07/09/2026
The secret to fair architectural fees is matching them to the project stage.
Fee structures should adapt to the work, not the other way around.
The secret to an accurate fee for your architectural design or build project is the right fee structure for the stage of the project. It is not a one size fits all.
Fixed fees work brilliantly when the scope is clear and defined. After a design consultation, once an architectural designer has understood a client’s brief, the site, and the intent, fixed fees can be confidently locked in for things like measure ups and concept designs.
There are stages where no one can responsibly define scope. We might be waiting on input, further information, modelling data, or client decisions about changes. This is where a time charge or variable fee is the fairest option for everyone, because clients are not paying for assumptions or fears, and designers are not absorbing risk by guessing worst case.
If a fee structure cannot match the work, everyone assumes worst case, and clients end up paying for something that might not happen. The correct structure does not create fiction. It creates alignment.
I do not use percentage based fees at all. They are based on the budget you think your project is going to be at the start, which may not be accurate, and they reflect your choice of fittings and finishes rather than the value of the architecture work being done. New homes design fees should reflect work, not marble.
