Every week someone asks "what is everyone charging?". The honest answer always has 3 variables: region, project type and scope. Without those 3, any number is a guess. With them, you can have a useful benchmark to calibrate your proposal.
How to read this table
The numbers below reflect the market median for a complete project (preliminary design + construction documents + basic 3D), in a small-to-medium firm. It's not what a boutique firm charges, nor what a recently graduated architect charges, it's the point where the demand curve gets dense.
R$/m² 2026 table by region
| Region | Min. | Median | Max. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast (SP/RJ/MG) | R$ 95 | R$ 135 | R$ 280 |
| South (RS/SC/PR) | R$ 110 | R$ 155 | R$ 240 |
| Central-West (DF/GO/MT/MS) | R$ 80 | R$ 120 | R$ 220 |
| Northeast (PE/CE/BA) | R$ 70 | R$ 105 | R$ 180 |
| North (PA/AM/RO) | R$ 60 | R$ 95 | R$ 160 |
Capitals and high-income cities (Balneário Camboriú, Florianópolis, Goiânia's Bueno district, Recife's south zone) sit in the upper third. Mid-size and inland cities sit closer to the median or below.
By project type
The R$/m² changes a lot by project type, even within the same region:
- Single-family residential (house): baseline of the table above.
- High-end residential (> 400 m², pool, home theater, landscaping): +30 to 80% over the median.
- Apartment (interiors): R$ 200–450/m², it depends on region less than a house does, it depends on standard.
- Commercial (office, clinic, store): R$ 130–280/m², adjusted by technical complexity (installations, accessibility, air conditioning).
- Retrofit: +20 to 40% over the R$/m² of the equivalent project type, because of the survey and coordination work.
- Multifamily (development): R$ 35–80/m², scale completely changes the math.
Complexity and deadline adjustments
On top of the base R$/m², adjust:
- High standard: +20 to 40%.
- Tight deadline (< 60 days): +15 to 25%.
- Difficult/distant client: +10 to 20%.
- Recurring client, simple project, comfortable deadline: 0 to –10%.
Never give a blind discount. If the client thinks it's expensive, reduce the scope (drop the construction documents, drop the 3D, drop the coordination) but keep the R$/m².
Register your R$/m² once, apply it to every proposal
In Limify you register your table by project type. Each new proposal calculates automatically, no redoing spreadsheets, no copying the wrong value.
Try it freeHow to use it in your proposal
The R$/m² is an internal reference, not a sales argument. The client doesn't decide based on the "value per m²", they decide based on the total and the scope. Use the table to keep yourself in check: if your proposal came in 30% below the median, you're charging too little. If it came in 30% above without justification of standard or deadline, you'll hear "it's expensive".
Next read: CAU table vs. reality, a comparison between the official fee and what actually happens in the market.