The short answer
Architect fees cover the professional work for the RIBA stages you appoint them for — typically some or all of the brief and design, the planning application drawings, the building-regulations and technical drawings, helping you get builder prices (tender), and administering the build on site. What's normally excluded is just as important: the planning application fee paid to the council, VAT, other consultants such as a structural engineer or party-wall surveyor, surveys, the Building Control fee, and the cost of the building work itself. A clear fee proposal lists exactly which RIBA stages are included and itemises what's extra. The single most useful question to ask is: 'which RIBA stages does this fee cover, and what's outside it?'
The word 'fee' hides a lot of variation, because architects can be appointed for the full job or just part of it. Here's what's typically inside the fee and what sits outside it.
Inside vs outside the fee
- Usually includedDesign, drawings, the appointed stages
- Usually excludedPlanning fee, VAT, surveys
- Separate consultantsStructural engineer, party wall
- Building Control feePaid separately
- Key questionWhich RIBA stages are covered?
What the fee typically covers
An architect's fee maps onto the RIBA Plan of Work stages you appoint them for. A full service usually includes:
- Brief and concept design (Stages 1–2): turning your needs into initial design options.
- Developed design (Stage 3): working the chosen option up to the level needed for a planning application.
- Planning application drawings: preparing and submitting the drawings the council needs.
- Technical and building-regulations design (Stage 4): the detailed drawings and specifications the builder works from and Building Control checks.
- Tender (Stages 4–5): helping you obtain and compare builder quotes.
- Construction (Stage 5): site visits, answering builders' queries, inspecting progress and certifying payments.
If you appoint for a partial service — say design and planning only — the fee covers just those stages, and the later stages are excluded or charged separately.
| RIBA stage | Typical work | In a full service? |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 Brief & concept | Initial design options | Yes |
| 3 Developed design | Planning-ready design | Yes |
| 4 Technical design | Building-regs drawings | Yes |
| 5 Construction | Site administration | Yes (often optional) |
Indicative mapping of fees to RIBA stages. Source: RIBA Plan of Work.
What's usually NOT in the fee
Several real costs sit outside the architect's fee, and missing them is the main reason budgets slip. Typically excluded:
- Planning application fee: a statutory fee paid to the local council, separate from the architect's drawing work.
- Building Control fee: the cost of having the work checked and signed off, paid to the council or an approved inspector.
- Other consultants: a structural engineer's calculations, a party-wall surveyor, a measured survey, drainage or arboricultural reports, and an energy assessment may all be needed on top.
- VAT: usually added to the architect's fee.
- Disbursements: printing, travel and similar may be charged as extras.
- The building work itself: the architect designs and oversees; the builder builds, and that's a separate cost entirely.
None of these mean the architect is overcharging — they're simply costs the architect doesn't control. A good fee proposal lists them so you can budget for the whole project, not just the design.
How to read a fee proposal
A clear written fee proposal should answer four questions without you having to chase: which RIBA stages are included, how the fee is calculated (fixed, percentage or hourly), what's excluded, and whether VAT and disbursements are extra. If a proposal is vague on any of these, ask — it's far cheaper to clarify scope before work starts than to discover a gap halfway through.
Watch in particular for the boundary between planning and building-regulations work. Some homeowners assume one fee covers everything up to the builder starting, when in fact the quote may stop at the planning application and the technical/building-regs drawings are a separate fee. Equally, the construction stage (site visits and administering the build) is often optional and priced separately, so a lower headline fee may simply mean you'll be on your own once work begins. Knowing exactly where the fee stops lets you compare proposals fairly and avoid an unwelcome second invoice later.
Budgeting for the whole project, not just the fee
The most useful way to think about an architect's fee is as one line in a larger project budget. If you only plan for the design fee, the other costs around it can feel like unwelcome surprises when they're really just the normal, predictable parts of a building project. Mapping them out from the start keeps the budget realistic:
- The architect's fee for the stages you appoint them for.
- Other consultants: a structural engineer for any beams or structural changes, and possibly a party-wall surveyor, a measured-survey company, or specialist reports on a sensitive site.
- Statutory fees: the council's planning application fee and the Building Control fee, both paid to the authority rather than the architect.
- VAT on the architect's and consultants' fees.
- The build itself: the contractor's cost, which is far the largest figure and entirely separate from the design work.
- A contingency: a sensible allowance for the unexpected, which most building projects need.
Seeing all of this together explains why the architect's fee, while significant, is a minority share of a typical project. It also makes clear that a low design fee isn't a saving if it leaves out work you'll still have to pay someone else to do. A good architect will set out the full picture — what their fee covers, what other costs to expect, and roughly when each falls due — so you can plan the whole project rather than discovering its parts one invoice at a time. That transparency at the outset is one of the best signs you're dealing with a practice that will be straightforward about money throughout.
Frequently asked questions
Does the architect's fee include the planning application fee?
No. The architect's fee covers preparing and submitting the drawings, but the planning application fee itself is a statutory charge paid to the local council and is separate. The same applies to the Building Control fee.
Are structural engineer fees included in the architect's fee?
Usually not. A structural engineer's calculations are normally a separate appointment and fee, even though the architect may coordinate them. The same applies to party-wall surveyors, measured surveys and other specialist consultants.
Does the fee cover the architect visiting site during the build?
Only if you appoint them for the construction stage, which is often optional and priced separately. A design-and-planning-only appointment won't include site visits during the build, so check whether construction-stage administration is in your proposal.
Sources & further reading
- RIBA — Plan of Work stages explained
- RIBA — how much does an architect cost
- HomeOwners Alliance — architects guide
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific project. They are guidance, not a quotation.