RIBA Plan of Work 2020: 8 Stages Overview and Guide

If you’ve ever watched a building go from empty plot to finished structure, you’ve glimpsed how many separate chapters that journey contains. The RIBA Plan of Work 2020 brings order to that complexity by organizing every building project into eight distinct stages, from the first line on a brief to the moment a client moves in and a building starts its operational life.

Number of Stages: 8 ·
Organizes Process Into: Briefing, designing, delivering, maintaining, operating, using a building ·
Definitive Model For: Design and construction of buildings ·
Key Version: 2020 ·
Core Tasks Covered: Expected outcomes, information exchanges

What is the RIBA Plan of Work?

The Royal Institute of British Architects publishes this shared framework as a process map and management tool for building projects (Designing Buildings Wiki). It gives architects, contractors, and clients a common language for talking about where a project stands and what comes next.

Overview of the framework

RIBA describes the framework as organizing the process of briefing, designing, delivering, maintaining, operating, and using a building into eight stages (RIBA Official PDF). Vertical axes cover stage outcomes, core tasks, statutory processes, procurement, and information release—giving every project participant a clear column to work in.

Key components and elements

Each stage delivers a defined set of tasks, processes, and outputs that the project team uses to manage progress (CMS Group). The 2020 version brought full BIM integration and clearer sustainability emphasis aligned to UK regulations (Urbanist Architecture). Changes in naming included Stage 3 shifting from “Developed Design” to “Spatial Coordination.”

What are the 8 stages of RIBA?

The RIBA Plan of Work 2020 retains the familiar eight stages (0–7) from the 2013 version but refines the language, tasks, and information exchanges at each step (Architecture for London). Each stage addresses a distinct phase from start to finish.

Stage 0: Strategic Definition

• Project brief outline, priorities, design ambition
• Site appraisals and planning policy considerations
• Typical duration: 2–4 weeks for extensions, 6–8 weeks for new builds
• Addresses the question: “What’s the problem we’re solving?”

Stage 1: Preparation and Briefing

• Drafting the initial project brief: objectives, business case, feasibility studies
• Site surveys, risk assessment, cost appraisal, procurement strategy
• Deliverables include Final Project Brief, Digital Execution Plan, and refined budget
• Addresses the question: “What do we want this project to achieve?”

Stage 2: Concept Design

• First visualizations or drawings from project brief
• Stages 2, 3, and 4 form the main design phases
• Early commitment to final design is discouraged at this point
• Addresses the question: “How can we shape this vision?”

What is the purpose of the RIBA Plan of Work 2020?

The official RIBA template explains expected outcomes, core tasks, and information exchanges throughout the life of a construction project (RIBA Official PDF). A free PDF download is available directly from the RIBA website.

Updates in 2020 version

The 2020 Plan responds directly to feedback on how Stage 2 functions, particularly regarding the timing of planning applications (RIBA Journal). The official overview expanded to 143 pages from 37 in the 2013 edition, accommodating design-and-build, off-site manufacturing, and digital coordination that modern projects demand (Urbanist Architecture). The 2020 version strengthened sustainability and BIM requirements beyond what the 2013 edition specified.

Role in project management

The plan functions as a shared framework adaptable to any project type or scale (CMS Group). Architects use it for consistency; clients use it for predictability. Overlap between stages is possible—particularly between stages 4–5 and 6–7—to reflect real-world construction workflows.

Why use RIBA Plan of Work?

CMS Group puts it plainly: “There’s a lot involved when it comes to construction of a new building. With many different tasks and processes, it’s important for a construction project to be organised in a structured and time-efficient way” (CMS Group). The RIBA Plan of Work delivers that structure.

Advantages for architects and builders

• Provides a standardized process map that teams can follow consistently
• Improves coordination across disciplines and contractual roles
• Clearly defines deliverables and decision points at each stage
• RIBA Toolbox and stage guides from NBS offer practical implementation support

Integration with tools like Toolbox

The RIBA Plan of Work Toolbox extends the framework with practical tools and templates for day-to-day project use. Stage guides published by NBS break down activities, outputs, and responsibilities for each phase, making the abstract framework operational on real jobsites.

For project teams, the practical benefit is predictability—stages have defined endpoints, deliverables, and information exchanges that reduce ambiguity about progress and responsibilities.

What is stage 7 of the RIBA Plan of Work?

Stage 7 marks the beginning of the building’s operational life—the point at which the structure moves from construction into actual use (Architecture for London). Stages 6 and 7 start simultaneously upon building completion.

Stage 5: Construction details

Stage 5 covers on-site manufacturing and construction activities. This is the execution phase where design intent meets physical reality and the bulk of site-based work happens.

Stage 6: Handover

In Stage 6, the client formally takes on site responsibility. The contractor hands over all manuals, safety files, and completion documentation. This phase overlaps with the opening days of Stage 7.

Stage 7: In Use

Stage 7 runs for several years post-completion, monitoring how the building actually performs against its brief. Urbanist Architecture notes the framework visualizes as a circle, with Stage 7 leading back to Stage 0 when refurbishment or replacement becomes necessary—making the building lifecycle a continuous loop rather than a one-way street.

This cyclical design means the RIBA framework treats buildings as living assets rather than one-time projects—each Stage 7 feedback loop informs the next project’s Stage 0.

The RIBA Plan of Work 2020 retains the familiar eight stages (0–7) from the 2013 version but refines the language, tasks and information exchanges at each step.

— Architecture for London (Architecture Firm)

The RIBA Plan of Work organises the process of briefing, designing, delivering, maintaining, operating and using a building into eight stages.

— RIBA (Official Publisher)

The 2020 Plan of Work responds to feedback on how Stage 2 works and particularly to different approaches to the timing of planning applications.

— Dale Sinclair, Director of Technical Practice at AECOM (RIBA Journal)

For UK-based architects, contractors, and clients, the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 offers a tested structure that brings predictability to an inherently complex process. Project teams gain a shared language for tracking progress; clients gain milestones they can actually hold people accountable to. Teams that adopt the 2020 version’s BIM and sustainability integration position themselves for regulatory alignment and long-term building performance.