Orders of magnitude by assignment
A construction economist's fees vary with the size of the project, the complexity of the brief, the number of packages and the stage concerned. The table gives indicative ranges in euros excluding VAT for the principal assignments, segmented by the value of the works.
| Assignment | Works under 500 k€ | Works 500 k€ – 2 M€ | Works over 2 M€ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outline estimate | 400 – 800 € | 800 – 1,500 € | 1,500 – 3,000 € |
| Developed-design measure | 600 – 1,200 € | 1,200 – 2,500 € | 2,500 – 5,000 € |
| Complete tender package | 1,500 – 3,000 € | 3,000 – 8,000 € | 8,000 – 20,000 € |
| Tender analysis and award report | 500 – 1,000 € | 1,000 – 2,500 € | 2,500 – 5,000 € |
| Cost control on site, lump sum | 800 – 1,500 € | 1,500 – 4,000 € | 4,000 – 10,000 € |
| Final account, all packages | 400 – 800 € | 800 – 2,000 € | 2,000 – 5,000 € |
| COMPLETE APPOINTMENT, OUTLINE TO FINAL ACCOUNT | 4,000 – 8,000 € | 8,000 – 20,000 € | 20,000 – 45,000 € |
Note: these ranges assume a standard new-build or refurbishment project in mainland France with a complete file supplied to the economist. Atypical projects — difficult access, a very complex brief, refurbishment involving asbestos — urgent assignments and projects in the overseas territories can attract premiums.
ℹ Fees as a percentage of the works Expressed against the value of the works, an economist's fees typically represent 0.5 to 1.5 % of the construction cost for a complete appointment. The ratio falls as the project grows, through economies of scale on the tender and monitoring stages, and rises for one-off assignments and complex projects. By comparison, full design team fees — architect and engineers — generally represent 8 to 12 % of the works. The economist's share of that total is small, but their effect on budget control is disproportionate.
What makes fees vary
Size and complexity
The principal variable is the real volume of work: the number of trades to price, the number of packages in the tender, the volume of drawings to work through. A building of 20 dwellings with 10 tender packages represents roughly three to four times the work of a house with six, and the fee reflects it.
Complete or one-off appointment
A complete appointment from outline estimate to final account is generally cheaper per unit than the same stages commissioned separately, for two reasons. First, the accumulated knowledge of the project avoids starting from nothing at each stage. Second, an economist who follows a project end to end catches drift early, which reduces the total cost of the studies compared with late, corrective interventions.
Urgency and working conditions
An assignment carried out in 48 hours on an incomplete file costs more than one planned with a well-prepared file. Urgency mobilises resources intensively and generates extra round trips. Building the cost assignments into the project programme, with realistic durations, is the best way to keep fees under control.
Location
Fees vary by region. Paris and its region are generally 15 to 25 % dearer than the provinces. Remote rural areas can be slightly cheaper but with a narrower choice of providers.
Complete appointment or à la carte
The question often arises: is it better to commission the whole appointment at the outset, or to commission stage by stage as the need arises?
The advantages of a complete appointment
- Better documentary continuity between stages: the outline estimate feeds the developed-design measure, which feeds the tender package.
- Overall fees generally lower than the sum of separate assignments.
- An economist who knows the project deeply and spots inconsistencies between stages.
- A single point of contact for every budget question.
When à la carte is justified
- A project whose brief is not settled beyond the outline stage: no point committing to the tender package if the project may be abandoned.
- A client with an in-house economist for the routine stages, using external help only for specific assignments: budget optimisation, the tender package for a complex trade, a disputed final account.
- A multi-phase project where each phase is independent: a complete appointment per phase is more relevant than a global one.
The return on the investment
Rather than reasoning about the cost of the cost study, it is more useful to set it against the financial risks it prevents. The table illustrates that ratio on concrete situations.
| Situation avoided thanks to the economist | Typical cost if not avoided | The fee concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Tenders 15 % over the envelope with no optimisation possible → project stopped | Design work lost: 30,000 – 150,000 € | Measure plus tender package: 3,000 – 10,000 € |
| An undetected variation on the structural package, foundations under-priced | 5,000 – 50,000 € of unbudgeted extra | Cost control: 1,500 – 4,000 € |
| An abnormally low offer accepted unexamined → site abandoned at 60 % complete | Re-tender and extra cost: 20,000 – 100,000 € | Tender analysis: 1,000 – 2,500 € |
| A vague specification → variations on badly defined interfaces, three disputes | 3 × 8,000 € of disputes and variations: 24,000 € | Complete tender package: 3,000 – 8,000 € |
| A badly drawn final account → dispute over price revisions | Litigation or arbitration: 15,000 – 60,000 € | Final account: 800 – 2,000 € |
The reading is eloquent: in every situation the cost of the study represents between 5 and 15 % of the financial risk it prevents. That is a cost-benefit ratio rarely matched elsewhere in a construction project.
ℹ The quick calculation On a project with 1,000,000 € of works, a complete cost appointment costs between 8,000 and 20,000 € excluding VAT. If it prevents a single 10 % overrun — 100,000 €, statistically very likely on a project without rigorous cost monitoring — the return is five to ten times the outlay. The real cost is not the cost study. It is not having commissioned one.
What the fee should cover
An economist's quotation should be transparent about what it includes and excludes. Generally included:
- Production of the documented deliverables: estimate, measure, specification, pricing schedule, award report, in professional format with assumptions stated.
- A debrief meeting per principal deliverable: presenting the results, answering questions, adjusting the points discussed.
- One revision of the deliverable on request: if the brief changes or corrections are needed after the debrief.
Generally excluded and charged separately: site visits where required, monthly site meetings (often charged as a lump sum on top of the monitoring), and budget optimisation work not foreseen at the outset.
ℹ Be wary of quotations that are too low A quotation significantly below the ranges given here deserves close attention. The shortfall may mean a truncated assignment — perfunctory specifications with no adaptation to the project, a pricing schedule with a single item per package — no debrief meeting, or undocumented assumptions. The quality of a cost deliverable is judged by its ability to serve as a decision tool and a contractual reference, not by what it cost to produce.
Quostra's pricing
Quostra offers à la carte or complete appointments, with transparent prices communicated at first contact. The delivery window is calculated automatically at commission, and the fee is fixed before work starts, with no possibility of overrun unless the client changes the brief.
The pricing policy rests on two principles: fees proportionate to the real size of the project, with no high minimum penalising small projects; and charging per deliverable rather than per hour, so the client knows what they pay and what they receive.
You have better things to do. Submit your project on quostra.com; quotation and lead time within 24 hours, with no commitment.
In summary
A construction economist's fees represent 0.5 to 1.5 % of the cost of the works for a complete appointment — a few thousand euros on a standard project. Set against the financial risks they prevent — overruns, disputes, abnormally low offers, unforeseen variations — that cost is systematically recovered. The real question is not "what does an economist cost?" but "what does it cost not to have one?"