An editable architecture proposal covering work stages, fee basis, consultants, timeline, pricing and next steps, with a filled-in example. No email required.
Sign to accept, pay the deposit and we’ll book the kickoff.
How to write a architecture proposal
A good architecture proposal is about the client, not you. It shows you understand their situation, proposes a specific way forward and makes the price and next step easy to find. Architects price as a percentage of construction cost, a fixed fee per work stage (such as RIBA Plan of Work stages in the UK or AIA phases in the US), or hourly for small commissions.
Open with their situation, using the words they used on your call.
Make objectives measurable where you can, so success is shared.
Explain your approach by phase — for architects, typically brief and feasibility, concept design, planning, technical design, construction.
Break the price down so the client can trade scope rather than question your rate.
Say what’s not included, such as structural engineering and other consultants’ fees.
End with one clear next step and a validity date.
The template
Cover
Proposal: [Project name] for [Client]
Prepared by: [Your name, business]
Date: [Date]
Valid until: [Date]
1. Your situation
[In the client’s words: where they are now, what they want to achieve and why now.]
2. Objectives
[Objective, ideally measurable]
[Objective]
[Objective]
3. Our approach
Brief and feasibility: [What happens and what the client sees]
Concept design: [What happens and what the client sees]
Planning: [What happens and what the client sees]
Technical design: [What happens and what the client sees]
Construction: [What happens and what the client sees]
4. Deliverables
[Feasibility options and agreed brief]
[Concept and developed design drawings]
[Planning application package]
[Technical drawings and specification]
5. Timeline
Phase
Dates
Client input needed
Brief and feasibility
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
Concept design
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
Planning
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
Technical design
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
Construction
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
6. Investment
Item
Description
Fee
Feasibility and brief
[Site visit, measured survey review, options]
[Fee]
Concept design
[Two layout options and 3D massing]
[Fee]
Planning application
[Drawings, design statement and submission]
[Fee]
Technical design
[Building regulations drawings and specification]
[Fee]
Planning fee (passed through)
[Local authority application fee]
[Fee]
Total: [Amount, excluding tax]
Payment schedule: [e.g. 40% to start, 30% at milestone, 30% on completion]
7. Not included
[Structural engineering and other consultants’ fees]
[Statutory application fees]
[Contract administration on site unless listed]
[Party wall matters]
8. What we need from you
[Measured survey and site information]
[Budget and brief sign-off at each stage]
[Appointment of other consultants as needed]
9. Why us
[Two or three sentences and one relevant example or result. Keep it about the client’s problem.]
10. Next steps
[Sign below or reply to accept]
[Pay the deposit]
[Kickoff on date]
Accepted by: [Name, title]
Signature: [Signature]
Date: [Date]
How to fill it in
Write the client’s situation and goals in their own words, from your discovery call.
Turn goals into two or three objectives you can both recognise as success.
Set out your approach by phase and the deliverables at each step, such as “Feasibility options and agreed brief”.
Add a timeline that shows where you need the client’s input or approval.
Price the work by item or phase, with a payment schedule.
List exclusions and what you need from the client, then add a clear way to accept.
Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
PDF
Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).
Example: Fold Architects’s proposal for The Mercer Family
Key sections from a proposal for a two-storey rear extension. Both companies are fictional.
Your situation
The Mercer Family wants a two-storey rear extension. You told us the priority is getting it right first time, with clear approvals and no surprises on cost.
Our approach
Brief and feasibility: Feasibility options and agreed brief
Concept design: Concept and developed design drawings
Planning: Planning application package
Technical design: Technical drawings and specification
Construction
Investment
Item
Description
Qty / time
Rate
Amount
Feasibility and brief
Site visit, measured survey review, options
Fixed fee
$2,200.00
$2,200.00
Concept design
Two layout options and 3D massing
Fixed fee
$3,800.00
$3,800.00
Planning application
Drawings, design statement and submission
Fixed fee
$3,200.00
$3,200.00
Technical design
Building regulations drawings and specification
Fixed fee
$4,500.00
$4,500.00
Planning fee (passed through)
Local authority application fee
1 item
$258.00
$258.00
Total: $13,958.00 excluding tax
What we need from you
Measured survey and site information
Budget and brief sign-off at each stage
Appointment of other consultants as needed
Proposal mistakes that lose work
Starting with your history. The client cares about their problem first; your credentials belong near the end.
A template that reads like one. Replace every generic sentence with something specific to this client.
Hiding the price. If they can’t find it, they can’t say yes.
Vague deliverables. Specific deliverables make the proposal easier to approve and the project easier to run.
No follow-up. Agree when you’ll check in before you send it.
Angelwood’s proposal software builds proposals and agreements from your own templates, shows when the client has opened them and collects e-signatures, with a countersignature to execute the agreement.
Open with the client’s situation and goal in their own words. For a two-storey rear extension, that means the outcome they want, not the services you sell. It proves you listened before you start selling.
02
Make scope easy to approve.
List deliverables and exclusions plainly. For architects, the usual disputes start with structural engineering and other consultants’ fees.
03
One clear next step.
End with how to accept, the deposit and the kickoff date. A proposal that ends with “let us know” waits in an inbox.
What should an architecture fee proposal include?+
The brief as you understand it, services by stage, the fee basis and amount per stage, what other consultants are needed, exclusions such as statutory fees, the programme and how changes to the design are charged.
How long should a proposal be?+
As short as it can be while still defining the work. For most service projects, three to eight pages is enough. The client should be able to find the scope, price and next step in under a minute.
Should I put the price in a proposal?+
Yes. A proposal without a price can’t be accepted. Present it after the approach and value, broken into items or phases, and consider offering two or three options.
What’s the difference between a proposal and a contract?+
A proposal sells the work and sets out scope and price. A contract sets the legal terms. Many firms send a proposal that, once signed, incorporates their terms, or follow it with a separate agreement.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?+
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?+
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.