The verdict in three sentences
An architecture practice loses margin phase by phase, and the overrun usually shows up when invoicing the next phase, too late to negotiate an additional services agreement. For an 18-person practice, an off-the-shelf tool at EUR 30 to 60 per user per month is enough if your contracts follow standard phases; custom software at EUR 35,000 to 75,000 makes sense when you handle competitions, joint ventures and public contracts with their own fee breakdowns. Either way the golden rule is the same: weekly timesheets and an alert at 80% of each phase's hour budget.
The case below is a Paris practice working under France's loi MOP phases (ESQ, APS, APD, PRO, ACT, VISA, DET, AOR). A New York firm maps them almost one to one onto AIA phases (schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, construction administration); US budgets run 10 to 25% higher in USD at local rates.
Off-the-shelf or custom: 2026 figures
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf tool | Custom tool |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | EUR 0 to 3,000 of setup | EUR 35,000 to 75,000 excl. VAT |
| Recurring cost for 18 users | EUR 6,500 to 13,000 per year | EUR 4,000 to 9,000 per year (hosting, maintenance) |
| Cumulative 5-year cost (estimate) | EUR 32,500 to 68,000 | EUR 55,000 to 120,000 |
| Time to go live | 2 to 6 weeks | 3 to 4 months |
| Standard phases | yes | yes |
| Specific breakdowns (competitions, joint ventures, optional tranches) | partial, often worked around in Excel | native |
| Accounting and BIM tool integration | standard exports | custom API |
The off-the-shelf tool stays cheaper over 5 years. Custom pays off when Excel workarounds cost the principal or office manager more than 10 to 15 hours a month, or when the practice runs more than 25 to 30 active projects with varied contract structures.
Tracking fees by phase
The core of the tool, off-the-shelf or custom, is comparing each phase's hour budget with the hours actually spent. Here is a common split of fees on a base commission, to adapt to each contract.
| Phase (loi MOP / AIA equivalent) | Share of fees (order of magnitude) | Hour budget on EUR 100,000 of fees at EUR 75 per hour | Alert threshold at 80% |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESQ and APS / schematic design | 15% | 200 h | 160 h |
| APD / design development | 15% | 200 h | 160 h |
| PRO / construction documents | 20% | 267 h | 213 h |
| ACT / bidding | 5% | 67 h | 53 h |
| VISA / shop drawing review | 8% | 107 h | 85 h |
| DET / construction administration | 30% | 400 h | 320 h |
| AOR / closeout | 7% | 93 h | 75 h |
The hour budget is computed from the practice's cost rate, not its billing rate. Construction administration and design development concentrate most overruns: site meetings that drag on, programme changes outside the contract. The 80% alert leaves time to document client requests and propose an additional services agreement.
Functions to require
Timesheet entry in under 5 minutes a week from browser or phone. Progress per phase declared by the project lead and checked against hours. Fee invoicing per phase with progress billing and deposits. Profitability dashboard per project, client and staff member. Export to accounting. For custom, add management of consultants and sub-consultants (engineers, cost consultants) with fee allocation.
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Camille, managing architect of an 18-person practice in Paris, has 15 billable staff at 1,500 hours a year, i.e. 22,500 hours. She estimates 10% of those hours are unbilled overruns, 2,250 hours at a EUR 70 cost rate: EUR 157,500 of lost margin. With phase tracking and 80% alerts, she aims to recover a third through change orders or early trade-offs, EUR 52,500 a year. She first tries an off-the-shelf tool at EUR 45 per user per month, EUR 9,720 a year. If her joint-venture contracts are still handled in Excel after 6 months, she will price a custom tool at around EUR 55,000, paid back in 13 to 15 months on the same gain.
FAQ
How much does architecture practice management software cost in 2026?
Off-the-shelf tools cost EUR 30 to 60 per user per month, EUR 6,500 to 13,000 a year for 18 people. A custom tool costs EUR 35,000 to 75,000 excl. VAT and ships in 3 to 4 months.
Does the software handle standard design phases?
Yes, off-the-shelf tools offer the loi MOP or AIA phase sets. Custom adds breakdowns specific to your contracts, such as optional tranches or additional services.
How do we catch an overrun before it is too late?
Require weekly timesheets and an alert when a phase reaches 80% of its hour budget. On a 400-hour construction administration phase, the alert fires at 320 hours, early enough to negotiate.
Should the tool connect to accounting?
Strongly recommended: phase invoicing feeds the accounting system directly, saving 4 to 8 hours of re-keying a month for an 18-person practice.
Will staff accept timesheets?
Yes if entry takes under 5 minutes a week and serves to protect projects rather than monitor people. A completion rate below 90% makes dashboards useless.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of active projects, contract types and current tools: we will tell you whether an off-the-shelf tool is enough or price a custom one. 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.
