TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. For architects, that means a dated, checkable record of every drawing set you issued, so a fee conversation about “one more revision” starts from what actually happened.
“Can you just tweak it once more?” is a normal request. It becomes a dispute when the fourth tweak arrives, the fee proposal is silent on how many rounds were included, and the client says every change was a correction to your work. At that point the practice needs to show three things: what the agreed scope was, what changed and why, and that the client was told it would cost extra.
This guide explains how the standard AIA owner-architect agreement and the RIBA Plan of Work frame that conversation, and which records to keep along the way. It is general information for architects in the UK, Europe and the US. Fee entitlement depends on your signed appointment and the law that governs it, so treat this as a records checklist, not a view on who is owed what.
Table of Contents
- How the standard forms frame extra revisions
- Three kinds of request, and why labelling matters
- Start with a scope baseline
- Keep a revision log that records the trigger
- Give notice early, in plain words
- The routine for each issued set
- How a TimeBind fits, and what it does not show
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources checked
How the standard forms frame extra revisions
AIA B101-2017. The AIA B101-2017 sample separates three kinds of service. Basic Services are the phases in Article 3. Supplemental Services are listed in §4.1.1, and the architect provides them “only if specifically designated” as the architect’s responsibility; the list includes “multiple preliminary designs” (§4.1.1.2). Additional Services are covered in §4.2. For the services listed in §4.2.1, “the Architect shall notify the Owner with reasonable promptness and explain the facts and circumstances giving rise to the need”, and “shall not proceed to provide the following Additional Services until the Architect receives the Owner’s written authorization”. The list includes services “necessitated by a change in the Initial Information, previous instructions or approvals given by the Owner” (§4.2.1.1) and “decisions of the Owner not rendered in a timely manner” (§4.2.1.4). Compensation for Additional Services is set in §11.3.
RIBA Plan of Work 2020. The Plan of Work is not a contract. The Plan of Work 2020 Overview says it “should be used solely as guidance for the preparation of detailed professional services and building contracts”. What it does say is useful for scoping: Stage 2 uses “Regular Design Reviews” to seek comments from the client, and “the design is iterated in response”. Stage 3 “is not about adjusting the Architectural Concept”, and changes to it “should be agreed via the Change Control Procedure”.
Read together, the pattern is consistent. Iteration inside a stage is expected, a change to something the client already approved is treated differently, and a written notice and authorisation step sits between the two. Your own appointment decides how many rounds are included and what the rate is.
Three kinds of request, and why labelling matters
| Request | Example | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Development within the stage | Client comments on the concept; layout refined in response | The comments, the issued revision, the date |
| Change to something already approved | Approved plan reworked after sign-off | The approved revision, the instruction, a notice that it affects scope or fee, written authorisation |
| Correction of an error | Dimension or coordination mistake in your own drawing | The error, the fix, the reissue. The B101 wording excepts services required due to the architect’s fault from the compensation entitlement (§4.2) |
Honest labelling protects you in both directions. If a request is really a correction, say so and reissue without charge. If it is a change, say that early and in writing. A practice that labels everything “revision” invites the argument that all of it was included.
Start with a scope baseline
Disputes about extras are usually disputes about the baseline. Before design starts, keep these together as one dated pack:
- The signed appointment and fee proposal, including any schedule of services and the number of design rounds, if it states one.
- The brief and budget the client gave you, and the date they gave them.
- Any written protocol for digital models and file exchange (B101 §1.3 requires the parties to agree written protocols for digital transmission and use).
Create a TimeBind of that pack once the documents are signed. It adds a dated record that the exact files existed by that time, which helps if the pack is later questioned or “lost”.
Keep a revision log that records the trigger
A drawing register shows what changed. A good revision log also shows why. Keep one line per issued set:
| Rev | Issued | Trigger | Type | Notice sent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 12 Mar | Client email 4 Mar: move stair to north wall | Change to approved Rev B | Yes, 5 Mar |
| D | 26 Mar | Client mark-up 20 Mar: enlarge kitchen | Change | Yes, 21 Mar |
| E | 29 Mar | Our dimension error on sheet A-102 | Correction | n/a |
Save the trigger (the email, the marked-up PDF, the meeting note) in the same folder as the revision it produced.
Give notice early, in plain words
If your contract has a notice step, as B101 §4.2.1 does, use it each time. Even if it does not, a short written note protects both sides:
Your request of 4 March to move the stair changes the plan you approved on 12 February (Revision B). We will treat it as additional to the agreed scope under clause [x]. Estimated time: 2 days. Please confirm in writing that you would like us to proceed.
The standard forms put the weight on prompt notice and written authorisation. A fee conversation held eight weeks later, after six changes, is much harder than five short emails sent as each change arrived.
The routine for each issued set
- Freeze the set you are issuing, with revision codes on every sheet.
- Add the line to the revision log with its trigger and type.
- Send the notice where the request is a change.
- Create a TimeBind of the issued set before sending, in the TimeBinder app. Up to 10 files per TimeBind, or a single zip.
- File the certificate with the issue, the trigger and the notice.
If the dispute reaches formal steps, B101 §8.2.1 makes mediation “a condition precedent to binding dispute resolution” in the standard form. Having the baseline, log, notices and dated sets in one folder makes that conversation shorter. For the approval side of the same story, see recording which revision the client approved.
How a TimeBind fits, and what it does not show
The revision log, notices and authorisations are your main records of scope and fee. A TimeBind supports them by dating the files themselves: which drawings, as issued, existed by the recorded time. It is one more independent layer, useful when a client says a set was never sent, was different, or was edited afterwards.
A TimeBind shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches its fingerprint. TimeBinder makes the fingerprint in your browser and the file stays on your device. It does not show who made the file, who owns it, or that anyone agreed to it. It does not show that a revision was extra work, that the client authorised it, or that any fee is owed. It complements your contract, the RIBA or AIA documents you use, and legal advice; it does not replace them. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does a TimeBind show that I am owed a fee for extra revisions?
No. Entitlement depends on your appointment and the law that applies. A TimeBind shows that the exact drawing sets you issued existed by the recorded times, so the dispute can focus on scope and instruction rather than on what was sent.
How many revisions are usually included?
It varies by appointment, and the standard forms do not fix a number. Say how many design rounds are included in your fee proposal and in the appointment.
What if the client never replies to my notice?
Keep the notice and note the date. The contract wording on authorisation decides what that silence means, so ask your contract adviser. In practice, follow up once in writing before continuing.
Should I timestamp every revision?
Timestamp the sets you issue outside the practice, especially those triggered by a client change. Internal working versions rarely need one.
What does it cost?
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, Pooled TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15. Prices checked 10 November 2026.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is general information about records. For a live fee dispute, speak to your professional indemnity insurer or a construction lawyer.
Sources checked
Checked on 10 November 2026. We quote only what these documents say and mark where a point depends on your own contract or local law.
- AIA Document B101-2017 (sample, contractdocs.aia.org): §§1.3, 4.1.1, 4.2.1, 8.2.1, 11.3. Standard form; signed agreements are often modified
- RIBA Plan of Work 2020 Overview: status of the Plan of Work, Stage 2 design reviews, Stage 3 change control
Date the next set you issue
Make the fingerprint in your browser, keep the files on your device, and file the certificate with the revision log. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, Pooled TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15. Prices checked 10 November 2026. See plans and pricing. Open TimeBinder
