The verdict in three sentences
A 14-person architecture practice that bills fixed fees by stage, concept, schematic design, design development, contract documentation, tender, construction phase services and handover, without tracking hours finds out too late that a project is losing money, usually during construction. Specialist SaaS at 50 to 115 AUD per user per month is enough if your commissions are standard and you accept its data model. Custom software at 50,000 to 107,000 AUD, delivered in 3 to 5 months, pays off when you manage consultant teams, frequent variations and a 12-month resource forecast.
Where an architecture practice loses its margin
Fee proposals split the work into stages whose weighting drives invoicing. The problem is that time spent does not follow that weighting: construction phase services often consume more than planned, and the practice absorbs it without noticing. The table below shows a common fee weighting and the gap observed in actual time, as a 2026 ballpark.
| Stage | Share of fees | Observed share of actual time | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concept design | 5% | 6 to 8% | Low |
| Schematic design | 10% | 10 to 12% | Low |
| Design development | 15% | 14 to 17% | Medium (client rework) |
| Contract documentation | 20% | 20 to 24% | Medium |
| Tender | 5% | 4 to 6% | Low |
| Shop drawing review | 8% | 8 to 10% | Medium |
| Construction phase services | 32% | 35 to 42% | High (delays, site meetings) |
| Handover and defects | 5% | 6 to 9% | High (defect close-out) |
On a project with 300,000 AUD in fees, a 5-point overrun during construction means 15,000 AUD of lost margin. Multiply by 20 active projects and the stake exceeds the cost of any software.
Specialist SaaS or custom software
| Criterion | Architecture SaaS | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 0 AUD (setup 1,650 to 6,600 AUD) | 50,000 to 107,000 AUD |
| Recurring cost for 14 users | 8,400 to 19,300 AUD/year | 4,000 to 10,000 AUD/year (hosting and maintenance) |
| Time to go live | 2 to 6 weeks | 3 to 5 months |
| Stages and weightings | Standard template | Your model, including small residential work |
| Consultant team splits | Often limited | Allocation per consultant |
| Variations and extra services | Basic | History, margin impact |
| Resource forecast | Varies by vendor | 12 months, per architect |
| Data ownership | Export per contract | Full |
Over 5 years, a SaaS at 82 AUD a month for 14 people costs about 69,000 AUD. Custom software at 74,000 AUD plus 6,600 AUD a year comes to 107,000 AUD. Custom is only worth it if it delivers what the SaaS cannot: your real stage breakdown, your consultant teams and your dashboards.
The features that change profitability
Practices that regain control of their margins share a few precise features rather than sophisticated dashboards.
| Feature | What it delivers | Indicative development effort |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile timesheets by stage | Timesheet completion above 90% | 8 to 12 days |
| Hour budget per stage with 80% alert | Decisions before the overrun | 5 to 8 days |
| Progress-based fee invoices | More regular billing | 10 to 15 days |
| Variations with margin impact | Figures to negotiate with the client | 6 to 10 days |
| 12-month resource forecast | Hiring or project refusal decisions | 10 to 14 days |
| Accounting export (Xero, MYOB) | Less double entry | 4 to 8 days |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Oliver, principal of a 14-architect practice in Sydney, runs 22 active projects for 3.1 million AUD in annual fees. He estimates losing 6% of margin on construction and handover for lack of tracking, about 69,000 AUD a year on these two stages which represent 37% of fees (3.1 M AUD × 37% × 6%, rounded). Custom software at 79,000 AUD, with 7,400 AUD of annual maintenance, pays back in a little over 2 years if it recovers 4 of the 6 points of overrun through variations and tighter project control, about 46,000 AUD a year before maintenance. This scenario is illustrative.
FAQ
Should architects be required to log their hours?
Yes, otherwise no tool works. A weekly mobile entry takes 5 minutes and targets a completion rate above 90%.
Can custom software handle non-standard commissions?
Yes, stages and weightings are configurable: single houses, interior fit-outs or project management roles. Allow 2 to 3 days per additional commission template.
Can we import our project history from Excel?
Yes, by importing projects, fees and timesheets from the last 2 to 3 years. Plan 3 to 6 days of cleanup and import.
How long until we are operational?
As a 2026 ballpark, 3 to 5 months for custom software, including 3 weeks of testing with two project architects. A SaaS deploys in 2 to 6 weeks.
Can the software produce fee invoices?
Yes, by percentage of completion per stage, with compliant numbering, GST and PDF export. Integration with Xero or MYOB adds 4 to 8 days.
Let's scope your project. Send us your headcount, commission types and current tools: we compare SaaS and custom with a budget and a schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
