By Vicente Gewehr, Registered Architect in Brazil (CAU) and AIA International Associate, founder of IAC Studio. Updated October 2026.
Short answer
At IAC Studio, outsourced documentation costs $25 to $39 per hour, depending on the services, response time and meeting hours your project needs. For comparison, the median US wage for an architectural drafter was $66,150 a year in May 2025, about $31.80 per hour before payroll taxes, benefits, software and workspace. The bigger difference is structural: you pay an outsourced team for hours worked, not for the slow weeks between projects.
If you run an architecture firm of one to ten people, you have probably faced this moment. A residential project moves into construction documents, a second client signs, and the team that handled schematic design comfortably is now three weeks behind. Hiring takes months. Overtime burns people out. Outsourcing is the third option, and the first question is always the same: what does it actually cost?
This guide breaks down what you pay for, how outsourcing compares with hiring, and which costs do not show up on the hourly rate.
What drives the cost of outsourced documentation
Hourly rates for documentation partners vary widely, and comparing them without comparing scope leads to bad decisions. Four factors explain most of the difference.
- Software and BIM depth. Redrawing markups in 2D is not the same work as building and maintaining a coordinated Revit or Archicad model that produces every sheet.
- Project phase. Turning approved design development drawings into a construction set requires more technical judgment than producing presentation plans. Permit sets add jurisdiction-specific requirements.
- Coordination level. Response time, meeting hours, a dedicated coordinator and delivery aligned with US business hours all cost time on the partner’s side.
- Review. Whether a senior architect checks the set before it reaches you is the single biggest factor in how much of your own time the work will save.
Outsourcing vs hiring: the full cost comparison
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $66,150 for architectural and civil drafters (May 2025 data). Divided by a standard 2,080-hour year, that is roughly $31.80 per hour. It is only the starting point. A firm that hires also pays the costs below.
| Cost item | In-house hire | Outsourced documentation team |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | Paid every week, busy or not | Paid per hour worked |
| Payroll taxes, benefits, paid leave | Paid by your firm | Included in the rate |
| Revit or Archicad licenses, hardware | Paid by your firm | Provided by the partner |
| Recruiting and onboarding | Weeks of a principal’s time | Template and standards handoff |
| Slow months | Salary continues | Hours drop to zero |
We do not publish a universal savings percentage, because the answer depends on how steady your workload is. A firm with a constant flow of construction documents all year may be better served by a full-time hire. A firm whose workload comes in peaks, which describes most small residential practices, pays for capacity it does not use every time a project pauses.
How IAC Studio prices documentation work
IAC Studio is a Brazil-based technical documentation partner for US architecture firms, working in Revit, Archicad and AutoCAD. Our work is organized in three service levels:
| Plan | Rate | Minimum | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $25/hour | 40 hours/week | Architectural drafting. Response within 12 business hours, 4 hours of meeting time per week and bi-weekly activity reports. |
| Exclusive | $33/hour | 20 hours/week | Drafting and BIM services. Response within 8 business hours, 8 hours of meeting time per week and weekly activity reports. |
| Premium | $39/hour | 20 hours/week | Drafting and BIM services. Response within 4 business hours, 12 hours of meeting time per week and daily activity reports. |
Every plan has a single point of contact and unlimited communication by chat and email. Internal communication, task organization and administrative work are not billed: you pay for production hours. Meeting time can be used for contractor coordination or BIM training for your team. For a one-time project, send us the scope and we will quote it.
Hourly or fixed price: which one fits your project?
Hourly billing works best when the scope is still moving: ongoing support, fast turnarounds or a design that will keep changing. Revisions are unlimited and charged by the time they take.
A fixed-price contract works when the scope is clear, for example a permit set for an approved design. The contract includes a defined number of revision rounds, and additional changes are quoted and approved before anyone starts on them.
If you are unsure, start hourly on a small package. After one or two deliverables you will know how many hours your type of project takes, and a fixed price becomes easier to set.
Hidden costs to watch for
- Your own review time. Someone in your office has to review and redline the work. Budget for it. A partner with internal senior review reduces this time; one without it moves the checking to you.
- Template mismatch. If the partner works in its own standards and you have to convert the drawings, you pay twice. Ask upfront whether they work inside your template, title blocks and naming conventions.
- Time zone gaps. A team twelve hours away turns every question into a one-day loop. Brazil is one to two hours ahead of New York, depending on the season, so questions asked in the morning are answered the same day.
- Tax paperwork. Paying a foreign service provider has its own documentation, usually a W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E form kept on file. We explain the process in How to Hire an International Architecture Studio. Confirm the details with your accountant.
What a project looks like in practice
For a New York-based office, IAC Studio documented Hamptons 1, a 6,000 SF single-family and retail renovation, in Revit. The scope covered BIM modeling, architectural, façade and interior design documentation, parametric objects and shop drawings, through schematic design, design development, construction documents and the building permit set. The documentation was developed to meet the project’s ADA and Architectural Review Board requirements.
A project of this size and complexity is a typical example of work that is too big to absorb with overtime and too short to justify a permanent hire.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to outsource architectural drafting than to hire?
It usually is when your workload is uneven, because you stop paying for idle capacity, benefits, licenses and hardware. With steady, year-round documentation work, a full-time hire can make more sense. Compare total annual cost, not hourly rates alone.
Do I need to withhold US taxes when paying a foreign drafting firm?
For an international service provider like IAC Studio, your firm does not withhold or manage taxes on the fee. You can request a W-8BEN-E form for your records. Your accountant should confirm how this applies to your company.
Can an outsourced team work in our Revit or Archicad template?
Yes, and it should. IAC Studio adapts to your templates, title blocks, naming conventions and documentation protocols. If you do not have standards yet, we can create them, and they stay with your firm for future projects.
What do I need to send to get a quote?
A short description of the project, the phase, the software you use and your deadline. Drawings or models can be shared by cloud link (Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive).
See current plans on our pricing page, or book a call to talk through your next project.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Drafters (bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/drafters.htm). IAC rates as published on iacstudio.com.