70 percent of all architecture firm billings were from repeat clients in 2019. Small firms (fewer than 10 employees) had over half (51%) of their billings come from noncompetitive repeat client projects and almost one fifth (18%) from noncompetitive new-client projects. In contrast, the repeat business for the largest firms (over 50 employees) was split relatively evenly between noncompetitive projects (34%) and those that were competitively selected (36%). Midsized firms also had a more even distribution, although more of their repeat business was noncompetitive (44%) than competitive (30%). Overall, the share of firm billings from noncompetitive selection declined from 54% in 2017 to 49% in 2019.
Source: AIA Business of Architecture Firm Survey Report, 2020 (aia.org/firmsurvey)