Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFirst, verify the person’s current status on the Architects Registration Board (ARB) Register, then ask the person and practice in writing why the registration ended and who is responsible for your project now. Review your appointment before withholding payment or ending it, request evidence of relevant professional indemnity insurance, and save dated records. Being off the Register does not by itself prove incompetence, invalidate your contract, or mean all work must stop.
Check what the Register says—and who is responsible for your work
Search the live ARB Register for the individual’s name, using their registration number if you have it. Record the date and keep a screenshot or other dated copy of the result. A practice name is not a substitute for checking the person responsible for your project.
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If you cannot find the person, ask them to confirm their status and explain whether they have left the Register, use a different name, or are working under a registered colleague. The Register establishes current status; it does not explain why a particular person is no longer listed. Non-payment of the annual retention fee is one possible reason for removal, but it should not be assumed in an individual case. ARB’s annual retention fee guidance explains that registration must be maintained.
Registration and the ability to provide services are separate questions. ARB says, “There is no restriction on who can perform architectural services in the UK, but only those on the Register may use the title ‘architect’ in business or practice.” See its guidance on hiring an architect and who can use the title. Someone outside the Register may provide architectural services, but may not use the protected title in business or practice. A former registration, RIBA membership or experience doing design work does not establish current ARB registration. That distinction makes loss of registration important, but it does not establish that every service or contract is invalid.
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Ask for a clear written account of the change
Write to the individual and, if different, the practice or company named in your appointment. Keep the tone factual. Ask for answers to the questions that affect the project and your contractual relationship:
- Has the individual’s ARB registration ended? If so, on what date and for what reason?
- Who is the contracting party, and who is now supervising the work, making professional decisions, and taking responsibility for deliverables?
- What work remains, which drawings, submissions, approvals or other deliverables are outstanding, and what timetable does the practice propose?
- If the practice uses “architect” in business, which registered architect has control and management of its architectural work, and how is that work supervised?
- What current professional indemnity insurance applies to the appointment and to work already completed?
- Where are the drawings, calculations, specifications, planning or building-control submissions, site records and other project files? If the appointment ends, how and when will they be transferred?
Do not assume that a practice’s continued use of “architect” is unlawful solely because one staff member has left the Register. ARB says a practice may use the word in business where a registered architect controls and manages the architectural work and provides sufficient supervision of non-architects. Ask who is in that role and assess the specific arrangement.
Review the appointment before changing payments or ending it
Find the signed appointment, proposal, terms and any later variations. Identify the actual contracting party: it may be a company or practice rather than the individual you dealt with. Check the provisions that govern the work and what happens if either party wants to change or end the arrangement.
- Scope and stages: What services and deliverables did you buy, and what remains outstanding?
- Fees and payment milestones: What triggers each payment, and how are disputed or incomplete stages handled?
- Named people and substitutions: Does the agreement identify a particular architect, allow a replacement, or require your consent to a change?
- Drawings and project information: What does the agreement say about ownership, permitted use, copies and handover?
- Suspension and termination: What notice, grounds, fees or other steps apply if you pause or end the appointment?
- Complaints and insurance: What internal complaint procedure applies, and what insurance representations or commitments appear in the terms?
ARB’s client guidance encourages clients to understand the work and fees set out in the contract. Its public guidance does not say that deregistration automatically voids a client’s agreement or creates an automatic right to a refund. Do not stop paying, demand a refund, or terminate based on registration status alone without first considering the terms and consequences. If substantial sums, a live planning or building-control deadline, disputed work or project delay are involved, get advice on the actual contract before taking a step that could affect your legal position.
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Check insurance and protect continuity of service
Ask the practice or contracting business for current evidence of the professional indemnity insurance (PII) relevant to your appointment. Ask who the policyholder and insured parties are, what period and project work it covers, whether exclusions apply, and how it responds to work already completed. Keep the response with your contract and project records.
ARB expects registered architects to maintain adequate and appropriate PII; its insurance guidance sets out that expectation. ARB also identifies failure to maintain adequate insurance as a possible conduct issue. The existence and scope of cover in your situation depend on the responsible person or business, the policy wording and the circumstances. Deregistration alone does not show that insurance has ended, and a policy is not a guarantee that a particular loss will be covered or recovered.
Make a practical continuity plan while you seek answers. Confirm who will respond to urgent project questions, who will coordinate with your builder or other consultants, and how pending decisions or submissions will be handled. Gather the latest versions of drawings, specifications, correspondence, meeting notes and approvals you already hold. If the appointment is ending, use its handover provisions to request the project file and confirm how the new professional can lawfully use the material.
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Choose the route that matches the problem
Registration, title use, professional conduct and contract performance are related but distinct issues. ARB’s powers and processes differ from the routes available for a private dispute.
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Suspected use of the protected title while unregistered
If you have evidence that someone used the title “architect” in UK business or practice while not registered, you can report suspected misuse to ARB using its title-misuse reporting guidance. ARB asks for evidence of an incident within the previous 18 months. Useful records can include dated screenshots of websites or social profiles, emails, printed marketing and other material showing how the person presented themselves. Keep screenshots even when you can provide a web address, since online content can change. This is ARB’s evidence window for a title-misuse report; it should not be treated as a limitation period for a separate contract claim.
ARB states that the law prohibits someone from using the name, style or title in business or practice unless registered and represented on the Architects Register. The facts matter: for example, a practice’s use of the term may depend on whether a registered architect controls and manages its architectural work. Report what you observed and provide the supporting evidence rather than assuming a breach from one employee’s status alone.
Concern about conduct or competence
If the concern is about the quality or conduct of work carried out while the individual was registered, read ARB’s complaints guidance. ARB may investigate qualifying concerns about unacceptable professional conduct or serious professional incompetence. Its ability to investigate may depend on the person’s registration status and the dates of the conduct. Ask ARB which route applies to the facts and relevant dates; do not treat a title-misuse report as a substitute for a service complaint.
ARB’s complaints process is not a route to compensation, repairs or a decision on contract or fee disputes. Its public guidance says it cannot order work to be corrected, award compensation, resolve those disputes or give legal advice.
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Problem with fees, service, a refund or project loss
For a service or contract issue, start with the practice’s complaints process where appropriate. ARB says that, in most cases, clients should be able to raise service problems directly with the architect, who should have a complaints process. If the issue concerns payment, contract interpretation, termination, a refund, defective work or loss, ARB cannot decide the dispute for you. Consider getting legal advice based on the appointment and circumstances. Citizens Advice’s guidance on getting home-improvement work done offers general information for consumers; it is not a ruling on the effect of deregistration on your contract.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep a project record from the first check
A concise, dated file makes it easier to clarify responsibility, address project deadlines and explain any concern to the practice, ARB or an adviser. Keep copies of:
- the Register result, the date you checked it and any reply about the person’s status;
- your appointment, proposals, fee records, invoices and variations;
- emails, letters, messages and meeting notes about the status change and project responsibility;
- drawings, specifications, calculations, submissions, approvals, photographs and site records;
- insurance information and the practice’s complaints response; and
- dated evidence of any use of the protected title you may report.
ARB reported investigating 586 instances of suspected misuse of title in 2024 on its annual retention fee information page. That figure is context for its enforcement work, not evidence about your architect or the outcome of any particular report. ARB describes its Register as containing more than 42,000 architects; this is a rounded current figure, not a fixed count.
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What the registration change does—and does not—tell you
Being absent from the current Register establishes a present registration issue that should be clarified. It does not, by itself, establish why the person left, whether the earlier work was competent, whether the practice can continue providing services, whether your contract is enforceable, or whether completed work or approvals must be repeated. Those questions can depend on the appointment, the contracting entity, relevant dates, project facts, insurance terms and applicable law. Separate what you can verify now—the register entry, project responsibilities, contract terms and evidence—from conclusions that require a specific assessment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone still do architectural work if they are not ARB registered?
Yes. ARB says there is no restriction on who can perform architectural services in the UK. However, only someone on the Register may use the protected title “architect” in business or practice. Check who is actually responsible for your project and whether a registered architect controls and manages any practice work presented under that title.
Can I get my money back if my architect is no longer registered?
Not automatically on the basis of deregistration alone. The answer may depend on your appointment, what work has been completed, the contracting party and the circumstances. Review the fee, suspension and termination terms and seek advice before withholding payment, terminating or demanding a refund. ARB cannot decide contract or fee disputes, award compensation or order repairs.
How do I report someone pretending to be an architect?
If you have evidence of someone using the protected title in UK business or practice while unregistered, submit ARB’s title-misuse report with dated supporting material. Examples include screenshots of websites or social profiles, emails and printed marketing. ARB asks for evidence of an incident within the previous 18 months. A practice may use the term in some circumstances if a registered architect controls and manages its architectural work, so report what you observed rather than assuming one staff member’s status proves misuse.
Does being removed from the Register mean my architect was incompetent or that the work must stop?
No such conclusion follows from the Register result alone. It confirms current registration status, but not why the person left, whether earlier work was competent, whether your contract remains in force or whether work or approvals must be repeated. Ask for a written explanation and who is now responsible, then assess the contract and project facts.
The Bottom Line
Verify the individual’s current ARB status, get a written account of who is responsible for the project, and check your appointment and insurance before making payment or termination decisions. Report suspected protected-title misuse to ARB with dated evidence; use the practice complaint process or seek advice for service, fee and contract disputes. Deregistration alone does not settle those disputes or prove incompetence.
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