Architecture Practice Project and Fee Software in Dublin

The verdict in three sentences

A 14-person architecture practice managing 35 projects with spreadsheet timesheets finds out about loss-making stages too late, with an average 9% overrun on budgeted time. Software that splits fees by work stage (RIAI stages 0 to 7, or RIBA Plan of Work), compares time spent against budget every week and triggers progress billing makes overruns visible while the stage is still open. In 2026, a custom tool costs 30,000 to 60,000 EUR from an Irish agency, to weigh against off-the-shelf practice software priced per user.

Where an architecture practice loses margin

A director of a Dublin practice knows the scene: the technical design stage of a school extension in Swords used 140% of its time budget, and nobody noticed before the half-year review. Fees are set in the appointment, spread across stages and across consultants (structural, M&E, quantity surveyor). If actual hours are matched against those figures only at year end, margin vanishes without warning.

Three causes appear in almost every practice. Timesheets are filled late, often from memory on Friday. Client changes and variations are not valued, although they represent a real share of work in developed and technical design. And invoicing relies on a sheet kept by the office manager, disconnected from actual progress, which stretches payment times.

Off-the-shelf or custom

Practice management software for architects exists as SaaS or licence. It fits when the practice accepts its model: standard stages, fixed reports, billing in its own logic. Custom becomes relevant with complex consultant arrangements, mixed activity (full design service, client advisory, competitions, conservation reports) or the need to connect with existing accounting and planning tools.

The minimum useful scope fits in four screens: a project sheet with fees by stage and consultant, time entry by stage, a budget versus actual dashboard, and a progress invoice proposal exportable to accounting (Xero, Sage or Big Red Cloud are common in Ireland).

Business rules to settle before building

The project works if the partners decide a few rules before the first line of code. What cost rate per role (director, project architect, technician)? How to treat non-billable hours (lost competitions, admin)? At what point does a stage go amber, for example 80% of budget used at 60% progress? Who signs off the declared progress that drives invoicing?

These choices matter more than the technology. They decide whether alerts are trusted and whether the team adopts the tool. Plan 2 to 3 scoping workshops with partners and whoever handles billing.

Mini case study

Aoife, director of a 14-person practice in Dublin, runs 35 live projects. Annual fee income is 1,900,000 EUR, with about 1,200,000 EUR of production cost in time. At a 9% average overrun, the practice burns 108,000 EUR of unpaid time a year.

Catching drift mid-stage lets the practice negotiate variations or reassign staff. If overrun drops from 9% to 4%, the gain is 60,000 EUR a year. Add cash collection: moving from 75 to 55 debtor days on 1,900,000 EUR frees about 104,000 EUR of cash. For a 45,000 EUR custom tool, payback comes in under a year on margin alone.

FAQ

How long does rollout take?

Plan 8 to 14 weeks for mid-size scope, including scoping. Migrating the 35 live projects usually takes 1 to 2 extra weeks.

Can it connect to our accounting?

Yes, through invoice exports in your accountant's format or via API for Xero and similar tools. With Ireland moving toward mandatory B2B e-invoicing under the EU ViDA timeline, that link is worth building early.

Can consultants access the tool?

Yes, with permissions limited to their fee lines and valuations. That feature typically adds 10 to 15% to development scope.

How do we get staff to fill timesheets?

Entry under 2 minutes a day on mobile and visible feedback (workload, stage status) usually do it. Practices that review the dashboard weekly reach over 90% of time logged by the next day.

What maintenance budget should we plan?

At Kolonell, maintenance runs 53 to 183 EUR a month. Irish agencies usually charge 15 to 20% of build cost a year.

Let's scope your project. Tell us about your work stages, consultant arrangements and current billing tool, and we will propose a phased scope with a go-live calendar. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.