A typical RFP response runs about 32 hours of staff time — roughly 25 minutes per question in the solicitation — and 45% of architecture RFPs allow only 6 to 20 days to turn one around (OpenAsset). A manual commercial estimate alone, separate from the design narrative, can add another 40–60 hours, or roughly $7,000–$10,680 at a $178/hour blended rate (Monograph). If your proposals are taking meaningfully longer than that, the problem usually isn't effort — it's rebuilding things that should be reusable.
Where do the 32 hours actually go?
Three places, in roughly this order of size: answering the specific questions the RFP asks (the bulk of the 25-minutes-per-question figure), assembling and formatting the commercial/fee estimate, and building or re-finding qualifications material — past project write-ups, resumes, references — that likely existed somewhere already.
Why do estimates alone take 40–60 hours?
Because most firms build them from scratch each time: pulling comparable project costs, recalculating scope-based fees, and formatting a commercial section that has to look as polished as the design content around it. Monograph's estimate of $7,000–$10,680 per proposal at a $178/hour blended rate treats this as a standalone cost — separate from the writing — which is exactly why it's the first place to look for time savings.
What's actually safe to reuse across proposals?
Qualifications, past-project write-ups, team bios, and boilerplate firm narrative are the safest reuse candidates — they don't change client to client, only the selection and framing do. What should not be reused verbatim: anything that answers the client's specific problem. SMPS Foundation research found that losing submissions tend to read as generic and firm-focused rather than client-focused — reuse the raw material, not the pitch itself.
Where should I cut time instead of adding hours?
Two places pay off fastest: templating the commercial/fee structure so it's populated, not rebuilt, and maintaining a living library of qualifications content instead of hunting through old proposals for the last time you wrote up a comparable project.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours does the average architecture RFP response take? Roughly 32 hours, with about 25 minutes spent per question in the solicitation (OpenAsset).
How much turnaround time do RFPs typically give? 45% of architecture RFPs give 6 to 20 days from release to submission (OpenAsset).
How much does a commercial estimate alone cost in time? A manual estimate can run 40–60 hours, or roughly $7,000–$10,680 at a $178/hour blended rate (Monograph).
What shouldn't I reuse from a past proposal? Anything client-facing and specific — the problem statement, the tailored approach. Reuse the raw qualifications material; rewrite the pitch.
About the Author
Kitae Kim
Architect with 10 years of experience in design and client communication. Co-founder of Foveate, the Pursuit Intelligence Platform for AEC firms. Former studio lead who saw too many winning designs lose to worse proposals.
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