Every AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) firm knows this feeling. The project pipeline looks healthy, bids are coming in, and then the same question shows up in every leadership meeting. Who’s actually going to do the work?
Not because the firm lacks skill. Because the seats needed to run the project (drafters, estimators, BIM coordinators, structural support) are either empty or filled by someone stretched across three roles already.
That gap is now industry-wide, not firm-specific. And it’s pushing more US firms toward a model they wouldn’t have considered five years ago, building a dedicated remote AEC team through a staffing partner like EzyBuilds. Instead of fighting the same shrinking local talent pool that everyone else is fighting.
The numbers behind the shortage
This isn’t a slow news day story. It’s showing up in nearly every workforce report published this year.
| What the data shows | Source |
|---|---|
| 92% of construction firms report difficulty filling open positions | AGC / NCCER 2025 Workforce Survey |
| 57% of firms cite a lack of skills or qualifications among candidates | AGC / NCCER 2025 |
| The industry needs roughly 439,000 to 499,000 additional workers through 2026 | ABC / AGC |
| About 16,200 average annual drafter openings are projected in the US, mostly from retirements | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Entry-level CAD drafters average under $19/hour, while experienced drafters cost significantly more once benefits are added | PayScale 2026 |
Put those together, and the picture is clear. Firms aren’t just short-staffed this quarter. They’re structurally short-staffed, and the workforce that’s supposed to replace retiring talent isn’t showing up fast enough to close the gap.
What an in-house AEC hire actually costs
On paper, hiring locally feels safer. In practice, it’s usually the more expensive and slower path once all costs are counted.
- Recruiting a qualified AEC professional can take 6 to 10 weeks, sometimes longer, for specialized roles.
- Fully loaded local rates for drafters, estimators, and BIM staff typically land between $35 to $55 per hour.
- Benefits, software licenses, and workstation setup are added on top of the base salary.
- Turnover costs often run more than twice the departing employee's salary, once training and lost knowledge are counted.
And that’s before accounting for the workload itself. AEC project demand isn’t flat. It spikes during design development, coordination, and bid phases, then eases off, while a full-time local hire stays a fixed cost either way.
Why EzyBuilds instead of local hiring
This is the part that actually changes the math for most firms. EzyBuilds runs dedicated remote AEC staffing built specifically for US firms, starting from just $13/hour.
- Hire dedicated remote AEC staff starting from $13/hour, a fraction of local rates
- Save up to 70% compared to a fully loaded in-house hire
- Onboard qualified talent in as little as 48 hours, not 6 to 10 weeks
- No recruiting fees, no benefits overhead, no idle payroll during slower phases
- Staff work inside your existing software, file structure, and standards from day one
EzyBuilds vs local hiring
| Factor | Local in-house hire | EzyBuilds remote staffing |
|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | $28 to $48/hr fully loaded | From $13/hr |
| Time to onboard | 4 to 8 weeks | As little as 48 hours |
| Savings | Baseline | Up to 70% |
| Flexibility | Fixed headcount | Scales with project load |
| Software & standards | Set up and trained from scratch | Works on your existing systems |
| Turnaround on backlog | Limited to one desk | Adds capacity on demand |
Roles you can staff through EzyBuilds
AEC covers a wide range of disciplines, and most firms don’t need to hire one. They need coverage across a few roles at once.
- BIM Specialists and Coordinators
- Construction Estimators (our construction estimation staffing solutions in the USA are one of the most requested roles, alongside AEC support)
- CAD Drafters (architectural, structural, and MEP)
- Quantity Takeoff Specialists
- Structural and Civil Engineering Support Staff
- Project Coordination and Documentation Support
Firms rarely staff just one of these in isolation. A project that requires BIM coordination usually requires estimating and drafting support on the same timeline, so building a small dedicated bench across roles tends to work better than filling one seat at a time.
What this solves on a live project
A dedicated remote AEC team doesn’t replace your in-house leadership. It removes the bottleneck sitting underneath it.
- Drafting, modeling, and takeoff work stay on schedule instead of backing up behind one overloaded employee.
- Senior engineers and project managers get their time back for decisions that actually need their experience.
- Bid volume can flex up without a hiring cycle attached to it
- Coordination and documentation stop slipping when a key person is out or overloaded
Is remote AEC staffing actually reliable
Fair question, and it’s the one every firm asks before trying this. The concern usually isn’t about capability; it’s about trust and standards.
EzyBuilds staff are vetted specifically for AEC work before joining a project, not general admin or generic drafting. They work inside your file naming, your software, and your review process, the same way an in-house hire would. You’re not handing off quality control; you’re just no longer stuck waiting weeks to fill the seat.
Most firms that try this start with one or two roles on a live project, see the output firsthand, then build out the bench once they’ve confirmed it holds up.
My take, after years of doing this
I’ve had this exact conversation with AEC firms more times than I can count, and it almost always circles back to the same root issue. It’s rarely a skills problem at the leadership level. It’s a capacity underneath it, drafters stretched too thin, estimators buried in backlog, and BIM coordination running two weeks behind where it should be.
That backlog is expensive in ways that don’t always show up on a spreadsheet right away (bids going out rushed, coordination meetings running on outdated models, senior staff doing junior-level work because there’s no one else to do it).
The firms handling this well didn’t wait for the local market to loosen up. They built a small dedicated AEC bench through EzyBuilds, matched roles to their actual project load, and treated staffing as something they could scale on demand instead of something they’d get around to eventually.
If there’s one point worth taking from this, it’s that AEC staffing isn’t just an HR line item anymore. It’s directly tied to how many projects you can actually say yes to.
FAQ
How much does EzyBuilds AEC staffing cost compared to a local hire?
EzyBuild’s dedicated remote AEC staff start from $13/hour, up to 70% less than a fully loaded local hire once salary, benefits, software, and overhead are counted.
How fast can AEC staff join our team?
Qualified AEC professionals from EzyBuilds can usually be matched and onboarded within 48 hours, depending on project requirements.
Which roles can EzyBuilds staff for AEC firms?
BIM specialists, CAD drafters, construction estimators, quantity takeoff specialists, and structural or civil engineering support staff are among the most requested roles.
Will the work meet our internal standards and software setup?
Yes. EzyBuilds staff are vetted specifically for AEC work and operate inside your existing file structure, software, and review process from day one.
Ready to fix your AEC staffing gap?
Hire dedicated remote construction AEC staffing from EzyBuilds starting from just $13/hour, saving up to 70%, in as little as 48 hours.
