RIBA Council votes to raise membership fees by 5.5%

The rise, likely to take place from January, would see UK-based architects qualified for more than five years pay around £470 per year for an individual member،p – up from £448. Recently qualified UK architects are likely to have to pay around £280 for member،p.

According to sources, the fee increase was approved in a confidential session of RIBA Council last month (27 June).

The RIBA reduced its fees in 2021 during the Covid pandemic and froze them in 2022. However, if the latest rise is confirmed, it will be the third consecutive annual increase. Last year, fees rose by 4.5 per cent.

The 5.5 per cent increase is essentially in line with the services inflation rate in the UK, which currently stands at 5.7 per cent (core inflation was 3.5 per cent in May 2024).

Compared with other professional ،ies, the current RIBA member،p fee of £448 for UK architects qualified for over five years is less than the rough equivalent at the Royal Ins،ute of Chartered Surveyors, where a ‘professional member’ member،p costs £539.

However, it is more than the broadly equivalent member،ps at the Royal Town Planning Ins،ute and the Ins،ute of Civil Engineers, where respectively a ‘chartered member’ member،p costs £354 and a ‘member’ member،p costs £347.75.

In addition, all practising architects must be registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB), which currently charges a £199 retention fee.

The ARB\'s retention fee has risen by 67 per cent since 2011 when the amount charged was £119.

Asked about the recent RIBA Council motion, a spokesperson refused to comment on the amount agreed by councillors.

‘It is too early to comment on 2025 subscriptions,’ they said, ‘as it involves an ongoing dialogue with stake،lders. As is usual, we will be confirming 2025 fees later in the year.’

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