How much does an architect cost?

[StuckInARug]

We’re considering a house that needs a fair amount of work (whole lower ground floor / basement layout reworked, new kitchen, half of ground floor redone, new toilet, maybe loft conversion), and would need an architect because the current layout is completely crazy and makes no sense.

I know some architects would charge 10-12% of the whole project costs, but has anyone done work where they just paid a fee upfront for the design and then did the works at their own leisure? (We’d want to do the works over severa years) how much should I be expecting to pay in architect fees?

We paid about £2k for plans and for them to deal with building control.

Costs will vary widely depending on where in the country you are.

London 😭😭😭

We paid around £5 in Oxford. I think you usually pay in stages though so it’s not all at once.

£5k.

Ah, so yes it's possible but it will depend on how many site visits and how many revisions of the plans you need before it's completed. What you give up is anyone holding the builder to account over the plans. If the builder cuts corners you'll never know about most of it as the architect won't be there.

Impossible to answer as so many variables

Many architects will offer different levels off select ice: drawings only, drawings plus getting you through planning, drawings, planning and tender process etc. Look online: Houzz is a good place to find architects in your area and they list what level of services they provide..

We paid £2k for whole house plans but BC stuff was extra ten years ago. That was for a large five bed period house in Wiltshire. I'd expect that to be double now.....

I paid about 2.5k and have managed the work myself. Architect first and then structural calculations. I submitted to building / planning teams.
Have done the work in stages over the past 10 months.
Was useful for designing master bedroom with ensuite making best use of space as well as ground floor open plan space where the existing kitchen was tiny. Mainly wanted the ideas of how to make best use of space and the art of the possible.

I didn't want to spend a fortune. Have a look at the pic for where I found the architect.

Should say am also fringes of London.

My husband is an architect for a well known London firm. His rate is £270 an hour but obviously to calculate that you'd have to know how many hours of work your project would generate.

It would also depend on whether you simply want simple CAD drawings alone or whether it includes additional elements such as environmental surveys (so many people have bats and don't know it), engineer input, project management services, planning etc.

That said, his initial visit is always free because both parties need to know whether they want to proceed with the project.

So many people start off saying 'can you come and quote to put a soulless box with no-folds permitted development extension on the kitchen' and it ends up being something completely different.

You also really need to consider how you will use the space in reality. It's insane how many people have a vision in their heads then realise it's exactly what they DON'T want in the end!

Good luck x

One of the best decisions I ever made was becoming good friends with an architect.

North West - independent architect £55.00/h. We always handle our own planning applications as we like a good working relationship with our case officer.

£1.7k for planning permission drawings (they handled the whole process), structural/buildings regs drawings and structural calculations. This is for a loft conversion with front dormer, SE.