Brazilian Engineer Fee (CREA)

CREA engineering professional fees

When Brazilian engineers price a civil-works project, they lean on reference tables put out by SENGE (the state engineering unions), Mútua (the CONFEA mutual fund) and CONFEA itself. The base rate comes from CUB/m² (Custo Unitário Básico, a monthly Sinduscon index), which you multiply by a percentage tied to the discipline of the project. Figure on structural 3–5%, hydraulic 2–3% and electrical 1.5–3% of the construction value.

Any engineering service in Brazil needs an ART (Anotação de Responsabilidade Técnica) filed with the regional CREA. That requirement comes from Lei nº 6.496/1977, sitting under Lei nº 5.194/1966, which regulates the profession as a whole. The ART fee is on top of the professional honorarium, and signing it ties the engineer to civil and criminal liability for the work.

Applications

Quoting structural, electrical, hydraulic and HVAC design for residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Pricing technical reports (laudos), inspections (vistorias) and expert witness work (perícias). Budgeting infrastructure projects for tenders under Lei nº 14.133/2021. Checking your numbers against the Mútua and SENGE-SP tables before you send the proposal.

FAQ

Is the CONFEA table mandatory? No. CONFEA Resolução nº 1.116/2019 spells out reference values, but you're free to negotiate above or below them depending on how complex the job is, how tight the deadline runs and who the client is.

Do I need an ART for small jobs? Yes. Any paid engineering activity requires one, right down to a single-page laudo. Skip it and you risk a fine, and CREA can suspend you.

What is CUB/m²? It's a monthly construction-cost index that each state Sinduscon publishes. You use it as the base unit when budgeting, and as the denominator behind the engineering-fee percentages.