Not at All — Here’s the Honest Truth
For a long time, the SPP–UAP (Standards of Professional Practice – United Architects of the Philippines) document has been around as an official reference for architectural fees. In its face, it is neat, reasonable, professional, and just. It enumerates percentages, scopes, stages, and roles. It provides rookie architects with a feeling of stability and confidence. It informs clients about the charges that they should incur.
However, let’s be upfront — do architects actually follow this document in their practice?
The straightforward answer: Not always, though. Also, putting up a facade of consistency does harm more than good.
This piece is not against the SPP–UAP document. On the contrary, it is a valuable professional point of reference. But the issue is the difference between theory and practice which is influenced by clients, competition, economy, location, and survival.
So, what about the daily reality of architects?
The SPP–UAP Document: Perfect on Paper, Weak in Reality
The SPP–UAP document is a kind of map that details professional fees expected to be derived from a percentage of the total project-cost or from fixed service packages. In a perfect world:
- Clients abide by professional standards
- Architects don’t harm each other
- Projects are well-understood
- Money changes hands as agreed
- Professional services are recognized as intellectual work
But reality is not what architects dream of.
Architecture is part of a market but not a
still market.
Markets do not respect documents but are focused on
price, urgency, and leverage.
The First Reality: Clients Are the Ones Who Decide
A typical architectural project hardly ever starts with the question:
“Architect, according to the SPP–UAP, what should be your fee?”
They start with:
- “How much are your services?”
- “Is it possible for you to give me a discount?”
- “An architect has made a cheaper offer.”
- “Its just a small project.”
- “We can give you more projects in the future.”
Right from the start, the discussion about fees is already going beyond the SPP–UAP.
Regularly, clients:
- Set a budget beforehand
- Treat architects as goods and compare them
- Do not comprehend the architect’s job
- Consider drawings as “mere drawings”
- Expect the possibility of revisions without limitations
Most of the time, clients are even unaware of the SPP–UAP, and when they are, they treat it as if it were negotiable or optional.
The Second Reality: Professional Competition Is Fierce
Besides competition with other licensed architects, architects are also in competition with:
- Draftsmen
- Engineers that provide “free plans”
- Design-build contractors
- Freelancers
- Online plan sellers
- Relatives “who know AutoCAD”
When the competition becomes mostly about price, thepower that
architectural documents have diminishes.
An architect may be perfectly aligned with the SPP–UAP standards, yet the alignment is not enough to cover the rent, salaries, software license, and office utilities.
So, what is the result?
Architects adjust.
Fee Adjustments Are the Norm — Not Exceptions
In reality, fees are changed according to various factors such as:
1. Client Type
The difference between a corporate client with a legal team and a private homeowner is quite obvious. Government projects are usually bigger scale and more complex compared to a small business renovation. Developers on the other hand work differently than a first-time client.
Each of those comes with different risks, expectations, and bargaining power.
2. Project Size and Complexity
We cannot treat a simple residential renovation the same way as a mixed-use development project. Some projects may seem small but mentally very exhausting. On the other hand, some can be large, but repetitive.
The fees most of the time reflect effort, not percentages.
3. Location
Urban projects, rural projects, or projects at remote locations are all different in the terms of time, traveling, and coordinating. There are places where if you charge the full SPP rates, you will simply not get any projects.
4. Professional Competition
Where five architects are submitting proposals for one project, it is the lowest bidder who most probably will be the winner — no matter the standards. Ethics are challenged when it is a matter of survival.
5. Relationship and Future Work
Architects sometimes reduce their fees to:
- Gain experience
- Build trust
- Ensure long-term collaborations
- Get into a new market
Is this perfect? No.
Is it the truth? Yes.
The Silent Truth: Even Senior Architects Change Their Fees
There is a myth that only young or financially struggling architects are the ones that deviate from SPP–UAP fees.
That is simply not the case.
Here are some of the ways that even well-established firms do:
- Bundle services in a more attractive way
- Separate design from construction supervision
- Provide “concept-only” services
- Agree on lump-sum fees
- Quietly change percentages
The Real Difference Between Junior and Senior Architects
The distinction is not which ones change the fees.
The difference is that:
- Seniors do it with understanding
- Seniors have a tight control over scope
- Seniors take care of their liability
- Seniors know the right time to leave
Young architects are known to underprice without putting any safeguards in place. Senior architects on the other hand, negotiate without losing control.
It is not a moral difference—it is an experience one.
Does This Mean That SPP Is Useless?
No, definitely not.
SPP can be seen as:
- A starting point
- A guide
- A base for negotiations
It allows architects to have a professional grounding when explaining:
- Why fees should be paid
- What services are given
- What is the cost of extra work
SPP still gives structure and reasons even when fees are changed.
The Honest Truth: Architecture Is Both a Profession and a Business
This is the part that many people find hard to accept.
Architecture is:
- A regulated profession
- A creative service
- A technical responsibility
- And a business
Businesses need to respond to:
- Market demand
- Client capacity
- Competition
- Economic conditions
On the other hand, strictly implementing theoretical fees without even considering the reality may sometimes result in:
- No projects
- No income
- No growth
Meanwhile, the practice of constant underpricing to the detriment of the profession is going on.
The balance is tough— and each architect handles it differently.
Clients Should Understand
Clients have to realize that:
- Architectural fees are well thought out and not random
- They are the reflection of time, skill, risk, and responsibility
- Adjustment of fees usually means adjustment of the scope
- Extremely low fees most of the time lead to a very limited service
Architects Talk about Negotiations as an Occasion to Meet Clients Halfway Work, Not to Less Their Own Value.
What Architects Should Remember
Architects are also obliged to remember:
- The SPP is there for the profession’s protection
- Everyone is harmed by the excessive underpricing
- The necessity of having clear contracts and scopes
- Being transparent is one more step in building trust
Professionality should be there all the time, even when fees are changed.
Final Thoughts: The Paper vs The Practice
So, are architects really charging fees only as per the SPP UAP document?
On paper — yes.In reality — not always.
It does not always mean something is terribly wrong just because it isn’t done that way.
The fact is:
- Fees are negotiated
- Services are customized
- Reality shapes practice
SPP is a guide – like a map, not a rigid law of nature.
Knowing this truth helps both architects and clients to be more honest, respectful and realistic in their engagement during the design process.
And probably, it is that honesty the profession needs the most.
The Best Way to Start Your Project: Approach an Architect and Request a Proposal — Honestly
If there is a single piece of advice that would rescue a project from confusion, frustration, and needless cost, it would be:
Approach an architect early and be as honest as possible when requesting a proposal.
Most of the project issues are not revealed at the time of the construction. They are born at the very first conversation— when withholding details, being vague about the budget, or having unrealistic expectations. The more open a client is at the beginning, the architect is in a better position to respond to the client with a proposal that is just, practicable, and corresponds to the real needs of the project.
