Architect Spotting

To call yourself an Architect in the UK you must be registered with the ARB - the title is protected by Act of Parliament

Supposedly spot an Architect in the street as the one person looking up while walking along (some truth in this)

'Architect' protected

Architect's Fees

WS Architecture Ltd Ambleside my desk July 2015

Architect's Fees traditionally

What do Architects do?

Chatting to clients over the years I realised that many people do not understand what it is that an Architect does and sometimes worry about what they are getting into in terms of costs before they are even sure they want a new building/extension/conversion etc...

So... for what it's worth, here is my view based on day to day experience in the type of projects I tend to handle.

I should point out that if you are looking for say, a very small residential extension then some of the larger Architect practices in the area may not be interested (no, I don't know why really - some do specialise in commercial work and some say it's their overheads...)

Design flair, drawing skills, technical expertise and lots of other interesting things that sound excellent in school careers leaflets are called for at different stages in every project but ask any Architect what they spend most of their time doing and I would expect them to say 'Organising' (otherwise known as 'problem solving').

Now, some people like to organise their own buildings and just have an Architect do the designs and detail plans - fine, no problem - in fact I quite like this as long as there is a good builder involved.

Some people want the full service whereby the Architect organises the whole job from start to finish.

Between these 2 points there are an infinite number of variations - every job is tailored to the needs of the particular client.

(For my part I like to encourage builders and clients to let me know of any issues that arise on site irrespective of the scope of the service requested - a 'phone call can resolve most things)

Traditionally Architects tended to charge for their services as a percentage of the total construction cost of the building work.

This covered the core services of design, drawings, planning and technical approvals, site inspections, certifying money to the Contractor and generally sorting out the whole job.

Some services such as measuring and drawing up the existing site or building are on a time charge basis.

This system is still in place and can be very good on larger projects or where budget figures are required.

There was once a scale of charges published by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) but this was withdrawn many years ago as the government thought it anti-competitive.

While it is genuinely impossible to give exact guidelines here as every job is VERY different, as a rule of thumb you might expect Architect's fees on a smallish project to be around 12% of the total cost of the work. This tends to go up the smaller the works and down the larger the project but for the modest projects this practice gets involved in it will not be too far away.

My approach to fees

Rather than a percentage system I normally charge on a time basis at an hourly rate plus expenses.. This suits the type of work I tend to carry out - alterations and extensions to old buildings - often where the client is involved in organising some or all of the building work. It seems fairer to me and is popular with clients. Whatever method is used (and as previously mentioned every job is different) it is important that there is a written record of how fees will be calculated and when they will be charged.

Some (but not all, so best to ask) Architects will have an initial chat about your project without charging - I tend not to charge for initial discussions if the site is within the central Lake District, although the time may be added into the overall fees if the project goes ahead.

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Planning application fee (if planning consent is required) to the local planning authority (here it is the Lake District National Park Authority or 'LDNPA' for short) - currently [May 2021] domestic extensions are probably £206 and conversions or new houses £462. Commercial rates are more - based on floor area. You can check with the Planning Portal's online fee calculator or better still telephone or email the LDNPA Admin team in Kendal.

Bat Survey

Don't forget to allow several hundred pounds at least for a bat survey, which is the most likely requirement for an ecological survey (in 4 out of 5 applications I deal with).

Other Ecology Surveys - all sorts possible - owls, birds, Lake bed (macrophytes), slow worms, Great Crested Newts, ....

Tree Survey

Since the introduction of a British Standard on Trees near buildings (BS 5837:2012) planning authorities including the LDNPA routinely ask for tree surveys by qualified arboriculturalists where trees are close by intended development. The LDNPA have a guidance document for sites where you can show no development will take place within the 'root protection area' which is very helpful as it gives a shortcut for simple sites.

For any substantial trees the key calculation is to define the root protection area by drawing a circle with a radius from the tree trunk face of 12 x the diameter of the trunk (it's more complex than that obviously as not all trees are regular but it's a good starting point).

Flood Risk Assessment

These have become fairly common and for small extensions are relatively simple to deal with if you know what you are doing but for a new house say or larger developments you will almost certainly want a specialist to produce a report and these are not cheap (££££)

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

Just mention this for completeness - the LDNPA do not charge it at present (if you have not come across this before it is a sort of tax on development via planning applications - look here)

Building Regulations

When you reach the working drawings stage a Building Regulations application will need to be made to the local authority (assuming the work involves structural work or drainage - always check as currently [May 2021] some re-roofing, replacing windows, some home electrical work and even re-plastering or re-rendering external walls may come under Building Regulations) - local authorities are South Lakeland DC, Copeland DC, Eden DC, Allerdale DC (see Planning/Building Inspector - who does what page) - it is a bit complex to explain here but even a modest extension will likely attract a fee of several hundred pounds.

Structural Engineer

Needed on most jobs as certified calculations for an element of structure (commonly steel beams) from a consultant Engineer will be required by Building Control.

I like to recommend an Engineer who understands local stone buildings and small works but it is a client appointment.

Quantity Surveyors can be useful appointments - specialists in costing and scheduling but I seldom see them on small works these days although there is one QS we always try to involve on large or complex projects.

Planning Consultant

Very useful where planning applications are likely to have difficulty with the nuances or current interpretations of National Park planning policies rather than just 'siting, scale and design'. There is one I can recommend.

SAP Calculations /EPC certificates need a certified assessor to carry out the survey and calculations. There are two types and if you need a calculation as part of a Building Regulations application then make sure you get the right type of assessor. New houses in particular will required close liaison with the SAP Certified assessor. There is one I can recommend.

Sound Consultants are also useful - worth checking this direct with Building Control - such as new flats will require a sound separation test and it helps if the Sound consultant had a hand in designing the sound separation detailing.

Air leakage testing is extremely important in a new house - not just because it makes all that insulation worthwhile but the SAP energy calculations depend on a decent performance in air leakage and it's a bit late to discover at the end of the build that your house fails an air leakage test.

CDM 2015

A regular problem is finding a simple way of explaining to clients how the government has extended (under EU pressure) CDM to all construction work - and it means 'all'.

CDM is really about safety and welfare on building sites, part of which involves the use of a competent designer, contractors and workforce. There are duty holders to be appointed but extending it to domestic construction work for the first time (in the UK) is proving a challenge in terms of just how to arrange it all, particularly on very small projects. This is a work in progress...

For a starter here is the HSE Index page which leads to many free leaflets and guidance documents. There is a H&S consultant that I often recommend to help everyone on projects with this.

Asbestos Refurbishment Survey

I suggest that this particular type of survey will be required on all alterations projects unless the building was built in 2000 or later. It is a legal requirement to have an Asbestos Management Survey done on all non-domestic premises built before this date.

For the differences in surveys and more information generally see the good information freely available on the HSE website:

Party Wall Act

The Party Wall Act was created as one means of avoiding neighbour disputes when building close to or on a boundary. It is a very specialised area this and 'Party Wall Surveyors' can be involved. On most domestic projects I see, a chat with a neighbour resolves most potential difficulties but it is best to get any agreement in writing if possible. Guidance leaflet here.

Utilities

That's it really for domestic/small commercial work... unless you need a new water supply (usually over £1k plus any digging and water supplies need to have 750 mm (2'6") cover for frost protection), an electricity supply (anybody's guess! they will quote) or a gas supply (ditto).

VAT

Lastly - remember VAT - currently 20% [October 2023].

Builders and Architects always discuss costs excluding VAT (no I don't really know why - it's always been like that) but should point it out to domestic clients (businesses can sometimes claim VAT back).

Note that while there are some exemptions to VAT listed below - professional fees are always standard rated.

A helpful Customs guide on reduced rate and exemptions for types of construction is available for download here and another one here which is more aimed at builders.

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13th September 2015