How much do architectural services cost?

We are transparent about fees

AGD Architectural will generally work on a fixed fee basis for the design stages of your project. Knowing what the cost will be for securing planning permission or building regulations approval for your proposed development proves to be reassuring for our clients and ourselves.

No obligation evaluation

It is important to visit your property on a cost free, no-obligation basis to evaluate what work will be required and to discuss your ideas further. AGD Architectural base their fees on the cost of work associated with each project. We will assume that the build cost of a proposed extension or new building will be around £2,000 per square metre, as that is typical. During the initial consultation we will be able to advise what the estimated costs of your building work will be and provide you with a fixed fee for our involvement.

Expected costs of planning and building regulations approvals

Our fees will generally be broken down into two stages, as detailed below. On the very rare occasion that work is cancelled or significantly postponed, clients will be billed on a pro rata basis for work completed at a rate of £60ph.

Construction budget	Feasibility work or Planning Approval	Building Regulations Approval
£10,000 - £20,000	£450	£450
£20,000 - £30,000	£500	£500
£30,000 - £50,000	£600	£600
£50,000 - £75,000	£850	£850
£75,000 - £100,000	£1,000	£1,000
£100,000 - £150,000	£1,500	£1,500
£150,000 - £250,000	£2,000	£2,000

At present, AGD Architectural Ltd is not VAT Registered.

Unusual situations where we don't know the fee until our evaluation

So that we can accurately offer a fixed fee, we do have to mention some exclusions and conditions.

Change of use, commercial projects, larger developments and multiple unit developments would need to be discussed further to assess how long the project would take.

For the smaller projects, our stated fees can only be applicable when the site is located within about 30 minutes drive from Chester (Wrexham, Flintshire, parts of the Wirral etc)

Fees are dependent on the use of traditional construction methods and materials (brick, block, timber etc)

Our stated fees are not applicable to listed buildings, as alterations to listed buildings are more time consuming.

We are accommodating if planning permission is refused!

If a planning permission is initially refused, AGD Architectural will submit a revised design without charge, as long as it is generally in accordance with the planning officers’ recommendations. Any planning appeals or further planning applications that significantly deviate from the original brief (such as an extension turning into a loft conversion) will incur additional charges.

Fair, open and honest pricing

If clients do not require any design involvement and only require architectural services on a limited basis, costs are likely to be reduced. AGD Architectural will work on an hourly rate of £60ph but this will need to be discussed during the initial consultation.

Fees will only remain fixed at the feasibility / planning stage as long as the scheme does not develop significantly into another project such as a side extension developing into a loft conversion. Of course, if the changes to the brief result in significantly less time spent on the project, fees will be actually reduced.

Fees will only remain fixed to obtain building regulations approval if the design does not change significantly between the feasibility / planning stage and the building regulations stage.

Additional charges that may or may not be required include council application fees and external consultants. Exact requirements will be assessed on-site during an initial assessment of your project so that you are fully aware of costs. Consultants may be required for detailed land surveys (very large sloping sites etc), utility searches, build over agreements, party wall agreements, engineers, acoustic tests, air tightness tests, arboriculturists, SAP assessors, archaeologists etc., but in these cases, we will of course discuss with you before commissioning these.

The feasibility and planning approval stages of your project will typically involve some of the following services: