AIA commends Congress for revising fee limitation for federal design and construction projects

WASHINGTON – January 5, 2024 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) commends Congress for revising the fee limitation for federal design and construction projects within the purview of the Department of Defense (DOD) from six to ten percent in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and thanks President Biden for signing the NDAA. 

Under long-standing federal statute, design services fees for both civilian and military federal design and construction projects were capped at six percent of total estimated project costs. The six-percent cap has been a major issue of concern for AIA and the design and engineering industries. 

For architects in the federal sector, the limitation on fees does not reflect the growing complexity of design projects, the additional services that need to be provided to complete a successful 21st-century project, and the growing amount of upfront work and extensive management requirements that firms must perform to complete a project. AIA President Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC says, “This is a step in the right direction to ensuring that architects are adequately compensated for the specialized skills and training that encompasses their services provided to the federal government.” 

AIA specifically wants to thank past president of AIA Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, for her tireless leadership over the years on this critical issue as well as immediate past president Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, and 2022 President Dan Hart, FAIA, as well as many others throughout AIA leadership and working groups for their determined efforts. We congratulate our partners, the American Council of Engineering Companies, the Society of American Military Engineers, and others for their leadership and diligence in making the raise in the fee cap a reality. 

AIA looks forward to working with the Department of Defense as they implement the new law. AIA will continue to work towards a future where fair and reasonable fees are unfettered by fee limitations across all agencies on all federal design and construction projects.