Family DTs are looking at a new pad. It is a lovely place with loads of options to extend. We would like to use the services of an architect as we think it will be better to get a professional opinion before we take the plunge on any work.
Before we put in a offer we would like to get an idea of what the costs would be for some of the extension ideas.
How do architects charge? Is it and hourly rate, a percentage of the build cost or some other way of costing?

The deal with ours was time&materials, although that really means paying him his hourly rate while he works on our ‘project’.

He went non-VAT last year, so that reduced the cost.

We are just at the planning stage after a similar project.
We’ve spent about 4k or so. That’s about a grand to measure up the existing, then about 1500 for concept design, we did this based upon an open brief of outcomes and spaces as opposed to ‘I’ve drawn this for you to draw up’ then about 1500 again for the building regs drawings.

That seemed to be about standard from our quotes, and that’s for a major transformation project not just a pokey wee extension.

It depends. Traditionally it’s a percentage of build cost, but it could be a fixed fee, or an activity schedule, or an hourly charge. Most of my work is either tendered fixed fee or activity schedule – but I don’t do any domestic work.

Thanks guys. We have big ideas but need to know what is possible for our budget and what we can offer for the house..
We are proposing a ground floor extension which will add a space to the basement and extend the balcony. Plus knocking through to the garage to extend the kitchen into a utility and a bathroom.

Save money and get an architectural technician, ours cost 10% of build estimate for building control submission, drawings, tenders and management of the project, in our case £1000 all in (which we reduced to £600 after declining the project management, regretfully)

I’m an architect and typically the cost of a project can be assessed relating to a percentage of the anticipated build cost. This might be 2 percent for a multi million pound project up to 6-10 percent for a typical detached house. When you consider a a house extension the anticipated build cost may be so low that a percentage fee doesn’t make sense in which case one might estimate the time it will take and account for any potential problems such as tricky construction details, difficult site, planning restrictions etc.

It is definitely worth getting a good architect of you are wanting input on design and space planning. There are both good and bad architects and technicians but a good architect can make a real difference to the end result in design terms. It is a more expensive route because you are paying for someone who has had design training so it depends how much value you put on that element.

£600? That must be at least 4 hours of an IT database programmer, I think you should have pushed them down more, after all they probably don’t have Indemnity Insurance to pay for.

Spent similar to the potatoe on full plans on a major renovation and 2 storey extension, 1200 of which was on structural engineer as several steel beams and supports required. So architect fees alone about 2500.

We are planning on being there for a while, so I agree that it could get the best bang for our Buck by using a decent architect. We also need to take a complete overview of the property so we dont make any alterations which would mess up future plans.