Design Create Inspire
Studying for the Architect Registration Exam (ARE 5.0) and working toward licensure? This podcast is for you. Hosted by Bryn Young, licensed architect, author, and founder of ABC Club and Mind Over ARE, each episode brings you exam prep strategies, study tips, and mindset tools to help you pass the ARE. You’ll also hear real insights from coaching calls on overcoming procrastination, staying motivated, and balancing architecture exams with life and work. Plus, episodes on the architecture profession itself, from contracts to practice management, so you’re prepared not just for the tests, but for your career as an architect.
Design Create Inspire
Architect Fee Methods: Top-Down, Bottom-Up, Fixed, and Not-to-Exceed for ARE 5 | PcM
In this Coaching Highlight from our Mind Over ARE sessions (inside ABC Club Premium), we tackle a classic ARE 5.0 Practice Management (PcM) question:
👉 How do architects calculate fees — and what’s the difference between top-down budgeting, bottom-up budgeting, not-to-exceed hourly, and fixed fee?
These terms show up all the time in both the exam and real practice. In this episode, we break down:
- Top-Down Budgeting – starting with a gross fee and distributing it across phases
- Bottom-Up Budgeting – calculating actual staffing hours × hourly rates
- Not-to-Exceed Hourly – billing by the hour with a contractual cap
- Fixed Fee (Lump Sum) – set fee tied to a clearly defined scope
We also discuss how firms blend these methods in practice, and why understanding them is critical for passing PcM and for long-term success in managing projects and communicating value to clients.
This is just a small preview of what you’ll find in our Mind Over ARE coaching calls — live study sessions, replays, and searchable Coaching Highlights, all available inside ABC Club Premium.
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