The UK architect directory
Find an architect who has built your kind of project before.
Compare practices and sole practitioners near you. Every architect is checked against the ARB register before they go live.
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All servicesArchitects by city
Each city page lists the local practices we have. Our city guides also explain how the local planning authority works and answer the questions people in that area ask most.
How it works
Three steps, no account needed. Shortlist two or three practices, check each one on the ARB register and compare written fees on the same brief.
Tell us what you need
Pick the project type and your location. We show the practices that list that kind of work, not everyone nearby.
Compare like for like
Each profile shows the practice's ARB register status, the project types, fees and opening hours we hold for it and any verified client reviews, so you can shortlist on the same facts.
Contact them directly
Message or call the practice. We never sell your details or put you into a lead auction.
How to choose a local architect
Start with the register, then look at the work. Shortlist two or three practices near you that have done your kind of project, check each name on the ARB register, and ask every one for a written fee proposal on the same brief. A local architect earns their place mostly through the council: they know its design guidance, its conservation areas and what its planning officers expect to see in an application.
Is the person you are talking to an architect?
In the UK, architect is a protected title. Under section 20 of the Architects Act 1997, nobody may practise or carry on business under a name or title containing the word architect unless they are on the register kept by the Architects Registration Board (ARB). Architectural designers and technologists also draw extensions and lofts, often well, but they are not architects, so ask which you are hiring. The Architects Register is free to search by name or registration number, and every practice listed here is matched to it before it goes live. Our guide architect or architectural designer explains the difference, and RIBA or ARB explains what each body does.
Why does a local practice help with planning?
Planning permission is decided by your local planning authority, which is usually your district, borough or unitary council. Each one has its own local plan, design guidance and conservation areas, and some have Article 4 directions that take away permitted development rights on certain streets. An architect who submits to the same council regularly knows which drawings it asks for and how its officers read a householder application. If you are not sure which council decides yours, our guide to finding your local planning authority shows how to check, and each city page sets out that council’s rules.
What should an architect’s fee proposal include?
Ask for the fee in writing, against the same brief, so the figures compare. ARB’s checklist before hiring an architect tells clients to look for terms of engagement that confirm the architect has adequate insurance, explain what to do if you have a complaint, and say how disputes are settled. Then check what the fee covers: the measured survey, the design, the planning application, building regulations drawings, the structural engineer and visits on site. RIBA lists three ways to charge: a percentage of the build cost, a lump sum or a time charge. Our guide to how much an architect costs goes through each.
How is this directory different?
The ranked list is ordered by verified client review score, then by distance from the town centre. No practice can pay to move up it. A featured listing is paid for and shown in its own labelled block above the list. When a town has more than three, they take turns in that block, and on other days sit in the list where their reviews place them, with no paid label. When you send an enquiry it goes to the one practice you chose and to no other practice, and we never sell your details. You can also search the ARB register yourself, or read RIBA’s guide to finding an architect; we would rather you check than take our word for it.
Questions people ask before hiring an architect
Do I need an architect for an extension?
Not by law. Nobody has to use an architect to apply for planning permission or building regulations approval. You do need drawings the council and building control will accept, and someone who takes responsibility for the design. An architect earns the fee when the site is awkward, the house is listed or in a conservation area, or you want design ideas as well as drawings.
How long does planning permission take?
GOV.UK guidance on determining a planning application says councils should decide most applications, householder ones included, within 8 weeks of receiving a valid application (13 for major development), unless you agree a longer period in writing. Allow time before that for the survey and the design.
Will I need a measured survey?
Usually, if you are altering an existing building. Planning and building regulations drawings are drawn from accurate measurements of the house as it stands. Some architects survey the house themselves and others bring in a surveyor, so ask whether the survey is in the fee.
Is VAT included in an architect's quote?
Not always. A VAT-registered practice adds VAT to its fee, so ask whether each figure includes it before you compare quotes. Council planning fees are paid to the council and are separate from what the architect charges.
Is a RIBA chartered architect better than an ARB-registered one?
Not in law. Everyone who uses the title architect in business must be on the ARB register. RIBA membership is voluntary and adds its own code of conduct and complaints route. Check ARB first, then ask about RIBA membership if it matters to you.
Sources: GOV.UK, determining a planning application; Architects Act 1997, section 20.