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Beginner's Guide - Step 3 - Fees
What payments will you have to make?
As well as paying for materials and labour, you must also factor in some other costs:
- Legal Fees: £500-1,000.
- Stamp Duty and Land Tax:
The tax is currently levied at 1% for plots valued from £120,001 to £250,000, 3% for plots valued from £250,001 to £500,000 and 4% over £500,000. - Topographical Site Survey:
By surveyor or architect. Typical cost £350-500. - Finance Costs: See finance section.
- Design Fees:
Architects: 7-15% of the total build cost for a service involving design and supervision. For planning drawings from other sources expect to pay from £2,500-3,500, plus a similar figure for Building Regulations drawings. - Structural Engineers’ Fees: £400-500.
- Planning Application Fees: £265.
- Building Regulations Fees: £400-500.
- Warranty: Around 1% of contract value.
- Self-build Insurance: £500-800.
- Services: Typically total £3,500-6,000.
- Demolition Costs: Typically £5,000-10,000.
- External Works: Around 15% of total build cost.
Further reading:
- Beginner's Guide: Introduction
- Beginner's Guide: Step One
- Beginner's Guide: Step Two
- Beginner's Guide : Self Build Schedule
- Beginner's Guide: Tax
- Beginner's Guide: Finance
- Issue date:
- August 2008
Useful links
In step three of the beginner's guide it suggests that the Engineer's fee will be £400-500. This figure is misleading and for a project of any size likely to be a significant underestimate of the input that will be needed from a Structural Engineer for an application to Building Control. Building Control will expect to see Engineer’s drawings and calculations and in Scotland the Engineer will need to provide a SER Structural Design Certificate.
The Fees Bureau publish data each year indicating typical fees for an Engineer's input on Private Housing projects, where an Architect and Engineer are employed. For construction values up to £250,000 average Engineer’s fees are 2.9% i.e. £7,250 and for £500,000 costs fees are 2.7% i.e. £13,500. The % comes down as the cost go up leveling off at about 2%.
Not to say that a deal can’t be struck and the Engineer’s input come in at less than these figures, but a fee of £400-500 is probably only realistic for minor alterations or a small wee extension to your house.
There is real benefit for project if an Engineer is employed early on to establish that there are no problems in the ground and to help in developing an economic and buildbable structure for your new house. Along with employing a competent Architect and Main Contractor, it is worth the investment getting the right level of input from an Engineer.
For more information see the Institution of Structural Engineers’ website www.istructe.org or go to www.findanengineer.com
Hi,
What is covered under the title of groundworks on this guide?
Thanks
Hi Neil,
If you're looking for further information on Groundworks, there's a useful guide here: http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/feature/12-steps-self-build-groundworks-fo....
And there's some cost guidelines here: http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/feature/costs-foundations
Hope this helps.
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