Guides to hiring an architect
Plain-English guides to choosing and working with an architect, and to the projects they take on, each checked against GOV.UK, the Planning Portal, ARB and RIBA. For shorter explainers on planning and building regulations, see the blog.
RIBA or ARB: which one tells you an architect is genuine?
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) keeps the legal register, and only people on it may use the title architect in business. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a membership body whose chartered members and practices sign up to extra standards on top of that.
Architect or architectural designer: which do you need?
Only someone on the ARB register can use the title architect in business, but anyone can lawfully offer architectural design services. The right choice depends on how complex, sensitive and design-led your project is, not on the title alone.
How to find your local planning authority
Your local planning authority is the body that decides planning applications for your address, and it is usually your district, unitary or London borough council. Put your postcode into the Planning Portal finder, then check the answer on the council's own website.
Self-build planning permission: the route from plot to completion
A self-build home needs planning permission like any other new house, and the biggest savings come from checking the plot before you buy it. In England, work through what is already permitted, the conditions, access, utilities and flood zone, then choose between outline and full permission.