Services and fees

Full architectural services from the first site visit to the completion certificate, split into five stages. Each stage has its own fixed fee, agreed in writing before it starts, and you can stop after any of them.

The first step, on its own

£450

A two-hour site visit, a measured sketch and a written feasibility note inside three weeks. Credited against the fee if you go ahead.

Book a site visit

Five stages, one fixed fee at a time

Brief

2–3 weeks · 10% of the fee

We visit, measure and write down what you actually need, what the site allows and what it will roughly cost.

Measured survey of the site or building
Written brief and area schedule
Order-of-cost estimate

Questions at this stage

What does the £450 visit include?

Two hours on site, a measured sketch, and a written feasibility note inside three weeks. If you go ahead, the £450 comes off the brief-stage fee.

Do I need a measured survey?

For any existing building, yes. Every drawing that follows is set out from it, and a wrong survey is the most expensive mistake on a small job.

Concept

4–6 weeks · 20% of the fee

Two or three options, drawn in plan and section, tested against the budget, until one is clearly right.

Two or three design options
Plans, sections and a simple model
Updated cost estimate

Questions at this stage

How many options will I see?

Usually three at the first concept meeting, narrowed to one by the second. More options past that point rarely help and always cost.

Will I see 3D images?

You will see a physical card model and simple 3D views. We do not include photoreal renders in the fee; they can be added for about £900 a view.

Can we change our minds later?

Yes, but changes are cheapest here. After planning they need a fresh drawing set, and after tender they cost money on site.

Planning

8–14 weeks · 15% of the fee

We prepare and submit the application, talk to the planning officer and the neighbours, and answer every query.

Planning drawings and design statement
Submission and case management
Listed building consent where needed

Questions at this stage

Is the council fee included?

No. The planning authority charges its own fee, currently £300 for most householder applications, paid directly by you.

What if permission is refused?

We revise and resubmit once within the stage fee. Most refusals we see are avoided with a pre-application meeting, which we book as standard.

Technical

8–12 weeks · 30% of the fee

The drawings a builder can price and build from, and the building warrant application to the council.

Building warrant drawings and specification
Coordination with engineers
Tender package for three to five builders

Questions at this stage

What is a building warrant?

Scotland’s approval that the construction meets the building standards. You cannot start work without one, and it is separate from planning permission.

Do I need a structural engineer?

Almost always. We appoint and coordinate one; their fee is separate and usually £1,500–£4,000 on a house.

Construction

Length of the build · 25% of the fee

We run the building contract, visit site every fortnight, value the work and deal with the surprises.

Contract administration
Fortnightly site visits and reports
Valuations, snagging and completion certificate

Questions at this stage

How often will you be on site?

Every two weeks as standard, and within two working days of any call from the builder that needs a decision.

What if the builder goes over budget?

Every change is priced and agreed in writing before it is built. You see the running total at every valuation, not at the end.

Is there a guarantee?

The builder carries a twelve-month defects period. We inspect at the end of it and make sure every defect is put right before the last payment is released.

The whole fee on one table

The shares hold for most projects. A conversion carries more at the brief stage for the survey; a new house carries more at technical.

Architect's fee by work stage
Stage	What you receive	Typical duration	Share of fee
Brief	Measured survey of the site or building Written brief and area schedule Order-of-cost estimate	2–3 weeks	10%
Concept	Two or three design options Plans, sections and a simple model Updated cost estimate	4–6 weeks	20%
Planning	Planning drawings and design statement Submission and case management Listed building consent where needed	8–14 weeks	15%
Technical	Building warrant drawings and specification Coordination with engineers Tender package for three to five builders	8–12 weeks	30%
Construction	Contract administration Fortnightly site visits and reports Valuations, snagging and completion certificate	Length of the build	25%
Total	Usually 9–13% of the construction cost, agreed as a fixed sum per stage.		100%

What three recent fees came to

Real projects from the last two years, rounded. Your fee letter will show the same arithmetic for your own job.

Rear extension

Build cost: £150,000
Total fee: £16,500

11% — single storey, brick and timber, 34 m²

New house

Build cost: £620,000
Total fee: £58,900

9.5% — three bedrooms, 190 m², rural plot

Building conversion

Build cost: £1.4m
Total fee: £168,000

12% — listed warehouse to studios, 1,640 m²

What is not in the fee

Listed in every fee letter with a realistic figure against each, so nothing arrives as a surprise.

Planning application fee: £300 for most householder work, paid to the council
Building warrant fee: On a sliding scale, about £1,100 on a £150,000 build
Structural engineer: £1,500–£4,000 on a house; more on a conversion
Specialist surveys: Trees, bats, ground or asbestos, only where the site needs them
Photoreal renders: About £900 a view, if you want them for sales or funding

Hands measuring a drawing with a steel rule beside a white card model of a low building — Every concept stage includes a card model. Renders are optional.

Ready for a fee letter?

After the site visit we send a one-page fee letter: a fixed sum per stage, what each stage delivers, and everything outside the fee with a figure against it.

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