Standard Fees for 2024 & 2025

Because transparency is key, so are our fees.

We believe in making things simple and efficient. We’ve created an affordable, standardized fee structure dependent upon the size of your institution, because—while every organization is uniquely different—the size of your facility indicates our typical workload.

Below you will find an outline of our typical deliverables associated with our two fee categories, which are based on annual attendance, physical size of zoo, and operating budget. We know you likely won’t fit exactly into one or the other category, so contact us to determine your pricing.

Please note, we require a 20% down payment at time of signed contract. Terms are negotiable for the balance of payment.

master planning: Black Footed Cat Level

< 150,000 Annual Attendance

< 15 Developed Acres

< $2mm in Operating Budget

Designed for our smallest clients.

$60,000 + travel expenses and reimbursables at cost

Base Package includes:

Development of Brand Experience, Overall Organization, Thematic / Messaging Zones, and Major Experiences / Habitats
Development of Support Products (may include Revenue Centers, Shows, and Special / Temporary Events options)
Development of Service / Administration Buildings and Elements
Roll-Out Schedule w/ Project Budgets & Attendance Projections
Digital Final Master Plan Booklet & Presentation (in Power Point)
3 Artistic Renderings
Overall Facility Site Plan
Phased Site Plans

master planning: Jungle Cat Level

> 150,000 but less than 500,000 Annual Attendance

> 15 Developed Acres

> $2mm in Operating Budget

Designed for our larger clients, who are still small & mighty.

$85,000 + travel expenses and reimbursables at cost

Base Package includes:

Development of Brand Experience, Overall Organization, Thematic / Messaging Zones, and Major Experiences / Habitats
Development of Support Products (may include Revenue Centers, Shows, and Special / Temporary Events options)
Development of Service / Administration Buildings and Elements
Roll-Out Schedule w/ Project Budgets & Attendance Projections
Digital Final Master Plan Booklet & Presentation (in Power Point)
5 Artistic Renderings
Overall Facility Site Plan
Phased Site Plans

master Planning: Basic Services

All Master Plans will include:

ANALYSIS

Guest Circulation
Service Circulation
Parking
Site Organization
Facilities Evaluation
Unique Circumstances, as needed. May include 2-3 of these: Historic structures, Shade / Cooling, ADA evaluation based on topography, Visitor behavior studies, etc.
Attendance Trends (Growth Rate, Design Day calculation, Seasonality, Daily arrival / departures)
Audience Analysis (Who are you guests? What are their expectations? What is the potential growth?)
Competitive Market Analysis
Retail and F&B (Per Caps, Comparable performance, Location evaluation & distribution)
Revenues Distribution
Goals and Strategies for Master Plan

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Overall Organization Bubble Diagrams of Thematic Zones and Experiences
Initial Original Concept Development of 5-7 Major Products: Concise Conceptual Storyline, Educational / Conservation Big Idea, Unique Experience, Star Species, Inspirational Images
Prioritized Original Major Concept Development of 3-5 Major Products: Conceptual Storyline Narrative, Educational / Conservation Big Idea and Action Items for Guests & Organization, Unique Experience(s), Animal Collection w/ Design Program for Exhibits and Holding, Inspirational Images, Rendering, Design Program of Revenue Opportunities, Site Plan, Programmatic Floor Plans, Project Budget ROM
Supporting Products & Service / Administrative Elements: Narrative Description, Educational / Conservation Big Idea, Unique Aspects, Animal Collection, Inspirational Images, Design Program of Exhibits and Buildings, Site Plan, Programmatic Floor Plan, Project Budget ROM

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Roll-Out Plan including estimates of Fundraising Needs
Overall Site Plan (not illustrative)
Phasing Plans
Design Day and Annual Attendance Projections per Phase
Final Master Plan Book (simple layout in Power Point format)

ON-SITE MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS

Typically 5-7 in-person meetings
Additional 4-8 web conferences
E-mail and phone contact as much as you'd like!

Below services are available as Add-Ons (prices listed below are averages; actual price depends on your specific circumstances):

Market Research to understand your regional audience
- Price dependent on complexity and size of study, typically $2,000 - 5,000
Market Research to test concept preferences with potential market
- Price dependent on number of tested concepts, typically $2,000 - 5,000
Illustrative Site Plan especially created for fundraising purposes (more detail included than site plan in standard Master Plan)
- $3000 for Black-footed Cat Master Plans
- $5000 for Jungle Cat Master Plans
Additional Renderings
- Approx. $2500 per rendering
Utilities Evaluation & Planning (by Sub-Consultant)
Business Planning (Profit and Loss Projection utilizing operating costs, capital costs, revenues projections)
- $10,000 for Black-footed Cat Master Plans
- $15,000 for Jungle Cat Master Plans
Strategic Planning (engaged before master planning to define organizational vision and structure; teamed with Sub-Consultant)
- $15,000 - 35,000, dependent on level of planning needed + travel expenses at cost
Community Engagement Workshops
- Travel Costs and Hourly Professional Rate of $200 per hour for preparation and actual workshop, typically 8-24 hours per workshop
Benchmarking Trips (visit the ‘best of the best’ in zoos and aquariums with the master planning team. Great for team-building and visioning!)
- Travel Costs and Discounted Hourly Professional Rate of $100 per hour (max. 8 hours billed per day)
Conservation Programs Planning (by Sub-Consultant)
Husbandry, Behavioral and Wellbeing Consulting (by Sub-Consultant)
Veterinary and Nutrition Consulting (by Sub-Consultant)
Graphic & Interpretive Design (by Sub-Consultant)

If you are aware of any special help you’ll require during this process beyond those things listed in the standard Master Plan, please let us know and we’ll estimate if any additional fees will be required.

master Planning: Additional Services

One Size Fits All—Everyone is welcome to use this service!

Billed at an hourly rate of $200 / hour, up to a maximum based on a fee proposal tailored to your needs + reimbursables at cost.

Get in touch so we can talk through your situation and provide you with an accurate quote and proposal of work.

master plan refreshes

One Size Fits All—Everyone is welcome to use this service!

Billed at an hourly rate of $200 / hour, up to a maximum based on a fee proposal tailored to your specific project + reimbursables at cost. Historically, a moderately-sized, lightly themed exhibit (such as a black bear habitat) comes in around $17,000 - 24,000.

Concept Design typically includes: