A clear process makes a complex project feel manageable.
Commissioning a new home or a major extension involves hundreds of decisions, many of them made months before anything is built. Knowing where you are in the process, and what comes next, makes those decisions easier.
That is what the RIBA Plan of Work is for. Published by the Royal Institute of British Architects, it is described by RIBA as the definitive model for the design and construction process of buildings. The current version dates from 2020 and is used across the UK construction industry.
Here, we explain each stage from a homeowner's point of view. If you would like a broader overview of an architect's role, our article on what an architect does is a good place to start.
What is the RIBA Plan of Work?
The RIBA Plan of Work divides a project into eight stages. Each stage has a clear outcome that should be reached before the next one begins. This helps everyone involved, including you, your architect, engineers and eventually your contractor, understand what needs to be done and when.
It is a framework, not a contract. RIBA states that the Plan of Work is not intended to be a contractual document. The services your architect provides, and the stages they cover, are set out in your appointment agreement. RIBA's guidance for homeowners recommends making sure that agreement is in writing.
The eight stages explained
Stage 0: Strategic Definition
Stage 0 is about confirming that a building project is the right answer in the first place. RIBA describes the outcome as "the best means of achieving the Client Requirements confirmed".
For a homeowner, this might mean deciding between extending, remodelling or moving, or establishing whether a plot can realistically support a new home. Your role is to explain what you want to achieve and why.
Stage 1: Preparation and Briefing
This is where your ideas become a project brief. It sets out how you want to live in the space, the rooms and spaces you need, your priorities, your budget and your timescales. Site information is gathered, and any early surveys are identified.
Your involvement is high at this stage. A clear brief is one of the best investments you can make, and our guide to writing a design brief for your architect can help. For more complex sites, an architectural feasibility study is often carried out around this point to test what may be possible.
Stage 2: Concept Design
The architect develops the design concept: the overall layout, form, relationship with the site and the character of the building. You will usually see sketches, plans and 3D visuals, and you will be asked for feedback.
RIBA's homeowner guidance notes that the architect will also liaise with local planners as a priority at this stage. This is where pre-application planning advice often fits, if your project would benefit from it. By the end of Stage 2, you will be asked to approve the concept before it is developed further.
Stage 3: Spatial Coordination
The approved concept is tested and refined in more detail. Engineering input, such as structural design, is coordinated with the architecture, and the design is checked against the brief and the budget.
RIBA's guidance states that planning applications are generally submitted at the end of Stage 3. That is the default rather than a fixed rule. The Plan of Work recognises that some projects submit earlier, during Stage 3 or even at the end of Stage 2, once enough design information is ready, and your architect should agree the right point with you as part of the planning strategy. Either way, it is a significant milestone, because changing the design after planning approval can mean a fresh application.
Stage 4: Technical Design
Once planning is in place, the design is developed into the detailed technical information needed to build it. This includes construction drawings, specifications and details, and it is usually when your building regulations application is prepared. RIBA's homeowner guide notes that this is also when you finalise the selection of materials and finishes.
On many homes, contractor selection happens around this point. Tender documents are prepared, contractors are invited to price the work and the returns are compared. That isn't the only way, though. RIBA describes the Plan of Work as procurement neutral, and it allows for several routes, from a traditional tender on completed drawings to design and build, where a contractor is appointed earlier and takes on some of the design. Each route brings the contractor in at a different point, so there is no single fixed sequence. Your architect can explain which route suits your project and when the builder would be appointed.
Stage 5: Manufacturing and Construction
This is the building stage. Depending on your architect's appointment, they may stay involved to administer the building contract, respond to questions on site, review the quality of the work and manage changes.
RIBA notes that Stages 4 and 5 overlap for most projects, as some technical design continues once work has started on site.
Stage 6: Handover
The building is completed and handed over to you. Outstanding items are resolved, certificates and documentation are collected, and the building contract is concluded. A defects period usually follows, during which the contractor returns to fix issues that become apparent.
Stage 7: Use
The final stage covers the building in use. It doesn't wait for Stage 6 to finish: RIBA states that Stage 7 starts at the same time as Stage 6 and lasts for the life of the building. For larger projects, it can include a review of how well the building is performing, usually under a separate appointment, as the building contract and the design team's main role generally conclude at the end of Stage 6. For homeowners, it is the reward for the earlier stages: a home that works the way you hoped.
Where planning permission fits
Planning is not a separate stage in the RIBA Plan of Work. Instead, RIBA lists it among the core statutory processes that run alongside the design stages, together with building regulations and health and safety.
In most residential projects:
- early planning research and any pre-application advice happen during Stages 1 and 2
- the planning application is generally submitted at the end of Stage 3, although some projects submit earlier
- building regulations approval is usually sought during Stage 4
Some projects don't need planning permission at all. Our guide to whether you need planning permission explains the main exceptions.
How involved will you be?
RIBA states that the client is central to the decision making process at every stage. In practice, your involvement tends to follow a pattern:
- Stages 0 to 2: high involvement, as you shape the brief and approve the concept
- Stage 3: regular input as the design is refined and the planning application is prepared
- Stage 4: focused decisions on materials, finishes and specifications, and often contractor selection
- Stages 5 and 6: key decisions on site, changes and the final handover
The most valuable decisions are usually made early. Changes are far easier and cheaper on paper than once building work has started.
Why projects need different levels of support
Not every project needs an architect for every stage. A small, simple extension might only need design work through to planning and building regulations. A bespoke new home or a substantial remodel often benefits from an architect who stays involved from the brief through to completion.
The right level of support depends on the complexity of the project, the sensitivity of the site, your own experience and how much time you can give to managing it. Some homeowners are confident appointing and managing a builder directly. Others prefer the architect to run the tender, administer the contract and check the work on their behalf.
At CODA Bespoke, we cover every RIBA work stage, from design and detailed planning through to administering contract works, with a full procurement service. You can read more about our expertise and services and see how this works in practice on our process page.
Bringing your project into focus
Understanding the stages ahead makes it easier to plan your budget, your time and your decisions. It also helps you have clearer conversations with your architect about what you need from them.
If you are planning a bespoke new home, a major extension or a renovation, take a look at our completed projects, then brief the CODA Bespoke team to start the conversation.
