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Architect fees for a small home project have no standard price: they depend on where you live, the work included, project complexity, and how involved the architect will be. For a rough US planning estimate, the American Institute of Architects gives broad ranges of 8–15% of construction cost for new construction and 15–20% for remodels. UK guidance gives different examples, including £1,000–£2,500 for planning drawings for a single-storey extension. These are not directly comparable or a quote for your project. The most useful next step is to request written proposals from several local architects that describe the same services and exclusions.
What do architect fees cost for a small home project?
There is no universal small-project fee. A drawing-only commission is not the same service as a package covering design, planning or permit submissions, technical drawings, tender support, and construction-phase involvement. The fee also reflects the project’s location, complexity, the architect’s experience, and how much design work and client support are expected.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Published percentages are useful as orientation, not as a tariff. They may use different geographies, project types, and definitions of service. A fee described as a percentage of construction cost also depends on what the agreement counts as construction cost and whether the budget changes. Ask for a proposal tied to your scope rather than treating a published range as a promise of what your project will cost.
What are the US and UK planning figures?
Keep the examples below separate: the US sources and UK sources describe different markets and may define services differently. Do not compare their percentages as if they were a single rate card.
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United States
The American Institute of Architects’ homeowner guidance gives broad planning figures of 8–15% of construction cost for new construction and 15–20% for remodels. It says fees vary with experience, complexity, geography, and other factors. These are broad ranges, not a quote or a guarantee that every listed service is included.
The Association of Licensed Architects’ cost guidance gives 8–15% of a construction budget for full architectural services and notes that smaller kitchen and bath remodels tend toward the higher end. It describes calculator results as typical planning ranges rather than quotes. The distinction matters for a small job: a modest construction budget does not necessarily mean the architect’s work is proportionally simple.
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For scale only, applying the AIA’s broad ranges to a hypothetical $100,000 construction cost would produce $8,000–$15,000 for new construction or $15,000–$20,000 for a remodel. This arithmetic is not an estimate for your project: the actual fee depends on the architect’s scope, fee basis, and agreement. A percentage fee can also change if the agreed construction-cost basis changes.
United Kingdom
The HomeOwners Alliance’s 2026 UK guide gives a broad range of 3–15% of total construction costs, with the level varying according to project size, complexity, experience, and involvement. It also lists examples for a single-storey extension: £1,000–£2,500 for planning drawings, and £3,000–£5,000 for building-regulation and construction drawings. The latter covers a different scope, so the two figures should not be read as competing prices for identical work. The guide attributes these examples to Checkatrade.
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The same UK guide describes £50–£100 per hour as an expected architect hourly rate. RIBA London homeowner guidance gives geographically bounded examples attributed to The Fees Bureau/Mirza & Nacey Research Ltd: 9–13% for a £50,000 budget, 8–12% for £150,000, and 6–8% for £500,000. It describes these as full-service figures and says they exclude VAT. The same page gives an hourly range of £65–£85, also excluding VAT. These are London examples, not a universal UK scale, and the source page does not present them as a current national tariff.
For context, percentage ranges can narrow for a larger budget while a small project may carry a higher proportionate fee. That does not mean a small project is automatically cheap: drawings, coordination, and client communication still require work, and a renovation can involve extra effort to document existing conditions and resolve old-to-new connections.
How do architects charge?
Architects commonly price work by time, as a fixed amount for a defined scope, or as a percentage of an agreed construction budget. Each method allocates uncertainty differently, so ask not only “What is the fee?” but also “What work does it buy, and how can it change?”
- Hourly or time charge: You pay for recorded work. The AIA says hourly rates are common among small firms, and clients often agree a cap. RIBA notes time charges can suit uncertain early work, such as feasibility. Ask for a time estimate, the cap, the billing interval, and written approval before work exceeds the limit. Without those controls, the total can remain open-ended.
- Fixed fee or lump sum: You pay a set amount for services described in the agreement. This can suit a smaller project when the scope is clear and the architect can estimate the work accurately. The AIA notes that some architects prefer this structure for smaller-scale projects because the amount of work is generally easier to determine. The certainty applies only to the stated scope; substantial design changes or extra services may require a revised fee.
- Percentage of construction cost: The fee is calculated from an agreed construction-cost basis. This can track the project’s scale, but it depends on having a usable budget and a clear definition of which costs count. Confirm how the percentage is applied and what happens if the design, budget, or final construction cost changes.
- Staged or combined fee: Different stages can use different methods. RIBA gives the example of a time charge for feasibility work followed by a lump sum or percentage for later, more clearly defined services. This can match the fee method to how much is known at each stage.
RIBA’s guide to architect fees discusses these approaches and the circumstances in which each may be useful. The key is to have the basis, scope, and process for approving extra work in writing.
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Why can a small project have a relatively high fee?
“Small” usually describes the construction budget or floor area, not the amount of professional work. A kitchen or bathroom remodel may involve bespoke design choices, existing conditions to document, and several rounds of decisions. Renovations can require the architect to work around surprises and detail the connection between new and existing construction. The ALA specifically notes that smaller kitchen and bath remodels tend toward the higher end of its percentage guidance.
Other factors that can affect a proposal include the project’s complexity and location, the architect’s experience and reputation, the number of likely design changes, and constraints such as a listed building or conservation area. The level of involvement also matters: a proposal for planning drawings alone is narrower than one including technical documents or construction administration. A percentage alone cannot tell you whether two architects are offering the same work.
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Do not assume that the quoted fee covers every cost connected with the project. Depending on the proposal and agreement, items outside the architect’s fee may include local-authority planning or building-control charges, travel, printing, VAT, consultant charges, and other reimbursable expenses. Which items apply and who pays them depends on the project and contract.
Ask the architect to list each exclusion and identify whether it is a separate estimate, an allowance, or a cost billed when incurred. In the UK, check whether VAT is included or added; the RIBA London fee examples above explicitly exclude VAT. Application charges and consultant costs should likewise be kept distinct from the architect’s own professional fee when you compare totals.
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How should you compare architect proposals?
Get several proposals from local architects and compare them on an identical basis, not just by the headline amount. HomeOwners Alliance recommends looking at what is included and obtaining several local quotes. Use a scope checklist so a lower fee does not appear cheaper simply because it leaves out a stage or assigns more costs to you.
- List the stages you need. Ask each architect to say whether the fee includes feasibility, concept design, planning or permit drawings, technical or construction documents, tender support, and construction-phase visits or administration. Mark services that are not relevant to your project, rather than asking firms to price different bundles.
- Define the deliverables. Ask what drawings or other work products you will receive at each included stage and what decisions or information you must provide. The proposal should distinguish planning-stage material from building-regulation or construction drawings; they are not interchangeable deliverables.
- Clarify assumptions and changes. Request the assumptions behind the fee, the number of revisions included, and what counts as a change in scope. Ask how additional work is priced and require approval before it begins. For a fixed fee, this helps define where the lump sum ends; for hourly work, it helps keep time and cost visible.
- Check the fee method and limits. For a time charge, ask for an estimate, cap, and approval procedure for exceeding it. For a percentage, agree which construction costs form the calculation and how later budget changes affect the fee. For a fixed fee, make sure the listed services match what you expect.
- Separate the extras. Have each proposal identify expenses, taxes or VAT, consultant charges, and application fees that are excluded. Compare the likely total project-administration cost, not just the architect’s base fee, while keeping estimates and third-party charges clearly labeled.
- Review payment and timing. Ask for the payment schedule, expected timeline, and staff assigned to the work. These details help you understand when fees fall due and who will be responsible for the project, rather than relying on an undifferentiated total.
Once the proposals are comparable, choose on the combination of scope, clarity, relevant experience, communication, and cost—not price alone. A lower total may be appropriate if you deliberately want a limited service, but it is not equivalent to a full-service proposal with more stages and involvement.
What should you do before signing?
Turn the proposal into a clear written agreement before work starts. Confirm the selected fee basis, services and stages, exclusions, revisions, payment dates, timing assumptions, and the method for authorizing extra work. For hourly work, put the estimate and cap in writing; for percentage fees, define the cost basis; for a fixed fee, attach the agreed scope. These terms make it easier to identify whether a later request is included or would change the fee.
If the project scope is still uncertain, a staged arrangement can help: commission a defined feasibility stage first, then decide whether to proceed with later services under an agreed price or method. RIBA describes this as one way to combine fee structures. It can make the first commitment more limited, but it does not make future stages free or guarantee a particular total.
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How much should you budget before getting quotes?
Use the published figures as a way to check whether a proposal is broadly plausible for its geography and scope, not as a substitute for local quotes. A US homeowner planning a remodel can note that AIA’s broad 15–20% range differs from its 8–15% new-construction range. A UK homeowner can distinguish planning-only extension drawings from the broader building-regulation and construction-drawing example. Neither comparison identifies your final price.
Before setting a budget, decide what outcome you need from the architect: a planning submission, coordinated technical information, or involvement through construction. Then ask local firms to price that same outcome and show what remains outside the fee. This turns a vague question about the price of an “architect” into a decision about a defined service—and makes written proposals much more useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hire an architect just for planning drawings?
Yes, a proposal can be limited to a defined stage, but confirm exactly what drawings and submission support it includes. Planning drawings do not automatically include building-regulation or construction drawings, which are separate services in the UK extension examples.
Does the architect’s fee include VAT in the UK?
Not necessarily; VAT treatment should be stated in the proposal. RIBA’s London percentage and hourly examples explicitly exclude VAT, so do not assume a published figure is tax-inclusive.
Will a percentage fee stay the same if my building budget changes?
Not automatically. The agreement should specify the construction-cost basis and whether a design or budget change alters the fee; ask for the revised calculation and approval process in writing.
Is an architect’s hourly rate the same as the total project fee?
No. An hourly rate is a billing unit, while the total depends on recorded time and the tasks included. Request a time estimate and cap where possible, and find out how the architect will seek approval if the work is likely to exceed them.
