TL;DR A well-built quote has 6 steps: discovery, scope, pricing, structuring, presentation and closing. Beginners jump straight to pricing and lose projects along the way. This guide covers the 6 steps with an estimated time for each one.

1. Project discovery (30–60 min)

Before thinking about price, understand the project. A meeting or call of 30–60 min with the client, noting down:

  • Typology (house, apartment, commercial, retrofit)
  • Approximate area
  • Location (affects R$/m² and regional CUB)
  • Intended standard (popular, mid, high)
  • Desired deadline
  • Estimated construction budget (a signal of standard)
  • Who decides (1 person? a couple? partners?)
  • Why they are doing it now (the real motivation)

2. Define the scope (15–30 min)

List the specific deliverables:

  • Preliminary design (preliminary studies + 1st approval)
  • Legal design (city hall approval)
  • Construction set (technical drawings)
  • 3D / render
  • Coordination with complementary disciplines
  • Construction supervision (site visits)

A beginner who promises "everything" loses money. Define what is in and what is extra (charged by the hour).

3. Price it (1–2 h)

Use 2 methods in parallel and keep the higher one:

  • R$/m²: check the regional table and apply it to the area.
  • Technical hour: estimate the hours (architects usually underestimate, so multiply by 1.5) and multiply by your calculated technical hour.

4. Structure the proposal (45 min)

Don't send a spreadsheet. Build a document with:

  1. Cover with the client's name and the project name
  2. Discovery (shows you understood)
  3. Detailed scope
  4. 3 package options (essential / complete / premium)
  5. Estimated timeline
  6. Payment terms
  7. Validity (14 days)
  8. Next steps

5. Present and send (15 min to send + meeting)

Whenever possible, present in a 30-min call before sending the PDF. A client who understands what they are paying for closes 2x more often than a client who just receives a document.

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6. Close and contract

After the "yes", a digital contract + a deposit before you start. Without a deposit, the project does not start. See the closing checklist with 22 items.