When to Hire a Fractional Frontend Architect vs. a Full-Time Senior
The cost math, the capability comparison, and the honest answer for each stage of growth
A founder recently asked me: "Should I hire a full-time senior frontend engineer, or would someone like you — fractional — make more sense?" My answer: "It depends on what problem you're actually solving."
That's not a dodge. I've seen both models work brilliantly and both fail. The difference isn't which is "better" — it's which fits your situation.
The Honest Cost Comparison
Full-time senior (US Market): $180K-$250K salary + $35K-$50K benefits + $25K-$50K recruiting + ~$40K onboarding lost productivity = $280K-$390K Year 1.
Fractional architect (15 hrs/week): $8K-$12K/month retainer, zero benefits, zero equity, zero recruiting cost, minimal onboarding = $96K-$144K Year 1.
That's a 50-65% cost reduction for senior-level architectural leadership.
When Full-Time Is Right
- You have enough frontend work to fill 40 hours weekly
- You need someone to manage 3+ frontend developers hands-on
- You've found product-market fit and are scaling
- Your engineering culture requires full-time presence
When Fractional Is Right
- You need architecture, not just implementation
- You can't justify the full-time cost yet (pre-Series A)
- You're facing a specific technical challenge (migration, design system, performance crisis)
- You want cross-pollination from someone who's seen dozens of codebases
- You need to move fast — a fractional engagement starts next week, hiring takes months
The Hybrid Model
Start fractional. Transition to full-time when the time is right. The fractional architect establishes the architecture, builds the foundation, sets up patterns. After 3-6 months, the codebase has clear structure. Now you can hire a full-time senior who'll be productive from week one.
Some founders keep the fractional engagement at reduced hours (5-8/week) even after hiring full-time, as an architectural advisor.
What to Ask Before Deciding
- How many hours of senior architecture work do you need per week?
- What's your hiring timeline? (Fractional is available now.)
- Is the primary problem "need more hands" or "need someone to decide how to build"?
- What's your burn rate tolerance?
- Does your codebase have the infrastructure to onboard a senior hire?
The worst outcome is doing nothing — letting your frontend evolve by accident while you deliberate. Whatever model you choose, the important thing is that someone with real architectural experience is making the decisions that compound over your codebase's lifetime.