My Conversation with Jon Clayton on the Architecture Business Club Podcast

When I sat down with Jon Clayton on his Architecture Business Club podcast, we talked about something that hits very close to home for most architects I’ve met, and certainly for me earlier in my career: undervaluing our own expertise.

This isn’t just about fees. It’s about mindset, boundaries, and the way we communicate value. For too long, architects have been trained to believe that hard work and good design should speak for themselves. But the reality is, if we don’t clearly articulate our value, others won’t see it, and that leads to overwork, underpayment, and burnout.

It’s Not a Pricing Problem, It’s a Value and Boundary Problem

Early in the conversation, I shared something I’ve come to believe deeply after more than three decades in practice: architects don’t have a pricing problem - they have a value communication problem.

Too many architects price reactively. They look around at what others are charging or try to guess what clients might accept. The result? Thin margins, blurred boundaries, and a practice that constantly runs on fumes. When your fees are too low, you’re forced to take on more projects to survive, and quality, time, and well-being all start to erode.

Jon and I reflected on how most of us were never taught the business fundamentals: pricing, negotiation, and communicating value. Our training focused on creativity and design, not on building a sustainable business. That education gap has created a systemic undervaluation that affects almost every small architecture practice today.

Why the System Works Against Us

This problem is built into the way our industry trains and rewards architects. We’re taught to perfect drawings, not to calculate profit. We celebrate long hours, not healthy margins. The result is a profession that often mistakes endurance for excellence.

When I first started running my own practice, I made the same mistakes. I believed that working harder would eventually pay off. It didn’t. Only when I learned to calculate the true cost of delivering value, and to set boundaries around that value, did my business become both profitable and balanced.

Profit isn’t greed, it’s leadership. It’s what allows you to pay your team properly, deliver great work, and have the energy to serve your clients well.

How to Reframe Your Value

In our conversation, I shared a few practical steps any architect can take to start changing this narrative:

1. Do a Value Audit.
   Ask yourself: How do I reduce risk, save time, or create certainty for my clients? These are powerful value points that deserve to be communicated clearly.

2. Know Your Numbers.
   Understand your effective hourly rate and what it truly costs to run your business. Every fee you quote should include fair profit, because that’s what keeps your practice alive.

3. Offer Tiered Service Proposals.
   Create options: basic, standard, premium. Each level should have clear deliverables and boundaries. When clients can see what’s included, price becomes secondary to value.

4. Communicate Outcomes, Not Outputs.
   Don’t sell drawings or hours. Sell transformation. Explain how your work improves people’s lives, reduces risk, or increases property value. That’s what clients actually buy.

5. Raise Your Fees.
   Be bold. A 10–15% increase is often the simplest way to reclaim your time and profit. When your value is clear, clients are rarely as price-sensitive as you think.

Proof That It Works

One of my clients, a small London-based studio, recently put these ideas into practice. They restructured their proposals around value, added tiered options, and started communicating outcomes instead of deliverables. The result? Higher profitability, happier clients, and a healthier work-life balance. They didn’t lose clients; they gained respect.

If there’s one message I’d love every architect to take away from this conversation, it’s this:

“Undervaluing your expertise is not humility, it’s self-sabotage.”

You don’t need to fix everything overnight. Start with imperfect action. Adjust your next proposal. Revisit your fee structure. Practice saying no when a project doesn’t align with your goals. Every small change builds confidence, and confidence is what makes clients trust your value.

🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to hear the full conversation with Jon Clayton on the Architecture Business Club podcast.

We go deeper into value-based pricing, mindset shifts, and practical frameworks that help architects lead more profitable and resilient practices.

👉 Listen to the episode here

Get Your Free Bonus eBook: Fixing Profit-Draining Mistakes in Your Architecture Firm

Ready to take the first step toward a more profitable and balanced practice?
Click the link below and sign up to get your free eBook, “Fixing Profit-Draining Mistakes in Your Architecture Firm.”

Inside, I’ll walk you through the most common traps that keep architects underpaid, and show you how to fix them fast.

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Architects deserve to be paid well for the immense value they bring to people’s lives. Let’s normalise profitability, boundaries, and self-worth in our profession.

Because when architects thrive, not just survive, the quality of our built environment improves for everyone.