Straight answers to the questions people ask before they commission drawings or appoint an architect, including where a measured survey fits in and how fees are worked out.
Every answer starts with the short version, then the detail. Nothing here replaces an inspection of your own property, but it should tell you whether one is worth arranging.
An architectural service is any professional work that takes a building project from idea to completion: measuring the existing building, design, planning and Building Regulations drawings, tender documents and overseeing construction. You can appoint one firm for everything or buy individual stages, such as a measured survey or planning drawings, separately.
Measured survey: records the existing layout and dimensions, the base drawing every design starts from.
Concept design: layouts, options and feasibility for your brief and budget.
Planning drawings: existing and proposed plans and elevations for a planning or permitted development application.
Building Regulations drawings: construction detail for building control and for builders to price from.
Tender and contract administration: getting the work priced and overseeing it on site.
The five basic services come from the US system: schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding or negotiation, and construction administration. UK architects describe the same journey with the RIBA Plan of Work, which splits it into eight stages, from Strategic Definition (0) to Use (7). Both start from accurate drawings of what already exists.
The five basic architectural services and their nearest RIBA Plan of Work stages
Basic service
Nearest RIBA stages
What it produces
Schematic design
1 Preparation and Briefing, 2 Concept Design
Brief, options and sketch layouts
Design development
3 Spatial Coordination
Coordinated plans, often the planning application
Construction documents
4 Technical Design
Building Regulations and construction drawings
Bidding or negotiation
4 Technical Design (tender)
Tender package and contractor prices
Construction administration
5 Manufacturing and Construction, 6 Handover
Site inspections, valuations and completion
A measured survey of the existing building is normally commissioned at stage 1, when site information is gathered, so the design is drawn over real dimensions rather than estate agent floor plans.
What is a full architectural service?
A full architectural service means one architect stays with the project from the first brief to handover: design, planning application, Building Regulations drawings, tendering, and inspecting the work on site. It costs more than a planning-only service, but it gives you one accountable designer when site problems or contractor disputes arise.
Common levels of architectural service for a domestic project
Service level
Typically covers
Suits
Planning drawings only
Measured survey, existing and proposed drawings, planning submission
Simple extensions where you will manage the build
Planning and Building Regulations
The above, plus technical drawings for building control
Most extensions and loft conversions
Full service
The above, plus tender, contract administration and site visits
Larger, complex or listed-building projects
What is the percentage fee for architectural services?
In the UK, a full architectural service is commonly quoted at roughly 5% to 15% of the construction cost, with smaller domestic projects at the upper end because the design effort does not shrink with the budget. Partial services, such as planning drawings only, are usually priced as a fixed fee instead.
Worked example: on a £100,000 extension, a 10% fee is £10,000 for the full journey from brief to completion.
The percentage applies to the final build cost, so the fee rises if the project grows. Agree how changes are charged at the start.
Fees are usually split by stage, so you can stop after planning if the scheme does not go ahead.
VAT, planning application fees, structural engineer and party wall costs are normally extra.
These are indicative market ranges for architects' fees, not a quotation. Our service covers the measured survey and existing drawings, from £350.
Architects in the UK charge in one of three ways: a percentage of the construction cost, a fixed lump-sum fee for an agreed scope, or an hourly rate. Small domestic projects are often priced as a fixed fee per stage. Whichever basis you agree, the appointment should list exactly which stages and drawings are included.
How architects' fees are calculated
Fee basis
How it works
Best for
Watch out for
Percentage
A set percentage of the final construction cost
Larger projects on a full service
The fee rises if the build cost rises
Lump sum (fixed fee)
One agreed price for a defined scope
Domestic projects with a clear brief
Work outside the scope is charged as an extra
Hourly rate
Time charged at an agreed rate
Advice, feasibility and small changes
No ceiling unless you agree a cap
How much do architects charge per hour in the UK?
UK architects commonly charge somewhere between £50 and £150 an hour, depending on seniority, location and the type of work, with London practices and directors at the top of the range. Hourly rates suit advice, feasibility studies and small changes; for a whole project, ask for a fixed fee so the total is capped.
Get the rate and an estimate of hours in writing before work starts.
Check whether travel time and site visits are charged at the same rate.
Many architects offer a free first conversation, but site visits and written advice are usually charged.
How much does an architect cost to draw plans in the UK?
Planning drawings for a typical house extension or loft conversion are commonly quoted at between about £1,000 and £5,000, depending on the size of the project and how many design options you need. Building Regulations drawings usually cost extra. Either way, the designer first needs an accurate measured survey of the existing house.
Existing drawings: a measured survey records the house as it stands. Ours start from £350 and come as PDF and DWG files your architect can design over.
Proposed drawings: the new layout and elevations submitted for planning or a lawful development certificate.
Building Regulations drawings: construction detail for building control, usually priced as a separate stage.
Structural calculations from an engineer are a separate cost again.
Yes, within reason. The most effective way to lower an architect's fee is to reduce the scope rather than the rate: buy only the stages you need, supply accurate existing drawings yourself, and keep design options to a minimum. Compare at least three quotes against the same written brief so the prices are like for like.
Commission the measured survey directly, so the architect is not pricing in the time to measure the house.
Agree a fixed fee per stage, with the right to stop after any stage.
Ask what is excluded, such as planning fees, engineer, party wall costs and VAT.
Independent by design
Measured / Architecture Surveys
Floor plans, elevations, sections and site plans delivered as CAD/PDF drawings.
