How to follow up a fee proposal without chasing the client
A fee proposal that goes quiet hasn't necessarily been lost. Here's what to agree before you send it, a follow-up rhythm built around how architecture clients decide, and wording you can adapt for each step.
In short
Agree who decides, the decision date and a walkthrough before you send the fee proposal. Confirm it arrived the same day, walk the client through it within a week, follow up at their own decision points (finance, planning or cost advice), then ask whether to keep it open, change it or park it. Record the outcome and the reason for every proposal.
Why fee proposals go quiet
A fee proposal that goes quiet hasn't necessarily been lost. Clients often pause while they sort out something you can't see: the budget, finance, planning advice, a cost estimate, or a decision with a partner, family or board. If the practice goes quiet too, nobody restarts the conversation.
When a proposal does stall for sales reasons, it's usually one of these:
- The client is comparing on the headline fee. The scope, stages and exclusions aren't clear enough to compare, so the number does the deciding.
- There's no agreed next step. The proposal ends with "let us know if you have any questions", so the client doesn't know what saying yes involves.
- Nobody knows who decides, or when. The proposal went to one person and the decision sits with someone else.
- The project wasn't a good fit to begin with. Budget, brief or timing didn't match what the practice does well, and the first meeting didn't test it.
- Follow-up depends on how busy the week is. The proposal goes out, then the practice gets back to project work.
The first three are fixed before the proposal goes out, not after.
Before you send it: agree three things
- Who decides, and by when. Ask at the first meeting: "Who else needs to be comfortable with this, and when are you hoping to decide?" Write the date down.
- What happens next. Offer a short walkthrough of the proposal, in person or by video, before the client decides. Book it when you send the proposal, not after.
- What they're comparing you with. If the client is talking to other practices, a builder's design-and-construct offer or a drafting service, you need to know so you can explain the difference in scope, not just in fee.
A follow-up rhythm for fee proposals
Architecture clients often take longer to decide than a trade customer, and often around events outside your control. Time your follow-up to their decision points, not a fixed number of days.
| Step | When | How | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Same day | Confirm it arrived and confirm the walkthrough | |
| 2 | Within a week | Walkthrough call or meeting | Explain the scope by stage, exclusions and fee structure |
| 3 | At the client's decision point | Call, then email | Help them decide once finance, planning or cost advice is in |
| 4 | A week or two after their decision date | Keep it open, change it, or park it | |
| 5 | When you close it | Close it off and ask what decided it |
For small residential projects the whole sequence might take three or four weeks. For commercial and multi-residential clients it can take months. The order matters more than the timing.
The wording for each step
Adapt these so they sound like your practice. Swap in the details in brackets.
Step 1: Same day — confirm it arrived
Step 2: The walkthrough — explain it, don't defend it
Go through the proposal stage by stage. Ask what they expected to see that isn't there, and what they're unsure about. Then agree the next step out loud: "So you're waiting on the finance approval, and you'll know by [date]. I'll give you a call that week."
Step 3: The decision point — help them decide
Step 4: Keep it open, change it, or park it
It gives the client an easy way to say "not yet", which is easier to reply with than a straight no.
Step 5: Close it off and ask what decided it
When the client says the fee is too high
Don't start by cutting the fee. First find out what they're comparing it with, and whether they can see what each stage includes. Sometimes the comparison is with a narrower scope.
- Show the fee by stage, so they can see what they're paying for and when.
- Make exclusions and likely additional services explicit, so a lower quote with gaps isn't mistaken for the same thing.
- If the budget really has changed, offer a smaller first appointment, such as feasibility or concept design, rather than a discount on the whole job.
What you charge is your practice's decision. This guide is about making sure the fee is understood and followed up, not about setting it.
What to record for every proposal
You don't need software for this. A spreadsheet with one row per proposal is enough, and after a few months it shows you where projects stall and which referrers send the work you want.
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Source or referrer | Shows which relationships send projects that go ahead |
| Project type and budget range | Shows which projects fit the practice |
| Date sent and the client's decision date | Tells you when to follow up |
| Follow-ups made | Shows whether proposals stall from silence on your side |
| Outcome and the reason, in the client's words | Separates price, scope, timing, fit and "never found out" |
These are the same records the Sales Conversion Review for architecture practices traces, so starting the list now also makes a review faster.
A checklist before you send the next one
- Do you know who decides and when they plan to decide?
- Is the walkthrough booked?
- Can the client see what each stage includes and excludes?
- Does the proposal end with one clear next step, and a date the fee is valid until?
- Is the first follow-up in someone's diary?
For the contracts themselves, the Association of Consulting Architects publishes practice guidance on client agreements, programs and variations.
Four numbers, seven yes/no questions, two minutes. See what quiet quotes are costing you and what to fix first.
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Questions owners ask
How long should I wait before following up a fee proposal?
Confirm it arrived the same day and book the walkthrough when you send it. After that, follow up at the client's own decision point, such as finance approval or planning advice, rather than after a fixed number of days.
The client said they'd be in touch. Should I still follow up?
Yes, but agree when first. Ask when they expect to decide, and say you'll call that week if you haven't heard. Then it's a follow-up they're expecting, not chasing.
What if they've chosen another practice?
Thank them, close the proposal off and ask in a line what decided it. Record the answer. Over time the reasons show whether you're losing on fee, scope, fit or timing.
Should a fee proposal have a validity date?
It helps. A date the fee is valid until gives the client a reason to decide and gives you a natural point to check in. Check it sits comfortably with your client agreement.