Zweig Group, the leading provider of management consulting, research, and education for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, has released the 2026 Fee + Billing Report of AEC Firms – the industry’s standard resource for benchmarking fees, billing practices, and firm performance.
This highly anticipated report provides AEC leaders with critical insight into how firms are pricing their services, managing billing structures, and optimizing productivity in a rapidly evolving market. Built from comprehensive industry data, the report equips firms with the information needed to make more informed decisions around pricing, utilization, and financial performance.
Key trends from the 2026 report include:
- More strategic pricing by sector. The share of firms varying billing rates by market/sector increased from 15% to 35%, reflecting a more segmented and intentional approach to pricing.
- Shift toward standardized pricing models. Use of salary-based billing multipliers rose from 18% to 30%, indicating a move toward more consistent, margin-focused methodologies.
- Pricing growth begins to level off. Median billing rate increases over the past three years declined slightly from 11% to 10%, suggesting stabilization following recent increases.
- Greater variability in rate updates. Firms updating billing rates annually decreased from 90% to 83%, pointing to more flexible pricing strategies.
- Increased internal transparency. Firms allowing broad internal visibility of billing rates rose from 75% to 79%, continuing a trend toward alignment and openness.
- Operational performance. The gap between target and actual staff chargeability increased to 4.0% from 2.9% last year, indicating firms may be facing growing challenges in meeting utilization goals and maintaining operational efficiency.
“This report continues to be a foundational tool for AEC firms looking to better understand how they price their work and manage performance,” said Chad Clinehens, president and CEO of Zweig Group. “In today’s environment, where cost pressures and client expectations are constantly shifting, having reliable benchmarking data is essential.”
For decades, Zweig Group’s Fee + Billing Report has served as a trusted benchmark for AEC firms seeking to align pricing strategies with market realities and improve financial performance.
The 2026 edition includes detailed analysis of fee structures across all major AEC market sectors, along with billing rates and chargeability metrics for 33 employee levels, from clerical staff through firm principals. It also examines consultant fees, reimbursable expenses, and payment collection practices – offering a complete picture of how firms are managing revenue and operational efficiency.