A strong core. Flex for the peaks and valleys.
The firms that grow well keep a full-time core and add experienced project consultants when the work calls for them. Here’s what a full-time hire really costs next to a project consultant — and what the numbers alone don’t show.
The core-and-flex model.
Keep a full-time core staff — the people who carry your culture, your clients and your continuity. Then supplement that core with project consultants on a flex basis to handle the peaks and valleys of your workload and the shifting client deliverables and deadlines every firm lives with.
A full-time core staff
Your principals, project leaders and long-term team: the continuity your clients count on, sized for your steady workload.
Project consultants when the work peaks
Experienced architects and designers for a deadline, a surge or a specific project, for as long as the project needs them.
Expand without long-term overhead
Take on a bigger project, a new market or a new building type with project consultants, and add permanent people once the work proves it will last.
One or more shared workstations
A workstation or two set aside for project consultants serves one engagement after another, instead of equipping every new hire.
What a full-time hire really costs.
A project fee can look higher at first. Set the salary and the number of months the project needs someone, and compare the full first-year cost of hiring for it.
Illustrative. Benefit load from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (benefits ≈ 30% of total compensation, ≈ 43% of wages). Average nonexecutive cost per hire of $5,475 from SHRM’s 2025 benchmarking. Software at the Autodesk AEC Collection list price of $3,675/year. Workstation amount is an adjustable estimate. Not financial advice.
What the numbers don’t show.
No hire-and-fire cycle
Scale up for the deadline and back down when it passes, without layoffs, severance or the cost of rehiring when the work returns.
A specific skill, exactly when you need it
A Revit model manager, a code specialist, a renderer — the skill the project calls for, without adding a permanent role.
Someone who has done this building type
Healthcare, hospitality, landmarks, workplace: bring in people who have already delivered the work instead of training for a type you may not see again.
The right person for the phase
Schematic design, construction documents or construction administration — experienced help for that phase only.
Extra minds for a charrette
A few experienced consultants for a few intense days can add ideas, drawings and production when the whole team is pushing toward a big idea.
Try the fit first
When a project consultant turns out to be the right long-term fit, project-to-perm lets you convert with no friction.
How we match.
We are matchmakers. Our matchmakers review every opening first, then CFA Match Intelligence recommends consultants whose past project work fits yours — and our matchmakers review every recommendation. We never rely on AI alone. Client-driven CAD assessments are available at your request.
Our project consultants are self-employed independent contractors who bill through CFA and carry their own taxes and insurance. Billing is one combined rate — see project placement for how it works.
Keep exploring
Work with CFA →
Request talent, compare placement types, and see how we match.
Project placement →
Capacity for the project in front of you, billed as one combined rate.
Try the fit first →
Start on a live project, convert when it works for both sides.
Permanent placement →
Direct-hire searches for the core staff who will define your studio.
What the market pays →
Pay benchmarks for architecture and interior-design roles.
The consultant’s side →
Why experienced designers choose to work by the project.
Common questions
Is a project consultant cheaper than a full-time employee?
For project-length needs, usually. A full-time hire carries salary plus benefits and employer taxes (about 43% of wages, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), plus recruiting, onboarding, a dedicated workstation and software, and pay for months the project doesn’t need. With a project consultant, you pay the project fee and reimbursables for the time the work requires.
What is a core-and-flex model?
Your firm keeps a full-time core staff that carries your culture, clients and continuity, and adds project consultants on a flex basis to handle the peaks and valleys of your workload, shifting client deliverables and deadlines.
Can project consultants help with a charrette?
Yes. A few experienced consultants for a few intense days can add ideas, drawings and production capacity to a charrette without adding permanent headcount.
Can we bring in a specific skill, project type or phase?
Yes. CFA refers consultants who have already done the work you need, whether that is a software skill such as Revit model management, a building type such as healthcare or hospitality, or a phase such as construction documents or construction administration.
How are project consultants classified?
CFA’s project consultants are self-employed independent contractors who bill through CFA and are responsible for their own taxes and insurance. Worker classification is set by law, and CFA coordinates with your counsel to confirm the right classification for your firm.