01 · Fee method
Four ways to price a defined service.
The Council of Architecture's Manual of Architectural Practice recognises percentage of works, unit-area, lump-sum and man-hour approaches. Any method can be clear or misleading depending on how the service and exclusions are written.
- Percentage: define the cost-of-works basis and how changes affect the fee.
- Unit area: define which area and which deliverables the rate buys.
- Lump sum: define stages, revisions, meetings and change triggers.
- Time based: define roles, hourly or daily rates, caps and reporting.
02 · Reference
Read the CoA percentage with its scope.
CoA's current online scale lists 7.5% of the cost of works for an individual house and for interior architecture, and 5% for comprehensive architectural services on other buildings. The service pages describe a staged professional appointment. Reduced or additional services need their own scope and fee basis.
The cost-of-works basis excludes land. Surveys, soil investigation, statutory charges, specialist consultants, travel, models and day-to-day supervision should be identified rather than assumed.
- Brief and concept
- Design development and approvals support
- Working drawings, details and specifications
- Tender or contractor-selection support
- Periodic construction-stage review
- Completion and as-built information
03 · Compare
Put every proposal on the same service matrix.
A lower percentage may omit specialist coordination, working details or site reviews. A higher percentage may still exclude reimbursables and taxes. Compare the appointment line by line before comparing the total.
- Deliverables and issue stages
- Revision and meeting allowance
- Structural, services and specialist responsibility
- Approval support and authority fees
- Site attendance and bill certification
- Intellectual property, suspension and termination
- Reimbursables and applicable GST
04 · Payment
Pay against accepted deliverables.
Stage payments should follow the written appointment and identifiable outputs. Avoid a schedule that demands most of the fee before the information needed for construction exists. Record what acceptance means and what happens when the brief or project changes.
Source record
Official sources reviewed
Links are provided for verification. Requirements and portals can change after the review date.