Architect fee proposalCOA scale of charges
How to Read an Architect's Fee Proposal in India: Stages, Deliverables and Red Flags
The seven stages of an Indian architect's fee proposal, what each should deliver, how the fee is split, what sits outside it, and whether the COA scale of charges is mandatory.
Published on 10/16/202610 min read
A good architect's fee proposal tells you three things clearly: what you will receive at each stage, how much you pay at the end of each stage, and what is not included. In India, the reference for all three is the Council of Architecture's Conditions of Engagement and Scale of Charges, which splits a project into seven stages from concept design to completion. This guide walks through a typical proposal line by line, explains where the COA scale stands legally today, and lists the red flags worth questioning before you sign.
About the numbers below: the stages, percentages and clauses come from the Council of Architecture's published Conditions of Engagement and Scale of Charges (the 2002 revision, still current on coa.gov.in on 16 Oct 2026). The ₹80 lakh house in the worked example is illustrative, not a market rate. The fee you are quoted may differ. This is general information, not legal advice.
If you are still comparing how architects charge (percentage, per square foot or lump sum), start with our guide to architect and interior designer fees in India. This post picks up once a proposal is in your hands.
Is the COA scale of charges mandatory?
The honest answer has two halves.
What the rules say
The Architects (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 1989 were made by the Council of Architecture, with the approval of the Central Government, under Section 45 of the Architects Act, 1972. Two duties in Regulation 2(1) are about fees:
- Clause (iv): an architect in private practice must inform the client of the conditions of engagement and scale of charges, and agree that these conditions are the basis of the appointment.
- Clause (xii): an architect must "observe and uphold" the Council's conditions of engagement and scale of charges.
Regulation 2(3) says a violation of these duties is professional misconduct. The regulations were amended in 2003, and the version the COA publishes today still contains both clauses.
The COA's own preamble to the document calls it a "mandatory minimum scale of professional charges". It was approved at the Council's 40th meeting in April 2002, and the scale itself is headed "Minimum fees". For an individual house, that minimum is 7.5% of the cost of works. The scale also says fees may be negotiated between architect and client on works costing up to ₹14 lakh.
How it works in practice
The government's own works department reads it differently. A 2015 Central Public Works Department office memorandum (Circular DG/P&WA/79, reproduced by the Architexturez archive) states that the COA's conditions and scale are "neither approved by the Parliament under the Architects Act, 1972 nor by the Central Government". It told CPWD officers not to use them to award work or justify a quote. The COA disagrees: in a 2019 letter to the Housing Ministry about the Central Vista consultancy, it asked that fees be fixed as the Council prescribes, not by architects quoting the lowest fee.
We also checked the Competition Commission of India and found no published order naming the Council of Architecture or its scale of charges in the CCI's list of antitrust orders from 2010 to September 2026. A few listed orders are anonymised, so a confidential matter cannot be ruled out.
Our reading, for a homeowner: the duty to uphold the scale sits on the architect, under the COA's professional conduct rules. It is not a price a private client is legally bound to pay; your written agreement fixes your fee. Treat the scale as the best published reference for what a full service includes, how payments are staged and which extras are fair. If a quote is far below it, ask what has been left out of the scope.
The seven stages, and what each should deliver
Proposals often rename or merge these stages. The test is simple: at the end of each stage, you should hold something specific before you pay for it.
- Concept design. The architect records your requirements as a design brief, studies the site and prepares concept designs with a rough cost estimate on an area basis. They also prepare what you need to commission the site survey and soil investigation.
- Preliminary design. The chosen concept is developed into preliminary drawings, sketches or a study model, with a preliminary cost estimate for your approval.
- Approval (submission) drawings. Drawings that comply with the codes and byelaws, prepared for your sign-off and the authority's sanction, with the architect assisting you through approval. Our explainer on setbacks, FAR and height limits covers what these drawings have to satisfy.
- Working drawings and tender documents. Working drawings, specifications and a schedule of quantities detailed enough to estimate cost, plus tender documents with the conditions of contract.
- Choosing the contractor. The architect invites and analyses tenders and advises you on whom to appoint.
- Construction. Further drawings and details for site, approval of samples and shop drawings, and site visits at intervals agreed with you. Under the COA conditions, day-to-day supervision is done by a site supervisor or clerk of works whom you appoint and pay, working under the architect's direction.
- Completion. Completion reports and drawings to support the completion or occupancy certificate, and two sets of as-built drawings, including structure and services.
How the fee is split across stages
The COA schedule is cumulative: each figure is the share of the total fee paid by the end of that stage, less what was paid before.
| Stage | Paid by the end of the stage | Illustrative: fee of ₹6 lakh |
|---|---|---|
| Retainer, on signing | 5% of fee or ₹20,000, whichever is higher (adjusted at the end) | ₹30,000 |
| 1. Concept design | 10% | ₹60,000 |
| 2. Preliminary design | 20% | ₹1,20,000 |
| 3. Approval drawings | 30% on filing, 35% on sanction | ₹2,10,000 |
| 4. Working drawings and tender | 45% | ₹2,70,000 |
| 5. Choosing the contractor | 55% | ₹3,30,000 |
| 6. Construction | 65% at start, then 70, 75, 80 and 85% at each 20% of work, 90% at virtual completion | ₹5,40,000 |
| 7. Completion | 100% | ₹6,00,000 |
The illustration assumes an individual house costing ₹80 lakh to build, at the COA minimum of 7.5%. Two details matter:
- The fee moves with the cost. The COA conditions compute stage payments on the rough estimate, then the preliminary estimate, then the accepted tender, and the final fee on the actual cost of works at completion. If the same house ends up costing ₹95 lakh, a 7.5% fee becomes ₹7,12,500. If you want certainty, ask for a lump sum or a cap.
- "Cost of works" needs a definition. The COA counts equipment such as lifts, DG sets, pumps and water treatment plants, and excludes land. If you supply materials yourself, the fee is still worked out as if the contractor had supplied everything.
The MOA home cost calculator gives you a construction estimate to test a percentage quote against.
What is usually outside the fee
Under the COA's conditions for comprehensive services, the fee covers architecture plus the structural, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, lift and fire design, with the architect directing any specialist consultants. Some proposals instead bill structural and services consultants separately, so check which model you have been given.
The COA conditions put these on top of the fee, or on you directly:
- Documentation and communication charges of 10% of the professional fee. On the illustrative ₹6 lakh fee, that is ₹60,000.
- Taxes on the fee. The conditions say any tax on the architect's services is payable by the client over and above the fee. Today that means GST. Ask for it as a separate line with the architect's GSTIN.
- Reimbursables: travel, boarding and local transport for site visits, and presentation models or drawings you ask for beyond the design itself. The scale also sets a per-day charge for outstation and local site visits.
- Paid by you directly: land survey, soil tests, approval fees, levies and deposits, and the site supervisor.
- Approvals liaison. The COA scope has the architect preparing approval drawings and assisting you. Some architects quote running files through the authority on your behalf as a separate service. Ask what is included, and ask for statutory fees to be shown separately from professional fees.
- Changes after approval. Revisions to approved drawings or tender documents are charged at 50% of the fee for the stages affected.
- Other services: interiors and landscape each carry their own 7.5% fee in the scale, and checking contractors' bills is 1% extra.
Red flags in a fee proposal
Our guidance, based on the COA documents above. None of these means the architect is dishonest, but each deserves a written answer.
- No COA registration number. Check the name in the COA online directory of architects before you go further.
- Payments without deliverables. For example, "40% on signing" or "balance during construction" with no drawings named. The COA retainer is 5% of the fee, adjusted at the end. A large advance before any design is not how the COA schedule works.
- A percentage with no definition of cost. If "cost of works" is not defined, interiors, landscaping, equipment and even GST on construction can end up inside the base.
- Site visits described as "regular". Ask for a number or a stage-linked schedule, and for who does daily supervision.
- Silence on revisions. No limit on design options before approval, and no rate for changes after it, is a dispute waiting to happen.
- Liaison as one opaque lump sum. You should be able to see which part is the authority's fee and which is professional work.
- Commissions from contractors or suppliers. The 1989 regulations bar architects from giving or taking commissions for introducing clients or work. A proposal that funds itself through vendors is a warning sign.
- No exit terms. The COA conditions let either side end the engagement on 30 days' written notice if the other fails substantially to perform, and set what is payable for work done. A proposal should say the same.
Our post on 10 clauses to read in your architect's contract covers ownership of drawings, termination and disputes in more depth, and these 15 questions to ask before hiring help you compare two or three proposals fairly.
One more thing: free designs
The 1989 regulations bar architects from preparing designs in competition for a client without payment, except in a COA-guided competition. You may consult as many architects as you like while selecting one, provided you pay each. So compare past work and interviews, or pay for the sketches.
Frequently asked questions
What is the COA fee for designing a house?
The COA scale sets a minimum of 7.5% of the cost of works for an individual house, for comprehensive services. Documentation charges of 10% of the fee, reimbursables and GST are extra. On works up to ₹14 lakh, the scale allows the fee to be negotiated.
Can my architect charge less than the COA scale?
Under the COA's professional conduct rules, architects are expected to uphold the scale, and the COA calls it a mandatory minimum. The rules bind the architect, not you, and your written agreement fixes your fee. If a quote is much lower, check that the scope is the same.
How much should I pay an architect upfront?
The COA schedule has a retainer on signing of 5% of the total fee or ₹20,000, whichever is higher, adjusted against the last stage. After that, payments follow completed stages.
Does the architect's fee include structural design?
Under the COA's comprehensive services, yes: structural, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and fire design are part of the scope. Some proposals bill consultants separately, so read the exclusions and ask.
Is GST charged on an architect's fee?
Yes. Under the COA conditions, taxes on the architect's services are payable by the client on top of the fee. Ask for GST as its own line on each invoice.
Ready to compare proposals? Find architects on MOA and look at their built work first.
Sources
- Council of Architecture: Architects (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 1989, as amended in 2003 (Regulation 2(1)(iv), (vi), (xii), (xiv), (xv) and 2(3)) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- Council of Architecture: Conditions of Engagement and Scale of Charges, preamble ("mandatory minimum scale", 2002 approval) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- Council of Architecture: Conditions of Engagement for Comprehensive Architectural Services (scope, seven stages, payment schedule, documentation charges, reimbursables, client responsibilities, revisions, termination) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- Council of Architecture: Scale of Charges (minimum fees, site visits, explanatory notes) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- Council of Architecture: Online Directory of Architects (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- Architexturez: CPWD Circular No. DG/P&WA/79, Office Memorandum of 16 December 2015 on the COA conditions of engagement and scale of charges (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- Architexturez: Council of Architecture letter to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, 9 September 2019 (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- Competition Commission of India: Antitrust orders (searched 2010 to September 2026) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)