What an architect's fees really cover

Before the first meeting, one question almost always comes up: how much does an architect cost, and for what exactly? The percentage quoted often seems abstract, even high. We propose to open the box and set out, stage by stage, what our fees actually cover.

A fee that covers several years of work

Let us start with the orders of magnitude. According to figures published by the platform Trustup, for a new build, fees generally represent between 6% and 15% of the total cost of the works, while a renovation or a simple advisory assignment is often calculated as a flat fee or by the hour. To use their example, for a house with works estimated at EUR 250,000, fees of 10% come to EUR 25,000. VAT must be added on top: 21% VAT applies to every fee.

This figure is not set by any official scale. The FPS Economy points this out on Wikifin: an architect's fees are freely set. The law does not provide for a scale or limits. The Order of Architects explains that European competition rules no longer allow professional bodies to impose fee scales. To help you compare, the French and German speaking council of the Order of Architects has published a "fee calculation tool" on its website, which gives the average number of hours a project requires.

Above all, remember this: a house project often keeps an architect involved for one to two years, from the first sketch to handover. The percentage pays for that time, but also for a responsibility.

Sketch design and the preliminary project

This is the stage of exploration, where the biggest savings are made. In practice, this is what we do:

• visit the site or the existing building, with a survey if needed;
• analyse your brief: number of bedrooms, lifestyle, future changes, real budget;
• check the planning constraints (sector plan, planning guidelines, local regulations);
• several sketches of layout and volumes, taking orientation, views and light into account;
• a first estimate of the cost of the works.

The Order of Architects describes this first step as a "feasibility" study, at the end of which the parties are free to continue the assignment or not. This is reassuring: you are not committing to the whole project from the outset.

A frequent example in our files on old farmhouses in Hesbaye or Walloon Brabant: deciding whether to keep or demolish an outbuilding, or to move the entrance by a few metres. These choices, made at sketch stage, cost a few hours of thought. On site, they would cost thousands of euros.

The planning permission file

Once the preliminary project is approved, we prepare the planning application under the CoDT (Walloon Code of Territorial Development) in Wallonia, or under the CoBAT (BWRO, Brussels Code for Spatial Planning) in Brussels. This stage includes:

• plans, sections and elevations to scale, with the insertion into the context;
• the explanatory note and administrative forms;
• coordination with the parties needed for the file, for example the EPB (EPC) assessor;
• discussions with the municipal planning department, and sometimes a preliminary meeting;
• follow up on any public inquiry and the requested amendments.

This assignment is not optional. Under the law of 20 February 1939 on the protection of the title and profession of architect, the involvement of an architect to draw up the plans and oversee the execution of the works is a legal requirement for any works that need prior building permission.

The execution file and the choice of contractors

Once permission is granted, many think the architect's work is done. In fact, an essential stage then begins. It is this stage that protects your budget.

• Detailed execution drawings: junctions, joinery, staircases, insulation and airtightness details.
• Specifications and bill of quantities, item by item, so that all contractors price the same thing.
• Consultation of several contractors and comparative analysis of their quotes.
• Help with negotiating and drafting the building contracts.

Without this work, you are comparing quotes that do not describe the same thing. The gap between the lowest quote and the final bill then widens through extras on site.

Site supervision and handover

During the works, the architect oversees the execution. At STARC, this means:

• regular site visits, more frequent at critical stages (foundations, shell, roof, insulation);
• site meeting minutes that set out who does what and by when;
• answering contractors' questions and settling unforeseen issues, which are common in renovation;
• checking progress statements before you pay the invoices;
• organising provisional handover, the snag list, and then final handover.

This presence comes with a guarantee. Under the law of 31 May 2017, published in the Belgian Official Gazette, contractors, architects and other construction professionals must insure their ten year liability. The policy number must appear in the contract: the Order of Architects lists the number of your architect's professional liability insurance policy among the required details.

What the fees do not always cover

To get the budget right from the start, here are the items generally invoiced separately, depending on the project:

• the EPB (EPC) assessor and, where relevant, the energy performance report;
• the structural study by an engineer, essential as soon as the structure is affected;
• the special techniques studies (heating, ventilation, electricity) for more complex projects;
• the surveyor for boundary marking or a land survey;
• the health and safety coordinator, required as soon as several contractors work on site;
• airtightness tests (blower door) and rainwater management.

At STARC, several of these tasks can be supported by Optibim, our engineering office at the same address. This keeps design and calculations directly linked, with no loss of information between offices.

All of this must be set out in writing. Wikifin states that the architect must give you a written contract setting out all the essential aspects of the assignment, including the budget and what is planned in case of overrun. The Order of Architects adds that the absence of a written architecture contract constitutes a breach of professional conduct on the architect's part. It also provides a standard architecture contract template, updated in 2025.

A practical tip: when comparing two fee proposals, compare the content of the assignments first. A lower offer sometimes stops at the permission stage, or includes very few site visits.

Let's talk about your project

Do you have a plot, a house to convert or a farm to repurpose, and are you wondering what our support would cost? Contact STARC in Gembloux. During a first conversation, we define together the content of the assignment, its stages and a fee estimate tailored to your project, with no obligation.

Frédéric Odent, director of STARC