The Project Managers Toolkit

Architects/designers

There is no official scale of charges but you can expect to pay around 6% of the contract price for plans leading up to planning permission and Building Regulations approval. If they are to go on to put the job out to tender and supervise the build, then the fees will rise to around 12%.
Designers may or may not be members of a professional body. Architectural technologists may be members of CIAT (Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists). Designers can carry out plans for as little as £500 or have fees of a similar scale to architects. An average cost would probably be between £1,500 and £4,500. But don’t forget you get what you pay for and the cheaper ones may not have professional indemnity.

SAP calculations

SAP calculations may be provided within the quoted price of the architect or designer. If not, then for the average house they will cost between £120 and £250 plus VAT.

Engineer’s fees

Engineer's fees can be variable but for a few steel lintels, calculations are likely to be between £120 and £250 + VAT.

Solicitor’s fees

Solicitor's fees can be very variable but on average, for the purchase of a plot of land for around £250,000, their fees would be £1,100 plus VAT, to include dealing with a mortgage.

Statutory fees

On the same purchase of land for £250,000 you could experience the following:

1. Land Registry fees £220
2. Local search fee £127
3. Mining search fee £50
4. Water and drainage search fee £43 
5.  Environmental search fee (optional) £105
6. Land Registry search fee £6
7. Land charges search fee £2
8. Telegraphic transfer fee £30
9. Stamp Duty, levied on the purchase of land or property. On a £250,000 plot it’s £2,500 (1%)

Total Statutory Fees: £3,083

Self-build site insurance:

Warranty:

Planning fees:

Security fencing

Diggers

Cement mixers

Concrete pump

Dumper

Tipper lorries

Scaffolding(2 storey)

Toilet

Building Regulations

Service connections

An average house on a suburban street might experience:

Electricity supply

Gas supply

Water and sewage supply

Day Rates

Groundworker

General labourer

Semi-skilled labourer

Bricklayer

Carpenter

Roofer

Plasterer

Plumber

Electrician

Painter and decorator

Measured Rates

Bricklayers often quote £350 – £450 per 100 bricks laid (allow 60 bricks/m²) and £10.50 – £12/m for blockwork, both labour only

Plasterers may quote on the basis of labour-only measured rates:

• Render and skim coat: £10 – £12/m²
• Tacking plasterboard: £4 – £5/m²
• Skim coating plasterboard: £6 – £7.50/m²
• Two-coat external render: £12 – £15/m²
• Floor screed: £10/m²

Supply-and-fix roofers can sometimes quote on the basis of a rate per square metre but this will be dependent upon the choice of roofing medium:

• Concrete interlocking tiles: £22 – £25/m²
• Concrete plain tiles: £38 – £40/m²
• Clay plain tiles: £43 – £80/m² (with the handmade tiles costing the most)
• Artificial slates: £28 – £37/m²
• Natural slates: £40 – £60/m² (with Welsh costing the most)

All other trades usually price by reference to the time the job is expected to take, converting that to a lump-sum quotation