Why can Architects fees differ?
When clients look to carry out a home extension, extensive refurbishment or new build project, an Architect or designer is one of the best resources you can have. Their expertise and knowledge based on design and space planning, Local Authority planning legislation, and cost, should enable your project to run effortlessly and be designed to provide you with a coherent layout that suit your needs, maximises the available space, and looks amazing.
In our blog ‘how to choose the right designer for your project’ we assess, how to choose the right designer to suit you as a client, your budget and your aspirations, it’s a worthy read.
Within this blog, we consider the reasons behind why there can be so much variation in designers & Architects fees, and we consider, do you really get what you pay for?
Before you can ask yourself ‘what am I willing to pay in fees’ it’s important to know and understand what you really want from an Architect or designer, obviously the more reliance you have on them as a professional and expert, in theory, the more you are likely to pay. It’s extremely important that clients understand that. Whilst Architects and designers’ fees are normally considered at the start of a project, spending your money wisely on the right designer/Architect can save £100’s and £1000’s of pounds throughout the course of the project.
Good Architects and designers can offer clients a multitude of services, it’s extremely important to understand as the client, what services you will require. There is little point in paying for ‘full’ services if you only require basic drawings, similarly, if you require more of a detailed package of information don’t go down the route of asking for basic drawings and expecting the Rolls Royce of services.
Once you have determined what kind of services you are looking for, this should hopefully enable you to compile a list of suitable Architects or designers, that can assist you throughout your project.
Architects Fees
Architects and designers’ fees can vary depending on the following:
• Experience and industry knowledge.
• Size of practice and quantity of staff.
• Award wining practice? Usually these practices attract a premium/higher fee.
• Quantity of projects completed per year – projects v’s client ratio.
• Size of project, complexity and design.
Experience and industry knowledge
Let’s face it, we all start somewhere. All businesses have a starting point, a steep learning curve, a strong desire to achieve and set standards above competitors. However, in these early days it’s difficult, if not impossible, to demand top end fees, even if your enthusiasm and dedication is outstanding. With time and experience comes knowledge: the knowledge of how to deal with clients, the knowledge of how to deal with contractors as not all projects run smoothly. Sometimes it takes a calm head with experience to understand a situation, and to see the best possible outcome for all parties.
Experience is something that, at times is very hard if not impossible, to put a price on. Experience can save money on a project by having the foresight to preempt situations and ensure that they are dealt with before they even exist. Experience can also ensures that a project runs smoothly, that all parties have the necessary information in order to carry out their duties and roles, with the end goal of providing you, the client, with a finished project which is on time and within budget.
Size of practice
As the workload grows, so does the size of a practice. In order to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction and the levels of service, that all business owners should set themselves, staffing levels will need to grow to cater for demand. As staff levels grow so do overheads: office premises, PI insurance, Staff pension plans, IT software, phone and internet requirements etc etc. All these costs need to be considered and in turn, need to be factored within fee structures on each project.
Is a practice who has 20 members of staff better than a practice who has 4 members of staff? No. In reality, the question should be, ‘does your project require a practice that has 20 members of staff?’ Some projects require dedicated staffing levels on a permanent basis. Larger projects demand a dedicated team of designers, continued site attendance and consultant dialogue, in these situations a larger practice many be more suited and in turn can structure their fees to suit the necessary demand. However, on a more modest scaled project, there is no reason why a more moderate sized practice cannot give you the same, if not better service, for a cost-effective fee in relation to your project size.
Awards
There’s a whole host of awards to be had out there in the Architecture game, some of which carry great stature, others with very little value and substance. It comes as no surprise that practices with multiple awards often attract a premium fee. If it’s an award winning home that your looking to achieve, then you may feel that it’s a premium worth paying. Consider budget v’s experience v’s stature.
Quantity of projects
Some practices work on the basis that they only complete a handful of projects per year, these are usually the more prestigious projects that attract the higher end of the fee scale. If your project and budget fits within this bracket it may be an option to consider, however an experienced Architect or designer with specific knowledge of similar projects to yours, may be a better and the more cost effective alternative.
Size of project, complexity and design
Three major elements that can play a fundamental role in the fee structure that you receive from an Architect or designer. The more complex your project is the more detailed information it should require. The more detailed and accurate information you receive upfront from your Architect or designer, ensures that your contractors pricing for the project have sufficient information to provide accurate and detailed tenders. The more detailed the information is, the more time it takes an experienced Architect or designer to produce such information, which in turn equates to associated fees. It’s important to understand that a well thought out and creative design should be accompanied by a thorough set of detailed information.
Different architectural practices work on different fee structures, some are happy to provide a set fee per job, based on it’s own merit, others have set fees usually based on percentage terms of an anticipated build cost. With any project, it’s important to understand from the start, what fees you can expect to pay, don’t be afraid to ask for a detailed break down of all associated fees to cover all the necessary stages required from your Architect or designer, that way you can ensure that all costs are covered within your budget.
At PJH Architectural Services we offer a multitude of services to suit our client’s needs, when it comes to fees, we offer competitive rates for exceptionally high levels of knowledge and expertise in order to create detailed and accurate drawing packages, for an understanding of how our fees work please refer to our fees page contained within our web site.
Thinking of starting your own new build or similar project? Check out our portfolios below.
New Build Portfolio
Extension & Renovation Portfolio
Instagram Page
