How Our
Services Work
A guide to the stages, fees,
and how decisions are made
The process
Architecture is a process of staged decisions, not a single set of drawings.
Each stage has a specific purpose, a specific set of outputs, and a specific moment in the project's evolution. Understanding how these stages connect — and what each one costs — helps set the right expectations from the outset.
Grove Studio offers two distinct modes of engagement: a Discovery Package for clients at the early, exploratory stage; and a full architectural service for clients ready to proceed through design, documentation, and construction. The two are designed to work together, but there is no obligation to move from one to the other.
At a glance
The Discovery
Package
A fixed-fee starting point — before any commitment to full services.
Discovery is how Grove Studio begins every project. It serves as our mobilisation phase, covering early project setup, site measures, and concept preparation. It is a fixed-fee engagement — separate from and prior to any full-service agreement — designed to give both client and architect the information needed to decide whether to proceed.
Please note: this phase explores concept options and site opportunities but does not constitute a standalone financial or structural feasibility study. Any opinions on probable cost are based on assumptions and historical data only.
- Site visit and hand-measured existing conditions sketch plan
- Preliminary review of planning overlays, zoning, and building regulations
- Hand-drawn concept floor plan and 2–3 three-dimensional sketches
- Written project brief capturing your goals, priorities, and constraints
- Presentation and review meeting (in person or via video call)
- Professionally printed and bound presentation document
Discovery does not include CAD documentation, electrical or hydraulic layouts, structural engineering, joinery documentation, or any other technical output. These belong to later stages once the design direction is agreed. Discovery does not constitute a financial feasibility study or structural assessment.
Approximately five weeks from the site visit.
Full architectural
service
If you decide to proceed beyond Discovery, Grove Studio offers a full architectural service across three stages. Each can be engaged separately. A tailored proposal is prepared before any stage begins, accompanied by a formal ArchiTeam Client–Architect Agreement (CAA). This written agreement is required before work commences and contains the terms, conditions, and limitation of liability clauses that govern the engagement.
Design Phase
Construction Docs
The full drawing set is produced — floor plans, elevations, sections, joinery layouts, interior elevations, schedules, and a complete specification. All specialist consultants are co-ordinated and their work collated into the architectural documentation. Grove Studio does not analyse, endorse, or verify consultant-produced structural, hydraulic, or energy rating calculations. The completed package goes to builders for competitive pricing.
Electrical layouts, plumbing, and engineering are produced at this stage — not before. They require a fully resolved design and active consultant involvement.
Contract Admin
Grove Studio administers the building contract, conducts periodic site inspections to check works are progressing generally in accordance with the contract documents, reviews builder submissions and shop drawings, manages variations, and assesses progress claims. Our role is to independently and impartially administer the contract.
It is the builder's sole legal responsibility to carry out and complete the works to the standard set out in the contract documents.
Fees at a glance
The Discovery Package is a fixed fee with a 50% deposit to commence, independent of any full-service engagement. Full-service fees are calculated as a percentage of the confirmed Cost of Works, invoiced monthly as work progresses.
| Cost of Works | Indicative fee |
|---|---|
| $500,000 | ~15% |
| $1,000,000 | ~12% |
| $1,500,000 – $2,000,000 | ~10% |
| $3,000,000+ | ~8% |
| $4,000,000+ | ~6% |
The agreed fee percentage is stated in your individual proposal. If the Cost of Works increases after Stage 1, Stages 2 and 3 adjust accordingly. All specialist consultant fees are separate — engaged and paid directly by you.
Scope of services
in full
Pre-design: final brief, site constraints confirmed, consultants identified and recommended. Concept Design: design options developed and tested; builder or QS input to inform an opinion on probable cost; preferred direction confirmed by the client. Design Development: concept resolved in detail; all layouts finalised; materials, finishes, and joinery direction established.
The full drawing set is produced — floor plans, elevations, sections, joinery layouts, interior elevations, door and window schedules, and a complete specification. All specialist consultants are co-ordinated and their work collated into the architectural documentation. Grove Studio does not analyse, endorse, or verify consultant-produced calculations. The completed package is issued to builders for competitive pricing.
Grove Studio administers the building contract, conducts periodic site inspections to check works are progressing generally in accordance with the contract documents, reviews builder submissions and shop drawings, manages variations, and assesses progress claims. Our role is to independently and impartially administer the contract. It is the builder's sole legal responsibility to carry out and complete the works to the standard set out in the contract documents.
Before any full-service stage commences, a formal ArchiTeam Client–Architect Agreement (CAA) is prepared and signed. This agreement contains the terms, conditions, and limitation of liability clauses that govern the engagement.
Scope comparison
| Item | Discovery | Constr. Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Site and Planning | ||
| Site visit | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hand-measured existing conditions plan | ✓ | – |
| Surveyed existing conditions (registered surveyor, CAD) | – | ✓ |
| Preliminary planning overview (zones, overlays, setbacks) | ✓ | – |
| Detailed planning assessment and permit advice | ~ | ✓ |
| Pre-application meeting with council | – | ✓ |
| Shadow and overshadowing analysis | ~ | ✓ |
| Heritage overlay assessment | ~ | ✓ |
| Design | ||
| Written project brief | ✓ | – |
| Hand-drawn concept floor plan and 3D sketches | ✓ | – |
| CAD-drawn floor plans, elevations, sections, roof plan | – | ✓ |
| Site plan (dimensioned, setbacks confirmed) | – | ✓ |
| Joinery and Interiors | ||
| Preliminary joinery intent / direction | ~ | – |
| Kitchen and bathroom CAD layouts | – | ✓ |
| Interior elevations | – | ✓ |
| Door, window, and joinery schedules | – | ✓ |
| Finishes and materials schedule | – | ✓ |
| Services — Coordination on Drawings Only | ||
| Notes on existing services / key constraints | ~ | – |
| Coordination of electrical point and lighting layout | – | ✓ |
| Coordination of plumbing rough-in and stormwater layout | – | ✓ |
| Coordination of heating and cooling layout | – | ✓ |
| Coordination of Energy rating / NatHERS (by energy rater) | – | ✓ |
| Structure — Coordination on Drawings Only | ||
| Early structural feasibility / intent | ~ | – |
| Structural drawings (engineer-produced) | – | ✓ |
| Coordination of footing and slab design (by structural engineer) | – | ✓ |
| Coordination of steel and timber framing (by structural engineer) | – | ✓ |
| Documentation and Permits | ||
| Presentation document (printed and bound) | ✓ | – |
| Planning permit application drawings | – | ○ |
| Building permit application drawings | – | ✓ |
| Full specification document | – | ✓ |
| Tender package for builder pricing | – | ✓ |
| Comprehensive architectural drawing set suitable for construction | – | ✓ |
| Budget | ||
| Opinion on probable cost (historical data; not a formal estimate) | ✓ | – |
| Formal cost estimate / Quantity Surveyor coordination | – | ✓ |
| Value management review against budget | – | ✓ |
| Consultant Coordination — Engaged and Paid Directly by Client | ||
| Structural engineer | – | ✓ |
| Hydraulic engineer | – | ✓ |
| Electrical / lighting designer | – | ✓ |
| Energy rater (NatHERS) | – | ✓ |
| Building surveyor | – | ✓ |
| Land surveyor | – | ✓ |
| Geotechnical engineer (if required) | – | ✓ |
Document ownership
and file format
All drawings, models, specifications, and documents prepared by Grove Studio remain the intellectual property of Grove Studio. The client is granted a licence to use these documents solely for the purposes of the project at the intended site, and only upon full payment of fees due.
Documents are issued in PDF format only. Editable CAD or design files are not provided to the client or their contractors unless separately agreed in writing, accompanied by a CAD file disclaimer. Use of Grove Studio's documents on another site or for any other purpose is not permitted without prior written consent.
Client
acknowledgements
The following matters are explicitly excluded from or qualified within Grove Studio's scope of services. Clients should read and understand these before proceeding.