How we Charge.
A clear and transparent guide to our pricing structure, which is bespoke based on your project.
Our Principles
How much do Architects or Chartered Architectural Tecnologists charge?
Architect’s or Chartered Architectural Technologist’s fees can vary, but when you include all design-related costs - such as planning applications, structural engineering, and Building Regulations - most clients we work with spend around 5–10% of the total construction cost to get a project ready to build. This can be higher for more complex or rural projects, or homes with special constraints. Always check what’s included, as some designers only produce drawings, while others guide you through the entire design and approval process.
A Typical Example of Design and Approval Costs
As a broad guide, we find total design and approval costs for residential projects often sit in the region of 5 to 10 percent of the construction cost. For a £250,000 build, this commonly equates to around £12,500 to £25,000 in total.
A realistic example breakdown could look like this:
Architectural services from concept design through to Building Regulations: £8,000
Structural engineer: £3,000
Planning application fees: £600
Pre-application advice fees: £150
Planning consultant: £1,500
Building Control fees: £1,500
Drainage surveys and build-over agreements: £1,500
Ecology surveys and reports: £1,500
Party Wall matters: £2,500
Total design and approval costs: £20,250
This represents approximately 8.1 percent of the £250,000 construction cost, which remains entirely typical for a project taken from early design through to approvals and genuinely ready to start on site.
* This example is for illustration only and does not relate to a specific project. Not all items listed above are required on every scheme. Actual costs can be lower or higher depending on the scale, complexity, location, planning constraints, and level of professional input needed.
Understanding Architectural Fees and Value
Architects’ and Chartered Architectural Technologists’ fees can vary widely, and that’s completely normal. Where differences do exist, they are usually linked to the amount of time genuinely allocated to a project and, to a lesser extent, the size and structure of the practice.
What matters most is not the fee itself, but how that time is used.
At Speaks Design Services, we see every project as an opportunity to add value to your home, not simply to produce drawings. Thoughtful design can improve layouts, strengthen planning outcomes and reduce costly changes later on. In many cases, a modest increase in design time can lead to a far greater uplift in overall value. For example, spending an extra £1,000 at the design stage to achieve £10,000 of added value is a worthwhile investment.
That said, there is a clear point where additional time no longer delivers meaningful returns. We are very conscious of this and carefully set our fees to reflect the right level of input for each project. This ensures the work remains proportionate, effective and fair, without over-designing or overcharging.
Our client reviews, the strongest in the area, consistently reflect this approach. Clients value not just the finished design, but the return on investment achieved through careful, considered input from the outset.
Rather than focusing solely on fees, we believe it is more helpful to understand the level of care, time and experience being applied to your project, and how that contributes to the final outcome.