BCIS basics: recapping RIBA Plan of Work stages

The Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) Plan of Work, also known as the RIBA stages, was first established in 1963 as a framework to bring greater clarity to the different stages of a building project.

Over the following decades it evolved alongside industry practice and, in 2013, underwent its first major overhaul, making it suitable for use with any form of procurement. The framework was updated again in 2020, with greater guidance around planning, procurement and information requirements at each stage, alongside an increased focus on sustainability⁽¹⁾.

Today, the RIBA Plan of Work remains widely used across the UK built environment sector. It is one of several such frameworks used by design and construction professionals around the world to provide a structured route through briefing, design, construction, handover and asset use.

 

What are the RIBA Plan of Work stages?

There are eight RIBA stages, numbered 0 to 7. Together they provide a framework for taking a project from the initial decision on whether a building project is required, through design and construction to the asset’s operation and eventual end of life.

 

RIBA Stage 0: Strategic Definition

RIBA Stage 0 establishes the best way to meet the client’s requirements and, crucially, whether a building project is needed at all. RIBA gives the following example: an organisation requiring more workspace might consider making better use of its existing premises, refurbishing or extending them, or constructing a new building.

The focus in this stage is on strategic decision making rather than design. Different options are assessed against factors such as benefits, risks, budget and feasibility, with site surveys or planning appraisals undertaken where required. The preferred option is then captured in the business case, providing the basis for the project to move forward.

 

RIBA Stage 1: Preparation and Briefing

Once a building project has been identified as the preferred solution, RIBA Stage 1 establishes what it needs to achieve and prepares relevant information before design begins.

The principal output is the project brief, setting out requirements including the intended project and sustainability outcomes and quality aspirations. Feasibility studies can be used to establish whether requirements such as the amount and type of space needed can be accommodated on the proposed site, and within the project budget.

This stage also establishes how the project and its information will be managed. This includes selecting the design team and setting information requirements and responsibilities.

 

RIBA Stage 2: Concept Design

RIBA Stage 2 uses the project brief to develop the architectural concept. The client and design teams, supported by relevant specialists and, under some procurement routes, the construction team, develop the overall approach to the building.

The emerging concept establishes fundamental aspects such as spatial arrangements and the relationship between the architectural and engineering proposals. It is reviewed against the project brief and quality aspirations, while an initial cost plan helps test the proposals against the project budget.

The approach to Building Regulations compliance is also considered, alongside planning and other project requirements. By the end of this stage, there should be a robust architectural concept and a clear design programme for developing it further.

 

RIBA Stage 3: Spatial Coordination

RIBA Stage 3 tests and validates the architectural concept so that the architectural and engineering elements of the design are properly coordinated before detailed technical information required to manufacture and construct the asset is produced.

Design studies and engineering analysis are used to test assumptions and resolve coordination issues, while cost exercises allow the developing proposals to be checked against the project budget. Suppliers and specialist subcontractors may also contribute where their expertise is needed to resolve aspects of the design.

The aim is to spatially coordinate architectural and engineering information so that different parties can progress their detailed information during RIBA Stage 4 without major redesign. Once the client has approved the stage report, the planning application will generally be submitted.

 

RIBA Stage 4: Technical Design

RIBA Stage 4 involves the preparation of all detailed information needed to manufacture and construct the building. Exactly how this happens depends on the procurement strategy and the division of design responsibilities.

During this stage, the project’s Building Regulations application is progressed and any necessary pre-commencement planning conditions are discharged. Cost control may also call for an updated cost plan, bills of quantities or pricing schedules, depending on the procurement approach. The building contract is agreed and signed at the appropriate point, enabling construction to begin.

 

RIBA Stage 5: Manufacturing and Construction

RIBA Stage 5 is when the project is manufactured and constructed in accordance with the construction programme. The construction team takes the leading role, supported by the design and client teams, as required by the procurement strategy.

Responsibilities for responding to site queries, monitoring and reporting construction quality, inspecting the works and identifying defects need to be clearly defined.

At the same time, preparations are made for the building to enter use. Information needed to operate and manage it is brought together, including the building manual and relevant asset information. Stage 5 ends at practical completion, allowing the building to be handed over.

 

RIBA Stage 6: Handover

RIBA Stage 6 begins with the asset being handed over to the client and focuses on aftercare, addressing defects and bringing the building contract to a conclusion.

Residual defects should be dealt with efficiently, while users and facilities or asset management teams may receive training and support to operate the asset as intended. A final certificate is typically issued around 12 months after practical completion, usually finalising the contractual involvement of the design and construction teams.

The stage also provides an opportunity to learn from the project. Feedback from a post-occupancy evaluation can identify lessons about how the completed building is performing and if it is being used as intended.

 

RIBA Stage 7: Use

RIBA Stage 7 covers the ongoing use, operation and maintenance of the asset throughout its life. Post-occupancy evaluation services can be used to assess building performance and refine future projects, while facilities and asset management strategies can support client team involvement throughout the asset’s remaining life.

Eventually, when the building reaches the end of its useful life, the process can return to RIBA Stage 0. Refurbishment or adaptation may extend the building’s life or allow it to serve a different purpose. Where this is not viable, deconstruction can form part of preparing the site and materials for their next use.

 

Applying BCIS to RIBA stages

BCIS provides data and tools that can support cost planning and management at different points across the RIBA Plan of Work. The appropriate BCIS module or tool depends on the level of project information available and the objectives or decisions made during each stage.

From facilitating early benchmarking and comparable project analysis to supporting an understanding of life cycle costs and informing property insurance, BCIS is a one-stop repository for many types of construction cost intelligence.

Book a free demonstration with a BCIS specialist to talk through what you need and see the different packages and tools in action.

Project phase	Project stage	RIBA stage	Recommended BCIS subscription
Pre-project	Appraisal	RIBA Stages 0 to 1	BCIS CapX, BCIS OpX
Project	Design	RIBA Stages 2 to 4	BCIS CapX, BCIS OpX
	Construction and handover	RIBA Stages 5 to 6	BCIS CapX, BCIS OpX
Post-project	Insurance	RIBA Stage 6	BCIS ProtX
	Operation	RIBA Stages 6 to 7	BCIS OpX
	End of life	RIBA Stages 7 to 0	BCIS OpX

 

BCIS Average Prices

At a high level, BCIS Average Prices, available under BCIS CapX and BCIS TotX, offers broad, cost-per-square-metre estimates for different building types across a range of functions, including residential, education, health, utilities, industrial and commercial projects.

The module is particularly useful for early-stage appraisals, when detailed project information may not yet be available. In short, it’s a benchmarking tool that enables subscribers to compare the construction cost build rates of different asset types.

BCIS Average Prices is therefore particularly relevant across RIBA Stages 0 to 2, as a project progresses from strategic definition and feasibility through to concept design. Using real-world cost data at this stage can help establish whether the initial cost assumptions are reasonable and provide a solid evidence base for subsequent, more detailed cost planning.

 

BCIS Analyses

BCIS Analyses supports early-stage cost planning at a more granular level. It is also most valuable as a project develops through RIBA Stages 0 to 2 but has value through to RIBA Stages 3 and 4 too.

Available under BCIS CapX and BCIS TotX, the module contains thousands of historic project analyses, giving subscribers access to cost-per-square-metre data for real-world buildings that can be used to identify relevant comparators.

Subscribers can refine searches according to characteristics such as building type, floor area, number of storeys and other building features and specifications. Data can also be rebased to reflect project date and location.

Where BCIS Average Prices can help establish a broad benchmark or indicative cost range, BCIS Analyses enables subscribers to refine that range using more specific project information, even before the design has fully developed.

 

BCIS Schedule of Rates

BCIS Schedule of Rates becomes particularly valuable as a project moves from early cost planning into more detailed design development and budgeting, between RIBA Stages 2 and 4. Rather than providing high-level project cost information, it enables subscribers to build a much more granular cost profile based on the individual items of work that make up a project.

BCIS Schedule of Rates is relevant to both new construction and the maintenance and refurbishment of assets throughout their life cycle. Available under BCIS CapX, BCIS OpX and BCIS TotX subscriptions, it supports built environment professionals to develop unit rates for construction, maintenance and refurbishment works, prepare estimates and cost plans, and inform more detailed pricing for the building contract.

Within the module, subscribers create an abstract, bringing together relevant cost components and adjust their quantities to reflect project-specific circumstances. Costs can be rebased for factors such as inflation and location, with adjustments also available for contract value, preliminaries, and overheads and profit.

 

BCIS Indices

BCIS Indices support cost planning and cost management at several points across the RIBA Plan of Work.

During RIBA Stages 0 to 2, BCIS Indices, such as the BCIS General Building Cost Index or BCIS All-in Tender Price Index, can contextualise project costs against current or future market conditions. More specific indices, including BCIS’s suite of maintenance indices, provide insight into how input costs for particular types of work are changing, such as private sector redecoration.

By RIBA Stage 4, when the building contract is prepared, the focus may shift to BCIS Price Adjustment Formulae Indices (PAFI). These can be incorporated into appropriate contracts to adjust prices paid to the contractor or subcontractors during RIBA Stage 5, in line with changes in input costs. BCIS Indices is accessible via BCIS CapX, BCIS OpX and BCIS TotX subscriptions.

 

BCIS rebuild cost data

Once a building is complete, the owner or asset manager will typically secure appropriate property insurance. While this does not align explicitly with a particular RIBA stage, establishing an appropriate rebuild cost and sum insured forms a crucial part of the ongoing building life cycle.

Available through BCIS ProtX, BCIS Reinstatement Calculator enables subscribers to estimate the cost of rebuilding residential properties at current rates. Estimates can take account of factors including the type, condition and location of the property, its characteristics and features, as well as associated external works, helping to reduce the risk of underinsurance.

Other BCIS modules, including BCIS Indices, are also used to support estimates of rebuild costs for commercial properties.

 

BCIS Life Cycle Costs

BCIS Life Cycle Costs can support decisions about the operation, maintenance and longer-term cost performance of a completed asset, making it particularly relevant to RIBA Stages 6 and 7.

Available through the BCIS OpX and BCIS TotX packages, the module provides typical running and life cycle costs for different building types.

Subscribers can adjust the data for factors such as time and location, as well as fabric, services, decorations, cleaning and utilities. The service uses these inputs to generate cost estimates associated with operating and maintaining an asset over time.

 

Informing robust decision making

The cost information required for a project changes as it progresses through the RIBA Plan of Work. Early-stage benchmarks can help test feasibility and establish budgets, while more detailed cost data support effective design development and construction. Once an asset is in use, the focus shifts towards understanding the costs of operation, maintenance and future investment.

BCIS provides cost data and tools to support these decisions throughout the project and asset life cycle, helping built environment professionals select the level of cost information appropriate to the stage and task at hand.

Find out more about BCIS products and services, or contact the BCIS team to discuss which services best meet your needs.

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More BCIS basics articles

An introduction to BCIS Schedule of Rates

Eight principles of benchmarking during market volatility

How to use BCIS PAFI in fluctuation clauses

Understanding preliminaries in construction

Are you using the right construction index?

Managing inflationary risk in construction 

Taking the labour out of labour calculations

Six principles of benchmarking in construction

Six reasons to benchmark in construction

Using location factors in construction

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