WHAT SHOULD YOUR ARCHITECT PUT IN WRITING?
October 2026 - Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.
Introduction:
Appointing an architect is often the point where an idea starts to feel like a real project. You have probably already discussed what you want to achieve, perhaps talked about likely costs and timescales, and may even have started thinking about designs. However, before any actual work begins, there should be something much less exciting, but equally important, in place: a clear written appointment.
This does not need to feel intimidating or unnecessarily legalistic. In fact, a good appointment should do the opposite. It should give both you and your architect a clear understanding of what has been agreed, what each person is responsible for, what the service will cost, and what happens if circumstances change.
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) expects architects to provide clear and understandable written terms of engagement before commencing work. There are a number of things those terms should cover, but from a client’s perspective the principle is fairly straightforward. Here are nine things to look out for…
01 Who are you actually appointing?
This might sound obvious, but your appointment should clearly identify who you are entering into an agreement with. That might be an individual architect, a sole practitioner, a partnership or a limited company. It should also be clear which architect has responsibility for the architectural work and that they are registered with the Architects Registration Board.
This becomes particularly important where you initially meet one person but other members of a practice may later work on the project. You should know who your agreement is with, who is responsible for your project and who your main point of contact will be.
02 What are you appointing them to do?
Not every architectural appointment covers an entire project from the first sketch through to completion on site. You might appoint an architect only to explore feasibility. You might continue through concept design, Planning and Building Warrant. Alternatively, you might appoint them for a much fuller service extending into tendering, construction and handover. None of those approaches is inherently right or wrong. What matters is that the scope is clear.
Your appointment should explain the services being provided and, where relevant, anything specifically excluded. For example, an appointment to prepare and submit a Planning application does not automatically mean the architect is also appointed to prepare a Building Warrant application, obtain contractor quotations or administer a building contract. Those are different services, with different levels of work and responsibility.
The clearer this is at the beginning, the less opportunity there is for misunderstanding later.
03 What will it cost?
The appointment should clearly explain what your architect will charge and how that fee has been calculated. That could be a fixed fee, an hourly rate, a percentage of construction cost or a combination of different approaches depending on the project.
It should also explain when fees become payable and identify other charges that may apply, such as expenses or VAT where relevant.
Just as importantly, you should understand what might result in an additional fee. A significant change to the brief, redesign following a client instruction, additional applications, unexpected work arising from existing conditions or services falling outside the original scope can all affect the amount of work required.
This does not mean an architect should be able to predict every possible eventuality at the beginning of a project. Construction projects evolve and unforeseen issues do occur. The important thing is that there is a clear basis for dealing with additional work when it arises, rather than discovering afterwards that you and your architect had very different expectations.
04 Who is responsible for what?
An architectural project rarely involves only an architect and a client. Depending on the project, you may also need a structural engineer, quantity surveyor, energy consultant, measured surveyor, ecologist, drainage engineer or other specialist.
Your architect’s appointment should make their own responsibilities clear, but it should also help explain where responsibility sits elsewhere. That includes your responsibilities as the client. There may be information you need to provide, decisions you need to make, specialists you need to appoint or approvals you need to give before work can progress.
It is also important to understand the limits of an architect’s control. An architect can prepare and manage a Planning or Building Warrant application, for example, but they cannot guarantee that a statutory authority will grant approval.
Similarly, an architect may advise on construction cost and design decisions, but that does not automatically make them responsible for providing detailed cost consultancy unless that service has specifically been agreed.
Clear responsibilities help prevent gaps, duplication and assumptions.
05 What about Health and Safety?
Health and safety responsibilities exist from the inception of a project — not simply once a contractor arrives on site. Architects undertaking design work have duties as Designers under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, commonly referred to as CDM 2015. Where a project involves, or is likely to involve, more than one contractor, there is also a requirement for a Principal Designer to manage and coordinate health and safety during the pre-construction phase. Your appointment should therefore make the relevant roles clear.
If your architect is taking on the Principal Designer role, that should be properly identified and you should understand what that role involves. If somebody else will undertake it, that should also be clear.
Domestic clients are treated differently from commercial clients under CDM 2015, with many client duties normally transferring to other dutyholders. That does not mean health and safety can simply be ignored on a domestic project. A competent professional should be able to explain how the regulations apply to your particular project and where the different responsibilities sit.
06 How are changes agreed?
Projects evolve. A brief might change, a survey could reveal something unexpected, Planning feedback might require revisions, the budget could alter, or you may simply decide that you want something different as the proposals develop. Change is not necessarily a sign that something has gone wrong — it is a normal part of many projects. What matters is how that change is managed.
Your appointment should provide a basis for agreeing changes to the original scope and any associated additional work or fees. If the terms of the appointment themselves change, those changes should also be recorded in writing. This protects both sides. It allows you to understand the implications of a decision before proceeding and avoids relying on conversations that may be remembered differently several months later.
07 How can the appointment end?
Nobody enters into an architectural appointment expecting it to end early, but the agreement should still explain how either you or your architect can bring the appointment to an end. It should explain any notice or conditions that apply, along with how work already completed and any outstanding fees will be dealt with. Having this agreed at the outset does not suggest that something is expected to go wrong. It simply means that both parties understand the process should circumstances change.
08 What protection is in place?
An architect’s appointment should confirm that appropriate Professional Indemnity Insurance is held. Professional Indemnity Insurance provides protection in relation to claims arising from professional services and is an important part of practising responsibly.
The agreement should also explain how complaints or disputes can be raised and dealt with, along with any relevant limitations or exclusions of liability.
It should also explain how your personal information and project data will be handled.
These provisions might not be the most exciting part of an architectural appointment, but they are important safeguards for both you and your architect.
09 Most importantly…does it all make sense?
An appointment is not made better simply by being longer or containing more legal terminology. ARB guidance specifically emphasises that terms should be understandable to the recipient and that architects should be prepared to guide clients through them where necessary.
If something is unclear, ask. If you do not understand why a clause is there, ask what it means. If you are unsure whether something is included within the service, ask before work begins.
A good architect should be comfortable having that conversation.
A written appointment is there to help both sides:
Professional appointments can sometimes be viewed as paperwork that needs to be completed before the interesting part of a project can begin. I think that misses their purpose.
A good appointment establishes the framework within which the project can develop. It creates clarity around scope, cost, responsibilities and expectations. It gives everyone something to refer back to as the project evolves and provides a process for dealing with change when it inevitably occurs. Most importantly, it starts the professional relationship with both sides understanding what they have agreed to. That does not guarantee that a project will be completely straightforward. No appointment can remove every uncertainty associated with design and construction. It does, however, remove a lot of avoidable ambiguity.
In summary:
Before your architect starts work, you should have a written appointment that clearly explains:
Who you are appointing.
What they have been appointed to do.
What the service will cost.
Who is responsible for what.
How health and safety responsibilities are being managed.
How changes to the project or scope will be agreed.
How either party can bring the appointment to an end.
What professional protection is in place, how complaints or disputes are dealt with, and how your information will be handled.
Above all, you should understand it. You shouldn’t need to be an architect or a lawyer to understand what you are signing.
This article is intended as general information rather than legal advice. Every project and professional appointment is different, and appropriate terms should reflect the particular circumstances of the commission.