How much does an architect cost

[SheWouldNever]

We are embarking on a two storey rear extension plus some changes to the current internal layout. So far I’ve had 3 architect quotes and they are coming out at between £4-£5k (with VAT) for fees for the design stage up to submitting to planning. Does this sound about right? We are in Greater London.

[TakeMeToKernow]

[Pommes]

I'd like to know this too.

[TakeMeToKernow]

We are in the Midlands and had two architects quote for ... well, we didn’t even KNOW what we wanted, but we’re adding about 70sqm of space.

For the design stage one quoted £900 and the other quoted £1250 (but DID insist on getting someone else to measure the existing house).

The first one has already indicated that the planning drawings and submission will be £900 and the builders drawings will be £900. The second hasn’t quoted yet.

We only used architects as our house is odd and we had NO ideas how to do the extension. If we had a clear idea/nothing unusual, we would have used an architectural designer who are less qualified but cheaper.

[Blaaaaaaaaah]

We’re in Cheshire so obviously different but ours u I s costing just shy of 2k for outline for four.

[Missingthebridegene]

We're in Yorkshire and architect cost £650 for drawings and support in planning application etc for single storey extension x

[Lemoncurd]

In Berkshire, we went with a cheaper one first, think it was around 3k. Were refused planning and after pursuing a bit further with them we decided to cut our losses and switch architects. The new architect was in excess of 10k in the end but we were much happier with the service and result and miraculously there wasn't even a hesitation or query from planning.

[SheWouldNever]

Oh and the structural engineer fees are on top of this. So that would be another £1 - £1.5k

[mobear]

We're in London, and want to reconfigure the ground floor, make alterations to an existing ground floor extension and knock down and re-build the loft extension. I've had one estimate of £6,000 + VAT so far, which I thought sounded OK.

[Zinnia]

London, ground floor side return extension - architect is £1750 (not VATable as sold trader) and structural engineer £900 inc VAT. Party wall surveyor also costing c.£900 unless my neighbours make a fuss

My advice is shop around, ask for recommendations from friends/neighbours or your builder (if you have one); failing that try a service like Architect Your Home who get favourable reviews on here.

[Kocduw]

I am a new starter offering architrctural drawings and have just quoted 900 to survey and produce planning drawing, and same for building regs. Dont forget the fees might attract VAT if the architect is VAT registered.

[LemonSwan]

Typically its between 7.5 - 15% of the total project value.

For residential I would say 10-12%.

[Kocduw]

Engineer fee depends on the amount of input, and time spent. I had a quote for £900 for an involved extension and remodel.

[Delectable]

No idea but need to know as we might be about to purchase a property that needs extending.

[Sunflowergirl1]

Good level local architect with some decent projects under their belt cost us £2k including building regs drawings as well. Structural engineer £450 and was complex. Yorkshire but golden triangle so had a premium.

Architectural technicians can be a lot cheaper and for a basic extension can be fine and probably half the price

[stuckinarutatwork]

For a simple single storey extension that added 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen extension to a 3 bed bungalow, we paid £1500 in design fees plus another £1000 to a structural engineer (as the extension involved moving a lot of soil due to the garden being higher than the house).
Planning application was around £350 and building control a set £1000 which included looking at the plans, all visits as necessary during the build and sign off.

[GrandPrismatic]

Sorry, this might be a new thread, but on the topic or architect fees, is it worth getting them to project manage too? And if so, how much are we taking?

[MaryIsA]

We are paying about £6k in architectural technician fees, structural engineer and a site survey on a £110 k job. (We had to go to planning twice as we changed our mind).

He also ran the tender for the job.

It’s a single storey extension, 5 m x 8 m and turning some stairs round into the loft.

Conservation area, quite expensive area for stuff like this.

He didn’t come up with anything startling, but it works and does what we want, and is what we asked for.

project managing. The builders are doing it all, the ordering, the trades, everything. It’s a firm that does 4 or 5 builds at a time and direct employs most of the staff.

[TheSockMonster]

We are having a small single storey extension on our kitchen. We are paying a family member £1,300 for builder’s drawings (no planning permission required)

[TheSockMonster]

*meant to add that family member is a draughtsman, but the cost includes an architect in his practice looking over it.

[MissSmiley]

East Midlands
Very good architect, 6% of estimated build costs plus local authority charges

[SheWouldNever]

@GrandPrismatic one architect has quoted me £900 per month to project manage

[GrandPrismatic]

Very useful intell! Thank you. I think that sounds quite reasonable?

[supadupapupascupa]

Ours was £4500 all in, council charges extra. East Midlands 5 years ago. He was great, designed something beautiful, managed the tendering process including recommending builders, also kept in touch with the build as it happened. Surveyors, engineers, inspections all dealt with.
Between him and the builder we didn't have to do anything except choose what we wanted.

[SheWouldNever]

The build will cost approx £150k (not including kitchens and fittings) so I guess £5k is within that 6% of build cost figures.

The architect I like most, that I think would be the easiest to work with and understand what’s important for us to achieve with the space, is £5k. I’m having trouble committing to that money when I know I could get another architect to do a basic design / drawings for PP for probably half the price of that. The first architect does a full kitchen design too plus furniture and all the little details, so it’s not just a drawing of the walls and measurements.

We are not yet fully committed to doing the build yet, though. Wanted to apply for PP and start getting some builder quotes before we work out if we really want to spend the money on this house. So a cost of £5k is quite a steep commitment when we aren’t sure if we will build, but I suppose the more detailed the initial design, the more accurate our quotes for the build will be?

[zzzebra]

It depends on what you're after, if it's a big project and you want a range of creative ideas and iterations then that seems about right.

If your just adding basics room/s to the back of the house then that's very excessive.