PRICE GUIDE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION · 2026–2027
Architect cost in the UK
£4,500–£25,000 per project. Typically £9,000.
Architect fees for a home project in the UK run from £4,500 to £25,000, with about £9,000 typical. What you pay turns on how many stages you buy — planning drawings alone, a building regulations package, or full design with site visits — and on the size and complexity of the build.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
HOW MUCH IT COSTS
How much does an architect cost in the UK?
| Low end | £4,500 | planning drawings for a simple extension, outside London |
|---|---|---|
| Typical | £9,000 | what most people pay |
| High end | £25,000 | full design and site oversight on a new house or large remodel |
Locufy guide prices for 2026–2027. Updated 2026. A national range, not a quote — enter your town above for real prices from the builders and trades near you.
What moves the price
- Stages of service — planning drawings alone cost far less than an architect who also tenders and inspects the build
- Size of the project — a single-storey rear extension needs fewer drawings than a two-storey extension or a new house
- Fee basis — a percentage of the build cost, a fixed fee per stage or an hourly rate all change the final architect bill
- Listed buildings and conservation areas — extra consents and heritage detail add design time to the project
- Chartered architect or designer — an ARB-registered architect usually charges more than an architectural technologist
- London and the South East — architect practices there carry higher overheads and quote above the rest of the UK
Building and repair prices in the UK are up 6% over five years (ONS Consumer Price Inflation, Services for maintenance and repair, to 2026 August). Five years ago a typical architect would have cost about £8520 — an estimate from today's guide price and that index, not a recorded price. Source: ONS MM23 D7DO →
WHAT YOU GET
What an architect booking includes
Takes: Four to eight weeks for planning drawings, then eight weeks or more for the council decision before technical design starts. Not included: Structural engineer's calculations, planning and building control fees, party wall surveyors and the building work itself are paid separately — see the related guides below.
WHAT PEOPLE BOOK
Common architect projects
KNOW THE PRICE? NOW SEE THE REAL ONES
Architect near you, with prices shown
The builders and trades that cover your area, nearest first, each with their price and one score from every review. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
How to pay less
- Buy the architect's stages one at a time and stop after building regulations drawings if you can manage the build yourself
- Give the architect a clear written brief and budget so design time is not spent on options you will never build
- Check with the council or a lawful development certificate whether your extension needs full planning permission at all
Before you book
- Only someone on the ARB register can call themselves an architect, so check the register before you appoint one
- Agree in writing which RIBA stages the architect fee covers and how extra design work will be charged
- Ask whether the architect's quote is before or after VAT, as a practice over the threshold adds 20%
- Under CDM rules a domestic client's duties pass to the builder or designer, so ask who is taking them on for your project
Architect cost: questions people ask
£4,500–£25,000 per project, with about £9,000 typical. Planning drawings for a modest extension sit near the low figure, while full design and site oversight on a new house or a large remodel reach the high one.
Planning drawings usually take four to eight weeks once the survey is done. The council then has eight weeks to decide most householder applications, and the building regulations package follows.
Often only building regulations approval. Many rear extensions and loft conversions fall under permitted development, but listed buildings, conservation areas and larger extensions need full planning permission, and almost all structural work needs building control sign-off.
Usually. A technologist or designer can produce planning and building regulations drawings for a straightforward extension for less, but the title architect is protected by law and only ARB-registered professionals can use it.
Structural engineer's calculations, council application fees, building control charges, party wall surveyors and the cost of the build itself are all separate.
They are Locufy guide prices for the UK, built from published UK fee guides for home projects — a national range, not a quote. Your fee depends on the stages you buy, the project and the practice.