
Next read: What's a healthy profit margin for an architecture project?, benchmarks by size and the 4 most common margin leaks.