One of the first questions people ask when they decide to build is how much the design will cost. There is no single answer, because an architect's fee in Turkey is calculated from the type of building, its size and the services you ask for.
The base: the approximate building cost
Fees for architecture and engineering are calculated from approximate unit costs published every year by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. The 2026 figures were published in the Official Gazette on 3 February 2026 and apply from 1 January 2026.
The unit cost for the building's class is multiplied by the total floor area. The result is the approximate building cost, and the architect's fee is a percentage of it.
Which class is a villa?
- Detached and semi-detached houses under 200 m²: class III-B, 21,050 TL/m²
- Between 200 and 500 m²: class III-C, 23,400 TL/m²
- 500 m² and above: class IV-B, 33,900 TL/m²
These unit costs are not real construction costs. They exclude land, landscaping and external services, and assume average-quality materials. They are a shared basis for calculating fees, not a budget.
The Chamber of Architects' minimum fee
The Chamber of Architects (TMMOB Mimarlar Odası) publishes a schedule that defines the minimum fee for each service, based on the building cost, the building class, the stages of work requested and a regional factor. The Istanbul branch can tell you the minimum for your project.
What to check in a quote
- Which stages are included: concept, design development, construction drawings, permit, site supervision?
- Are structural, mechanical and electrical drawings included?
- How many renders and how many rounds of revisions?
- Which stages are payments tied to?
- Is there a written contract?
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fixed price per square metre?
No. The fee is calculated from the approximate building cost for the building's class, using the Chamber of Architects' rates, and depends on the services included.
