Architecture Fees in London
Fees in architecture vary a great deal, but are essentially tied to the amount of time architects spend working on the project, as with other professional services, architects sell time and charge as such. The amount of time required for a project is impacted by the level of service the client wants and the quality of the work the architect produces. The service an architect provides is about adding value to a project, while also trying to reduce cost and stress, when compared to the construction project in general architectural fees represent a relatively small percentage, but can have a huge impact on the process and the end result.
Bespoke elements will add cost to design work
Project Stages
Some clients want different levels of service for their projects, we generally think of the project in three main portions and allocate fees according to how much resource each segment requires:
- Start to Planning - 30%
This involves defining the concept of the project with the client and developing it to a level of detail necessary to submit a successful planning application. Broadly speaking, this involves making the big design decisions and defining what the project is going to look like externally. This is a really exciting phase of the project where the ideas start to take shape.
- Planning to Tender - 40%
This phase can be started while the planning application is pending, or can wait until it is approved. It is all about more technical design and making decisions on thinks like internal finishes.
- Tender to Completion - 30%
The final phase of the project is about delivering what has been designed and ensuring the project we have perfected in the prior phases is made into reality. Especially when working with existing buildings there will be surprises that must be designed around.
Commercial projects have costs than residential projects
Project types
Different types of project are demanding in different ways, these demands lead to more or less of the architects time being required. In general, the more bespoke a project is, the more time it will require from the architect and the fee will become relatively higher. For example, one off private homes are more bespoke than housing developments or apartment buildings which in turn have more complexity than offices.
Similarly, working existing buildings will have more wonky steps and surprises than a new build home and generally require more time to work with, as such they will command a relatively higher fee. The projects that demand the most amount of time relative to construction budget are listed buildings as the design sensitivities and statutory approvals required are significantly more onerous.
Models can help understand projects, but can add cost
Fee types
In general there are three ways architects typically charge their clients in the UK: using a percentage of construction cost, using as an hourly rate or calculating a fixed fee.
At haat we prefer to avoid charging client using fees based on a percentage of the construction cost as this disincentivises us, as architects, to deliver value for you, the client. Percentages are, however, a useful barometer to check that we are spending the right amount of time working on a project.
Hourly rates are directly linked to the amount of time we spend working on the project (£X per hour), this is useful when the project brief is not well defined and you as a client are not certain how far you want to bring us along with you during the project.
A fixed fee is useful as it gives our clients cost certainty, you know exactly how much each stage of work is going to cost you so you can factor it in to your project budget. We will estimate the amount of our time the project will need and will calculate our fee accordingly. This facilitates long term planning for everyone involved in the project and allows it to run smoothly.
Next steps
In the initial discussions around the project we will work together to define our responsibilities, your expectations and what type of fee we want to proceed with. We will put these into the contract together and ensure that everyone has the same expectations moving forward.