Many architects charge percentage fees based on the cost of construction, but I don’t believe that percentage fees are fair to either the architect or the client. I typically charge hourly for the design phase, because this is the portion of the project where it is difficult to predict how much interaction time it will take to arrive at a suitable design. Hourly fees for this phase of design encourage church committees to be organized and deliberate in providing the information an architect needs to create the initial design.
For construction drawings and services during construction, I charge a fixed fee based on the estimated construction cost of the project. Typically this includes architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawings. For civil engineering, I either carry them through my contract as a reimbursable expense, or the church contracts with them directly. Other reimbursable expenses include things like travel, drawing copies, etc. that are charged over and above the hourly or fixed fees.
Billing is done monthly, with payment due within 10 days of invoice date.