Published pricing
Fee schedule
Most firms in this field will not tell you what anything costs until you have spent twenty minutes on a call. That is a sales tactic, not a pricing model. Here is the whole thing.
Flat-fee engagements
Priced against a written scope. The fee and the delivery date are confirmed in writing before any work begins, and they do not move unless you change the scope.
| Engagement | Fee | Turnaround | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning verification | $650 | 2–3 days | Single parcel, single stated use |
| Floodplain & hazard review | $850 | 2–4 days | Includes local ordinance layer, not just the FEMA map |
| Site feasibility review | $2,500–$4,500 | 5–7 days | Range reflects jurisdiction complexity, quoted before start |
| Approval path memo | $1,500–$3,000 | 5–10 days | Priced on number of approvals, not hours |
| Variance / special approval support | $1,500–$3,500 | scoped | Findings framing and jurisdictional precedent research |
| Jurisdiction primer | $3,500 | 10 days | $2,500 each for three or more ordered together |
| Multi-parcel screening | $400–$600 / parcel | scoped | Five parcel minimum |
| Pre-submittal risk read | $750–$1,500 | 3–5 days | What a reviewer is likely to require before you file |
Hourly
For genuinely open-ended work — on-call research, "just look at this and tell me what you think," and engagements where the scope cannot be defined in advance.
| Principal — analysis, review, advisory | $175 / hr |
| Research & GIS — mapping, records, data | $110 / hr |
| Peer review of another consultant's work | $175–$250 / hr |
| Billing increment | 15 minutes |
| Direct expenses | cost + 15% |
| Travel to a meeting | $150 flat |
Every hourly engagement carries a not-to-exceed ceiling agreed in advance. Invoiced monthly, net 30.
Rush
Deadlines are legitimate and they should be priced rather than quietly missed. Tell me the date up front.
| Compressed schedule | +25% |
| Half normal turnaround | +50% |
| Overnight or same-day | +100% |
Retainers
For firms with steady deal flow. Minimum twenty hours a month; unused hours roll forward one month.
| Monthly research block | $3,000–$6,000 |
| Per-deliverable under retainer | flat, agreed |
Public agencies
Public work is quoted as a fixed fee against a written scope wherever possible — easier to encumber, easier to defend, easier to close out than an hourly ceiling somebody has to monitor. Where a funding source requires an hourly rate, it is stated plainly with a not-to-exceed amount. Where a federal-aid cost proposal is required, costs are built as direct labor plus a safe-harbor indirect rate plus a fixed fee, consistent with 23 CFR 172.
| Typical engagement | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop or charrette facilitation, single day | $1,800–$2,500 | Includes design and written summary |
| Workshop series | $3,500–$7,500 | Design, facilitation, and documentation |
| Engagement documentation & summary reporting | $3,000–$8,000 | How input actually shaped the plan |
| Data, performance measures & baselines | $6,000–$15,000 | Method documented so it can be reproduced |
| Land use, infill & opportunity area analysis | $8,000–$20,000 | Existing and future land use, capacity, corridors |
| Subconsultant scope on a larger study | scoped | Land use, data, engagement, or conservation component |
Sized to fit your procurement, on purpose
Most first engagements are scoped deliberately to sit inside small-purchase authority so they do not require a full procurement to get moving. Tell me the threshold you are working with and I will scope to it. W-9, certificate of insurance, capability statement, and references available on request.
Know the number before you call.
That is the point of this page. If what you need is not on it, describe it and I will quote it — or tell you honestly that someone else is a better fit.