What are the fees?

An architect’s job is to design an original and individual building for each client. Each project is unique with a different site, a different set of criteria and a different budget. Some clients require more of an architect’s services than others. For these reasons, Architects’ fees vary from project to project.

An architect’s fees are a small part of the overall cost of a building project and the construction cost of a building is a small part of the overall cost of owning, running and maintaining the building throughout its life. Our mission is to save you more than the cost of our fees by adding extra market value to the building through good design, by reducing the running costs of the building through careful detailing and by reducing the cost of constructing the building through good project management. Clients who attempt to save money by using inexperienced designers can find that the downside is substantially higher costs throughout the rest of the process. Don’t take risks with your investment. Good advice is worth paying for.

For small, complicated projects, the fees can be 10-15% of the construction cost or more. For larger projects with straight-forward content, the fees may be 3-5% of the construction cost. For most domestic projects, the fees for a full architectural service are between 8% and 14% of the construction cost, with discounts available for a reduced package of services. Fixed fees can be agreed for most projects.

It’s never easy to calculate the cost of designing something unique, something that’s never been designed before, but it is the job of the architect in collaboration with the client to do so.