When you’re looking to renovate a property and engage an architect, you’ll need to obtain a fee proposal from them to help you choose who may fit your budget.

This can be quite a tricky stage to navigate as every architect you engage to quote may provide very different costings.

So how does an architect charge?

When considering how much to charge, an architect will comprehensively look at your ‘fee proposal’ and your project, so it is very important to give them as much detail as possible.

An architect can charge as much as they like based on their experience and creative work. Some architects will give you a lump sum price based on your construction budget, so make sure it’s realistic and accurate.

The ‘fee proposal’ may be broken down into phases:

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  the initial briefing stage

  
  
  
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  a sight measure

  
  
  
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  the conceptual stage

  
  
  
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  design development

  
  
  
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  the contract and administration stage

  
  
  

And they can manage the build for you on your behalf.

Remember, you don’t need to engage an architect for the full scope of the project. If you choose, you can engage them just for the conceptual stage to get ideas.

There are important considerations to review in your ‘fee proposal’, such as; tax obligations (inclusive or exclusive of tax), hourly rate, and what is defined as ‘out of scope’ works. There are many different ways an architect will give you a fee proposal.

It’s really important to have an open conversation about the fee and what is included so you truly understand the service you are buying.

LINKS:

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  BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective

  
  
  
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