Architect's Fees

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The Board of Architect's Malaysia has a 23 page schedule for Architect's minimum fees, and scope of the works. Just type it up on google.

There are 3 categories of assorted building types. Individually designed houses fall into Category 1 as follows from this extract:

Total Cost of the Works	Fees
Below RM250,000	10%
RM250,000 - RM500,000	RM25,000 + 9.25% X (Cost less RM250,000)
RM500,000 - RM1,000,000	RM48,125 + 8.5% X (Cost less RM500,000)
RM1,000,000 - RM2,000,000	RM90,625 + 7.75% X (Cost less RM1M)

For anyone who wants to splash out on a place the table goes up to RM16M and over.

If you need a structural engineer it will be extra. Soil tests for working out holding capacity (use of piles against raft/footings) for foundations will also be extra. Say, RM10,000, for budget purposes.

regards, Scott

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MINIMUM fees!!! Does this actually mean minimum? I thought that in Malaysia, everything is negotiable?

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hi, Philip,

Individually designed houses comes under Category 1 which means building types "of exceptional character and complexity."  Is a house really that complex? and from the ones that I've seen in Malaysia, they're monotonous rather than characterful.

Oh well, they're charged at the same rate as for: mausoleums, hospitals, palaces and abattoirs.

It's full service fees. This is from inception (walking into the Architect's offices) to completion. So it includes things like contract documentation and site supervision.

It's all negotiable I suppose. The minimum fees are usually also the maximum, it's to prevent undercutting. But it's good to know what an Architect will see as the point from which charges can be lowered as various services are not provided or required.

When designing a house it's hardly necessary to stretch the process out over all stages: sketch design, scheme design, detailed design. And maybe folks don't need detailed documentation (which contractor is gonna read it). So this info is to help the negotiation.

Most folks seem to want a plan/elevation/section, drawn-up for planning purposes and signed-off by an architect or engineer. Letters in the Star Newspaper, and posts on other sites, give the figure of about RM5,000 to RM8,000 for this basic service: i.e. get it drawn up and get it submitted.

If the design bit is lengthy, and the drawings more detailed, then the price seems to be around RM20,000 to RM30,000. Site supervision would then be added-on.

regards, Scott