architects
Fees and costs
Your biggest question after deciding to look at our services is likely to be 'so how much will this all cost?'
Some costs you will be expecting. They include planning submimission fees, building control fees, the cost of the construction work itself as well as the architects fees of course. However there are other costs you may not be aware of, like structural engineering, ecology surveys, flood risk assessments, geological investigations, SAP calculations, kitchen design, administration, and other consultant fees to name but a few.
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From initial discussions and during the refinement of the brief, we can assess your budget in context of these predictable and less predictable costs and will flag up as many as possible of the probable fees from the outset. From the start we encourage you to be realistic about what is achievable within your budget as this is a key consideration.
The benefits of having a RIBA Architect appointed for the design work can end up being significant. We can offer the experience and expertise needed to navigate the process of design, procurement, statutory regulations and the many other hurdles that you'll need to get over to realise your ambitions. It can be a complicated process and is often not a straight line to the finish so there is a lot of work involved; and others offering their services for less may be missing critical steps or the experience needed to properly guide and advise you.
The high quality of the design and the creative ideas that we can provide are reflected in our fees but we are efficient and focused in how we work and will add significant value to your property by having a bespoke, architect-designed home.​
Our Architect's fees
​Initial consultation - We will come and see you free of charge initially for a 1 hour meeting. Subsequent research, advice and correspondence is chargable including our fee proposal and appointment letter. If you go on to appoint us this is normally part of the fixed fee.
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Design work up to planning - We usually agree a fixed fee for these feasibility phases, all set out in your appointment letter along with a detailed brief which can be worked on between us before we are appointed if needed. In some cases hourly rate work might be more appropriate.
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Technical design - For this phase the time needed can vary considerably depending on the complexity or your scheme, the level of finish you want to achieve and what materials you wish to use, therefore we usually charge this at an hourly rate. In this phase we ensure as much information as possible is detailled, so that tendering contractors can assign an accurate price to each item. It is at this point that costs can begin to become more accurate. We will give you a good estimate of what fees to expect based on our other most recent projects so you will know approximately what to expect.
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Construction and handover phase - During these phases we mainly take a consultancy role, only acting when specific questions are raised or extra information is required and then to produce the final record of built information at the end. Therefore for the best value for money, this is also charged at an hourly rate so it keeps in proportion with your project.
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BSA Principal designer - The Building Safety Act 2023 requires compliance of the design to be demonstrated throughout the design phases and into construction. We are expected to be performing this role which is largely an administration and record keeping role only embellishing on what we already do, so will charge this at an hourly rate on top of our usual fees.
Printing
While we do endevour to be as digital as possible sometimes you may like to have hardcopies of drawings and information. These we can print in house up to A1 on request and either drop off or post out to you. Prices for each copy are set out in the appointment letter.
Fixed fee based on contract value
Often for the early feasability phases we roll these up into one fixed fee, giving you peace of mind on what fees you are committing to. We can't guarantee a positive planning decision but we are dedicated to working with the planning officers and finding a way that works for everyone.
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We usually base our fixed fees on a percentage of the anticipated construction contract value, which in turn is based on a rule of thumb of £3,000 per sqm for residential projects. This assumes a good quality of specification and complexity. There will be variation from this figure depending on current construction costs, the site itself, any planning constraints, the complexity of the design, your desired level of finish and the level of input you require from us throughout the construction phase, but this is a good starting point.
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As an example:
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Let's say you wanted a 60 sqm extension, we'd anticpate the construction contract value (exlc 20% VAT) to be £3,000 x 60 sqm = £180,000.
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Our overall percentage fee could then be around 8% of this figure, so £14,400. This is then broken down across the phases.
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Stages 0-3 up to planning: 35% so £5,040
Stage 4 technical design up to Building Control : 35% so another £5,040.
Stages 5 onwards to completion: 30% so £4,320
Hourly rates
Each project is unique and presents its own challenges. Our relationship with you is central to the success of the project and so once we've met we will have to assess how clear the brief is, how many options we may need to explore, how complicated or intricate the design may need to be and therefore how likely it is that we can fairly predict costs to a point where a fixed fee is possible.
Where is is not possible to predict our time and therefore required fees accurately enough, this is when hourly rate working is the most appropriate and fair way to charge you.
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Our current charge out rates for 2025 are:
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Director - £95 per hour (plus 20% VAT)
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Architect/Senior Architectural Assistant - £80 per hour (plus 20% VAT)
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BSA and CDM Principal Designer - £80 per hour (plus 20% VAT) ​
Other consultant's fees
Most projects will require additional statutory information, each of which may need a specialist consultant to address these points for planning, building control, or construction safety.
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We can discuss rough estimates of costs for these consultants with you based on past projects, but your appointment will be with them directly. Sometimes having these consultants on board as early as possible can save you money down the line. This list is not exhaustive, but are the ones we encounter being needed the most, we can also suggest names of firms we have worked with successfully in the past.
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Measured and topographical surveyor - At the outset of the project we need measured information of what you already have on site.
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Contamination/ dangerous building materials - Depending on property type, having the specialist removal of Asbestos or RAAC prior to work starting may be required.
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Ecological consultant - There are protected wildlife species and habitats that could affect your project, a specialist can assess potential impact and any mitigation necessary.
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Arboricultural specialist - There may be specimen trees on or adjacent to your site which could affect your project or vice versa.
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Flood risk assessor - Your site could be at risk of flooding or have already flooded, a specialist can analyse the potential impacts of your development and look at what measures are needed to protect your home.
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Geotechnical specialist - As we are a practice based on the coast, we often have sites with unique ground conditions that require assessment to determine the risks of development and the foundation type needed.
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Structural Engineer - Their input on key junctions, structure and calculations will be needed for building control.
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SAP assessor - They analyse the predicted performance for Building Control, and produce your EPC as well as other technical calculations.
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M+E Engineers - They work out the ventilation, plumbing, green technologies, electrical requirements of your build, in collaboration with your builder, plumber and electrician.
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Project Manager - You may chose to have a project manager overseeing the whole build process, keeping it simple for you.
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Quantity Surveyor - You may chose to appoint a quantity surveyor to price the work, to ensure you're getting value for money from tendering contractors, they then hold the purse strings throughout the build and can often save you money overall.​​​​​​