Are you looking for a cheap architect? The average price depends on the work the architect does for you. Check out the costs and tips for finding a cheap architect here.
What does a cheap architect cost?
The cost of a cheap architect starts from around £70 and can go up to £150 per hour. The total price depends on: the hourly rate, the size and type of project, the work and the architectural and technical changes required. See average prices for hiring an architect in the table below.
| Project | Average price per job (incl. VAT) |
|---|---|
| Designing the house or extension | From £500 |
| Construction of the ground floor, including design and building application | From £2.500 |
| House extension including design, building application and specifications | From £ 9,000 |
| Full project (house extension) | £ 10,000 – £ 15,000 |
| Renovation of house | £ 35.000 – £50,000 |
Find the best specialist for your project and get free quotes.
Start
Composition of architect fees
An architect calculates his or her fees on the basis of an hourly rate, fee or per sqm. In most cases, the architect opts for a fee. The architect then receives a percentage of the total renovation cost. This is common because the construction costs often turn out differently during the renovation. For this reason, it is difficult to determine the total price in advance. A fee is usually between 8% and 14%.
Tip: Make clear agreements with the architect about the fee in advance. During the renovation, ask for regular updates on the estimated costs. This way, you will get a better indication of what the architect will eventually cost.
Advantages of a cheap architect
You are looking for specialist advice, but prefer not to pay too much? Hiring an architect may seem like a big investment, but hiring a cheap architect brings many advantages:
An architect helps translate your living wishes
A renovation often involves many choices, such as the style in which your new interior will be decorated. Translating your living preferences into your own interior can be quite tricky. An architect will help you find your style, translate it into your interior in the form of a design and feed you with new ideas.
An architect prevents unforeseen problems
Restoration often involves many technical and administrative matters. Should a new support beam be installed, for example? And do you need a permit for your new skylight? An architect provides extensive advice on these matters. This expertise will ultimately ensure that you do not run into unexpected problems.
Save money by hiring an architect
During a major renovation, unexpected situations are almost inevitable. Unforeseen problems often cost a lot of money. The architect often already includes this in his budget. An architect’s experience prevents many of these problems. So this prevents you from running into high unexpected costs.
Tips for finding a cheap architect
You are looking for reliable advice from a cheap architect? Read these 3 handy tips and find the best architect for your project.
Tip 1: Do some of the work yourself
An architect will take on various tasks during the renovation to relieve you of the burden. Of course, you can do many of these tasks yourself. For example, choose to do the building supervision and contracting yourself. The architect will give you technical, administrative and interior advice, but after this advice, you get to work yourself. This will easily save you between £2,000 and £5,000.
Tip 2: Go for an interior decorator if possible
An interior decorator, like an architect, gives advice on interiors and architectural constructions. Both give sound and reliable advice on room layout. An interior designer focuses on creative constructions and an architect is more focused on engineering and construction. The biggest difference is reflected in the prices. An interior designer is often many times cheaper. So if it is possible for your situation, it is better to choose an interior designer.
Compare both options in the table below.
| Comparison | Interior designer | Interior designer | Architect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | An interior designer gives advice on colours and decoration in the form of furniture, accessories and lighting. | An interior designer gives advice on architectural structures in addition to interior design. | An architect designs houses and other buildings and visualises them in design and construction drawings. He then supervises the technical and administrative process of remodelling. |
| Duties | – Colour and furniture advice – Material and accessories advice – Lighting plan – Floor plan designs – Moodboard designs Additional capabilities: |
– Researching your living requirements – Designing the interior including construction work – Arranging building and other permit applications – Making sketches and drawings (2D or 3D design) – Drawing up quotations Additional possibilities: |
– Conversations on wishes of remodelling – Digitising the existing house – Designing single situations – Drawing up cost indication and planning – Building application – Creating technical description – Forming contracts* – Construction supervision – Budget and planning monitoring |
| Average prices | £ 250 – £ 800 | £ 2.000 – £5,000 | £4,000 – £15,000 |
| Acknowledgements | An interior designer is not required to have recognised training and is not a member of the Beroepsvereniging Nederlandse Interieurarchitecten (BNI). | An interior designer is a protected title. This means that they may only use this name if they are registered with the Beroepsvereniging Nederlandse Interieurarchitecten (BNI). | An architect is a protected title. This means that they may only use this name if they are registered in the Register of Architects. There are high entry requirements for admission to this register. |
* The contractor selection and contracting process involves selecting a number of contractors. These contractors provide information about the work and submit bids. The interior designer converts this information and tenders into clear and straightforward language, advises you on the number of contractors available and draws up a contract for you.
Extra options
Choose the options below instead of a full project and save on unnecessary costs. Take a look at the options in the table below.
| Extra option | Average price (incl. VAT) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Quickscan | £450 | During a quick scan, the interior designer looks at the house. He will come up with ideas and options for your interior. You will receive sketches of these ideas. |
| 3D visualisation | £ 400 | With a 3D visualisation, the interior designer will show you the drawings in 3D, so you get a good idea of the whole. |
| Contract formation | £ 1.000 – £ 2,000 | The architect will guide you in the contractor selection and contract formation. |
| Manage procurement process | £ 5,000 | Procurement of products, liaise with involved parties. |
Find the best specialist for your project and get free quotes.
Start
Frequently asked questions
The average hourly rate of an architect is between £70 and £150 per hour. The total project cost is approximately between £500 and £15,000.
The architect costs for an extension are on average around £9,000 for the design, building application and specifications.
You can easily and quickly find a good architect by requesting several quotes, free of charge and without obligation. You will then receive quotes from several architects that you can compare with each other based on price, work and quality marks.
