What is the cost of Design?

I remember an episode of M*A*S*H, Hawkeye becomes obsessed with what the "BJ" in Dr. BJ Hunnicut’s name stands for. The running gag is Hunnicut’s claim that "BJ" stands for "anything you want". I think of that when asked about the cost of design. The answer: anything you want applies.

True confessions: New to the business 25+ years ago I "shopped the competition" to research what other designers were charging. [Note: since some of them are still alive and well, I will claim this pure fiction if confronted.] I sent a letter outlining a 70’ish foot boat I was looking to build, complete with a magazine clipping. I asked the dozen or so contacted for a "ball park" design fee. While most responded, their answers offered less help than I had hoped: still they were quite informative. The design fees, you see, ranged between 15 and 110 thousand dollars for that same boat. Now that range may seem to offer bargains in some cases and pure exploitation in others.

After 25+ years, however, I’m convinced that each fee represented good value if value means getting what you paid for. Certainly the quantity and quality of the information supplied would have varied widely from the lowest to the highest, and certainly no one wants to spend more than they have to, but remember this fact. Few projects get into trouble because of over design. While spending too little can be downright risky.

Which brings us to this rule of thumb. Look to spend at least 3-1/2 to 5 percent of the boat’s cost on design. That is not because the designer is a swell chap but because it will take that kind of money to develop the drawings and details to do the job right. Spend less and you will simply get less: end of story. So if asked, What is the cost of Design? The answer remains the same as Dr. Hunnicut’s: …whatever you want.