How much does an architect cost in Guatemala? There is no published official fee schedule: the Colegio de Arquitectos de Guatemala publishes no fee schedule on its public site. What is published is the Timbre de Arquitectura, a stamp tax added on top of the fee; the rates of one studio that puts its prices online; and the pay of employed architects. This guide puts those figures together, read on 8 October 2026, and tells you what to ask for in writing so you can compare quotes.
Quick summary: Estudio ED (Zona 15) publishes US$30 per m² for residential design of 250 to 350 m², with planning billed separately at 20% of the design cost. The Timbre de Arquitectura is 1% of the fee (minimum Q1.00 per document). Average architect pay is Q10,774 a month (Computrabajo, 122 salaries). The Colegio publishes no fee schedule.
Correction (8 October 2026): this page gave market ranges (basic plans Q6,000-18,000, Q80-280 per m², 4-15% of construction cost, supervision Q3,000-8,000 a month), project examples and percentage differences by region and experience. None of those figures had a published source and they have been withdrawn. See our corrections policy.
Is There an Official Architects’ Fee Schedule?
Not a public one. On 8 October 2026 we checked the Colegio de Arquitectos de Guatemala site: its Normativas section lists seven documents (Ley de Colegiación Profesional Obligatoria, Timbre Parte 2 - Reglamento de Prestaciones, Estatutos, Reglamento de Elecciones, Ley del Timbre de Arquitectura, Reglamento de Apelaciones and Timbre Electrónico), and neither that section nor Transparencia, Publicaciones, Profesiones or Prestaciones mentions an arancel, fees or rates.
The Ley del Timbre de Arquitectura itself says, in Art. 3 inciso a), that when the value of the fee cannot be determined it is calculated under the Colegio’s Arancel. So the law refers to a fee schedule, but the Colegio does not publish it anywhere the public can read it.
What Is Statutory: the Timbre de Arquitectura
A stamp tax collected by the Colegio and added to whatever fee you agree:
| Situation | Timbre de Arquitectura |
|---|---|
| Architect’s fees on projects, expert reports, appraisals, advisory, consulting, construction, site supervision and any document requiring their signature (Art. 3 a) | 1% of the fee |
| Companies carrying out works that need a municipal licence (Art. 3 b) | one per thousand of the construction value stated on the licence |
| Public works by contract, or works exempt from a municipal licence (Art. 3 c) | one per thousand of the amount |
| Minimum in cases a), b) and c), on documents, plans or invoices | Q1.00 |
| Salaried architect at a public or private entity (Art. 3 d) | 1% of monthly salary |
| Unregistered foreign professionals with a temporary permit (Art. 3 e) | 2% of income, never less than Q10.00 a month |
| Registration of new professionals (Art. 3 f) | Q60.00 for graduates of Guatemalan universities; Q100.00 for foreign graduates incorporated in Guatemala |
| Minimum monthly member dues (Art. 3-A) | Q7.50 |
Source: Ley del Timbre de Arquitectura, Decreto 67-76, Art. 3 (as amended by Decreto Ley 56-85) and Art. 3-A, PDF published by the Colegio de Arquitectos de Guatemala, read on 8 October 2026.
One Published Price: Estudio ED
The only studio we found with its rates online is Estudio ED, with an office in Zona 15, Guatemala City. Its costs page, dated 26 July 2026, says its rates depend on the size and scope of the project:
| Service (Estudio ED) | Published rate |
|---|---|
| Residential architectural design, 250 to 350 m² | US$30 per m² |
| Residential architectural design, over 350 m² | Quoted per project |
| Planning (planificación) | 20% of the architectural design cost |
| Interior design, 50 to 100 m² | US$35 to 40 per m² |
| Interior design, 101 to 200 m² | US$20 to 30 per m² |
| Interior design, over 200 m² | Quoted per project |
Source: Estudio ED, Costos por nuestros servicios page (estudioed.com), read on 8 October 2026. Rates are in dollars as the studio publishes them; the quetzal equivalents on the same page do not match those amounts, so we do not repeat them.
Example (our arithmetic, not a quote): a 300 m² house at US$30 per m² comes to US$9,000 for design; planning at 20% adds US$1,800. More on interiors in our interior designer prices guide.
One studio is not the market: use it as a point of comparison, not as a standard price.
What an Architect Earns in Guatemala
| Job title | Average monthly pay | Published values | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architect (arquitecto/a) | Q10,774 | Q3,000 to Q19,500 | 122 salaries |
| 2026 non-agricultural minimum wage, Guatemala Department (reference) | Q4,002.28 + Q250 bonificación incentivo | — | Acuerdo Gubernativo 256-2025 |
Source: Computrabajo Guatemala (data updated 7 October 2026) and Acuerdo Gubernativo 256-2025 as reported by the Diario de Centro América and EY Guatemala, read on 8 October 2026.
A salaried architect also pays the 1% Timbre de Arquitectura on their salary (Art. 3 d). A self-employed architect draws no fixed salary; income depends on the projects that come in.
What to Ask for in the Quote
- Define the scope: design only, full planning, site supervision or interior design.
- Get the list of deliverables in writing: floor plans, sections, elevations, installation drawings, specifications.
- Ask whether the price includes the Timbre de Arquitectura and IVA.
- Get two or three quotes on the same project description.
- Check active registration with the Colegio de Arquitectos.
- Sign a contract with phases, deliverables, dates and payment terms; do not pay everything up front.
- Ask your municipality which drawings and which professional signature it requires for the building licence.
Related Guides
- Service Prices Hub — all services
- Interior Designer Prices — Decora and Estudio ED packages
- Notary Fees — deeds and property transfers
- Electrician Costs — electrical installations
- Construction Costs — build cost per square metre
- Municipal Construction License — permits for building
Sources
- Ley del Timbre de Arquitectura, Decreto 67-76, Art. 3 as amended by Decreto Ley 56-85, and Art. 3-A — PDF published by the Colegio in its Normativas section, read on 8 October 2026
- Colegio de Arquitectos de Guatemala — Normativas, Transparencia, Publicaciones, Profesiones and Prestaciones checked on 8 October 2026: no fee schedule or arancel is published
- Estudio ED — costs page dated 26 July 2026, read on 8 October 2026
- Computrabajo Guatemala — architect Q10,774 a month across 122 salaries (updated 7 October 2026)
- Acuerdo Gubernativo 256-2025 — 2026 minimum wage, as reported by the Diario de Centro América
Timbre de Arquitectura, the Colegio site, Estudio ED’s rates and Computrabajo data read on 8 October 2026. Fees are agreed with each architect; always get the quote in writing.