For architecture and engineering firms, ZEP includes an integrated HOAI fee calculation (Honorarordnung für Architekten und Ingenieure — German fee schedule for architects and engineers). From fee zone, fee rate, chargeable costs (net), and the chosen service phases, ZEP automatically determines the fee and creates a offer item for each phase.
HOAI template as prerequisite
The HOAI calculation is available as a system-internal template HOAI fee calculation. It appears automatically in the templates dropdown when creating a new proposal — without you having to create it manually. Select it via Proposals > My Proposals > New Proposal > Template „HOAI fee calculation".
In the creation dialog, you first enter the regular master data (customer, title, responsible, etc.) as for any other proposal.
HOAI fee calculation tab
After saving the master data, the additional tab HOAI Fee Calculation appears in the proposal. Here you configure the technical parameters.
Multiple service tables per offer
You can combine several service tables in a single offer, for example when a project covers both object planning and structural design. Per service table, you create an own block with its own fee zone, fee rate, and service phases.
A new block is created via the button Add scope of work. Each block calculates independently; ZEP generates a separate group of offer items per block and sums up the fees at the end of the offer. Via Remove scope of work, you remove a block again.
Select service profile
In the service profile field, you select the HOAI paragraph used for billing (e.g., „§34 Buildings" for building planning or „§40 Area planning" for landscape architecture). The selection determines the available service phases and the fee table.
In addition to the classic planning service tables (e.g. §34 Buildings, §40 Area planning, §51 Structural design), ZEP also includes consulting services according to Annex 1 of HOAI: building physics (thermal protection, building acoustics, room acoustics), geotechnics, surveying, and environmental impact studies. These are listed as a separate category in the selection.
Depending on the service table, the available fee zones and service phases vary. Structural design, for example, only knows service phases 1 to 6 (no LP 7 to 9), and §56 Technical Equipment only 3 fee zones instead of 5. ZEP automatically hides unavailable fields.
Enter chargeable costs (net)
In the chargeable costs (net) field, you enter the calculation basis. Depending on the service profile, label and unit change:
for building planning: Chargeable costs (net) in euros
for area planning: Area in hectares
for other service profiles: Accounting units
ZEP automatically checks minimum and maximum values according to the HOAI fee table and displays an error message if the value is outside the allowed range.
Calculating costs subject to remuneration with the calculator
If the costs subject to remuneration are not yet available as a single total, you can calculate them directly via the button Calculate costs subject to remuneration next to the field Costs subject to remuneration. ZEP opens a popup where you enter the individual cost groups according to DIN-276.
In the popup, you select per cost group via checkbox whether it should be included, and enter the amount. ZEP sums up the selected cost groups and transfers the total via Apply into the Costs subject to remuneration field.
For service table §56 Technical Equipment, an additional dropdown Installation group appears. Here you select the DIN-276 group (410 to 480) according to which the fee table is applied. Each installation group uses its own fee table; for multiple installation groups, you bill separately.
Select fee zone
The fee zone reflects the difficulty level of the project. Depending on the service profile, fee zones I to V are available (e.g., residential buildings usually fee zone III, prestigious structures fee zone IV or V). A higher fee zone leads to a higher fee.
Select fee rate
The fee rate determines where within the fee range of the zone billing takes place. Available are:
Base fee rate — lower value of the fee range
Quarter rate — base fee rate + one quarter of the range
Middle rate — middle value of the fee range (default pre-set)
Three-quarter rate — base fee rate + three quarters of the range
Upper fee rate — upper value of the fee range
Activate service phases
The 9 service phases of HOAI are all activated by default, each with the standard percentage specified in HOAI (e.g., LP 3 Draft Planning: 15%). You can deactivate individual phases if you do not offer them, or adjust the percentages per phase for individual deviations. The sum of active phases does not need to reach 100% — often, only LP 1–5 are offered, for example.
Example: An architectural firm plans a residential building with eligible costs of €1.2 million. Inputs: service profile §34 building, eligible costs €1,200,000, fee zone III, fee rate Medium, active phases LP 1–5 (basic evaluation through execution planning) plus LP 6–7 (procurement preparation and procurement support). Result: ZEP creates seven lump-sum items, one per active service phase, with the respective fee amounts. The total quote fee is the sum of the active phases.
Fee calculation and item generation
As soon as you save the HOAI parameters, ZEP automatically calculates the total fee based on the HOAI fee tables (interpolated between table values). For each active service phase, an own fixed price item with the unit „Package" is created — with the fee amount calculated for this phase.
In the proposal note, the chosen HOAI parameters are automatically documented (service profile, fee zone, fee rate, chargeable costs (net)) — for internal traceability and possible customer queries.
Note: The generated items can be manually edited after creation, additional items can be inserted, or individual phases renamed. If you subsequently change the HOAI parameters in the HOAI tab, the items are regenerated — manual adjustments are lost in the process.
After the HOAI calculation
Once the HOAI phases are available as offer items, the normal proposal process continues.
Beyond the HOAI-generated items, you can add supplementary effort or fixed price items for non-HOAI services, for example construction supervision at an hourly rate, special expert opinions, or ancillary costs. These supplement the HOAI phases at the end of the proposal and are included in the total amount.
You then create the proposal document, send it to your customer, and transfer it to a project after commissioning. The complete process is described in the article Create and Send Proposals.