Writing an architecture fee proposal: scope, exclusions, assumptions and the fee method

What goes in an architecture fee proposal?

A fee proposal has seven parts. Missing any of them is the usual root of a later disagreement.

• Project understanding: your one-paragraph reading of the brief, site and budget, so the client can correct you early.
• Scope of services by stage: what is included at each stage and what the deliverable is.
• Exclusions: things clients commonly assume are included but are not (for example, specialist consultants, planning appeals or visualisations).
• Assumptions: the facts the fee depends on, such as a fixed brief, a stated number of client review rounds or a construction budget.
• Fee method and amount: how much, how calculated and when invoiced.
• Additional services: the triggers and rates for extra work.
• Terms and acceptance: the contract form or standard terms it sits under and how the client says yes.

This page is organisational information, not legal advice; check your contract form, jurisdiction and professional body's requirements before issuing a proposal.

How do you write the scope of services by stage?

Use your own stage names, then show the equivalent so US and UK clients both recognise them. For each stage write the activities, the deliverable and the client's obligation. The last column is the one people skip, and it prevents most delay claims.

• Stage names in Notion: AIA and RIBA

How do you write exclusions and assumptions?

An exclusion says no; an assumption says only if. Write both as short, testable sentences, because a vague one cannot be enforced politely.

Which fee method should you choose?

There are four methods, and the template field in ArchitectOS lists the same four: percentage of construction cost, fixed lump sum, hourly rate and retainer. The choice follows how well defined the scope is and who carries the risk if it grows.

Published guides quote very different typical percentages and the ranges conflict, so this page deliberately gives none. Build your number from your own hours, as below.

A worked fee calculation (illustrative numbers)

These figures are invented to show the arithmetic. They are not typical fees or a recommendation.

1. 1

   Estimate hours by stage

   Concept 60 h, developed design 120 h, technical design 200 h, construction 90 h: 470 h.

2. 2

   Apply your blended cost-recovery rate

   470 h x $95 = $44,650. This rate should cover salaries, overheads and a margin; work it out from your own accounts.

3. 3

   Add a risk allowance

   Add 10% for client review rounds and information delay: $44,650 x 1.10 = $49,115.

4. 4

   Cross-check the percentage

   If construction cost is $700,000, the fee is 7.0% ($49,115 / $700,000). Compare to your usual outcomes, not to a published average.

5. 5

   Decide the method

   Present a lump sum per stage, or a percentage with a stated minimum, and list the additional-services triggers.

What counts as additional services?

List the triggers in the proposal, each with a rate or a way of pricing it. Common triggers:

• Brief change after sign-off of a stage.
• More review rounds than the assumption allows.
• Delay beyond an agreed period caused by client or third-party information.
• A change in construction method, procurement route or contractor after tender.
• Additional meetings or site visits beyond the stated number.
• Statutory applications or appeals not in the original scope.

Record each trigger as it happens, with the date and the client's written instruction, before you do the work. That record is the whole defence.

Where does the proposal end and fee tracking begin?

Everything above happens before signature. After it, you need to know what has been invoiced against what was agreed. We make ArchitectOS, so weigh this accordingly. It is a Notion template with a Projects database (status and fee type, including the four methods above), plus Clients, Approvals and Fees & Invoices sections. It does not write proposals, generate contracts, track staff time or run accounting; use your word processor and accounting software for those.

Read our companion page on tracking fees and invoices after signature, and the cash-flow playbook for what to do when billings slow. Last reviewed: 30 October 2026.

• Fee tracking and invoicing in Notion
• Cash-flow playbook for slow markets
• See what's inside ArchitectOS
• ArchitectOS pricing

Frequently asked questions

What should an architect's fee proposal include?

A project understanding, scope of services by stage, exclusions, assumptions, the fee method and amount, additional-services triggers and acceptance terms. Exclusions and assumptions prevent most later disputes, so write them as specific, testable sentences.

Is a percentage fee or a lump sum better for an architect?

Percentage suits projects whose scope and budget will evolve; lump sum suits a clear brief with bounded stages. Lump sums leave overrun risk with you, so pair them with firm assumptions and additional-services triggers.

What is the difference between an exclusion and an assumption?

An exclusion states work that is not included. An assumption states a condition the fee depends on, such as a fixed brief or a set number of review rounds. If the assumption fails, the fee can be revisited.

What are additional services for an architect?

Work outside the agreed scope: brief changes, extra review rounds, delays caused by others, procurement changes and extra statutory applications. Define each trigger and its pricing in the proposal and get written instructions before starting.

What fee percentage should an architect charge?

There is no reliable single figure; published ranges conflict. Estimate hours by stage, apply your cost-recovery rate, add a risk allowance, then cross-check the resulting percentage against your own past projects.