For this he charges about five to eight cents a square foot on buildings of 30,000 to 500,000 square feet. Generally, his design fee amounts to six to ten percent of the total cost of the job. And though he relishes the freedom he has as an IP, he recognizes the real drawbacks. It's definitely not for the faint of heart. There's no room to mess up.
Mistakes cost money.
It can be a lonely existence. In a job, you have a built-in support system, but as an independent, it's just you by yourself without much interaction. What helps is going around seeing clients. They become part of your social network. They become friends.