How it works
MyLocalArchitects.co.uk is free for you. Three steps from a problem to an architect you chose yourself, with no sales calls.
Search by project and place
Choose the project, such as an extension or a loft conversion, and type your town or postcode. You get the practices in the nearest town we cover, ranked by verified client review score, then distance from the town centre. No one pays to rank higher; featured listings are paid and shown in their own labelled block above that list. When a town has more than three, they take turns in that block day by day, and on other days sit in the list where their reviews place them.
Check the profile
Every practice listed has architects on the ARB register. Project types, fees and opening hours appear where we hold them; reviews appear once verified clients leave them.
Contact one practice
Use the contact details on the profile, or send one enquiry where the profile offers that. An enquiry goes to that practice and to no other practice. We never sell your details.
What we promise
No paid placement in the ranked list
Order is verified reviews, then distance. A featured listing buys a share of a slot that is labelled as featured, above that list; it never changes the organic order. A Featured firm not in today's slot sits in the list where its reviews place it.
Register-checked
Every listing is matched to the ARB register before it goes live. Practices we found on the register show as not yet claimed until they join. Tell us if a practice has left the register and we take it out of search.
Verified reviews only
We confirm with the practice that the reviewer was a client, without showing them the review first; if the practice has not claimed its listing, a moderator checks. Practices can never edit or remove a review.
Your details stay yours
An enquiry goes to one practice, the one you chose. No lead selling, no follow-up calls from strangers.
How to hire an architect, from brief to appointment
Hiring an architect usually takes five steps: write a brief, shortlist, meet, compare written proposals, then sign terms of engagement before any work starts. The directory helps with the first two; the other three are between you and the practice you choose.
1. Write a short brief
Say what you want to change and why, your budget for the whole job including fees and VAT, and any deadline. Add photos of the property, any existing drawings and past planning decisions for your address, which you can find on the council’s online planning register. Our guide to finding your local planning authority shows which council holds them. The clearer the brief, the easier the quotes are to compare.
2. Shortlist two or three practices
Search by project and town, then open the profiles. Look for the project types you need and check the register status. Reviews appear only once a client has been verified, so a newer listing may have none yet. Open two or three profiles side by side before you contact anyone.
3. Meet and ask the right questions
Ask who will actually do your drawings, whether they have worked on similar projects with your council, what the fee includes and what counts as extra, and how long each stage takes. ARB’s checklist before hiring an architect also suggests checking insurance cover and how complaints and disputes are handled.
4. Compare written proposals on the same brief
Line the proposals up stage by stage: survey, design, planning application, building regulations drawings, tendering and visits on site. One practice may quote a lump sum, another a percentage of the build cost or an hourly rate. Council application fees are paid to the council on top of the architect’s fee. Our guide to how much an architect costs explains each fee basis.
5. Sign terms of engagement before work starts
The terms should set out the scope, the fee and how changes to the brief are charged, who owns the copyright in the drawings, and how either side can end the appointment. If you agree the contract at home or online, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 normally give you 14 days to cancel. Work can start sooner only if you ask for it, and if you then cancel you pay for the work done up to that point.
Questions about using MyLocalArchitects.co.uk
Is MyLocalArchitects.co.uk free to use?
Yes, for clients. Searching, reading profiles and sending an enquiry cost nothing. Practices pay a one-time fee for a verified or featured listing, or nothing at all, and nobody pays per enquiry.
Why does a practice say not yet claimed?
We found it on the public ARB register and listed its business facts before it joined. Its name, address and registration status come from the register. It means the practice has not joined yet, which says nothing about the quality of its work.
Can a practice pay to appear higher?
No. Payment never moves a practice within the list. A featured listing is paid for and appears in its own block labelled Featured, above the list. If a town has more than three, they take turns in that block day by day, and on other days sit in the list at the place their reviews earn.
Why do some practices have no reviews?
A review is published only after the reviewer has confirmed their email and the practice (or, if it has not claimed its listing, a moderator) has confirmed that the reviewer was a client. A new or unclaimed listing may have none yet. Practices cannot edit or remove a review.
What happens to my details when I send an enquiry?
Your message and contact details go to the practice you picked. We keep a copy so we can check it was delivered, and there is no lead auction: other practices never see it.
Does the directory cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
ARB registration covers the whole UK, so practices anywhere can be listed. Planning and building rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and most of our guides describe England, so check the rules with your council.
Before you hire
In the UK only someone on the Architects Registration Board register may use the title architect in business. Many designers who are not architects also draw extensions and lofts, so ask which you are hiring and check the name on the ARB register. Ask for the fee and what it covers in writing. Our guide architect or architectural designer explains the difference.
Ready? Find an architect or browse by project. Run a practice? See what a listing costs.