When architects arrived on the scene to build the palace, they encountered a large obstacle. Because the location was on a slight hill the site had to be levelled, in order for building of the palace to commence which was achieved by moving over 36,000 cubic yards of clay and gravel from the west part and moving it to the eastern part. Many craftsmen such as mosaic makers, marble-workers, plasterers, painters, carpenters, iron-smiths, hydraulic engineers, and many others were shipped in to help in the building of the palace. Fishbourne Palace contained within it the largest and most numerous mosaics found in all of Britain one of which is on the cover of the Cambridge Latin Unit 2 textbooks named ‘Cupid on a Dolphin’. The style of the palace was based on a typical Roman villa with four wings enclosing a central courtyard. When entering the palace through the east entrance, guests had to walk through the elaborately planned garden to reach the west wing.

The West Wing was built as a visual centrepiece or focal point of the building because it was the first part to be seen by visitors entering the palace. It therefore had to be built on a terrace, with more skill and attention to detail. Despite ploughing damage, the west wing still managed to stay well intact with much of the structural and decorative detail undisturbed. The attention to detail in this wing of the palace was extremely fine and the mosaics were carefully mapped out. Most of the furniture was mobile and not incorporated into the design of the palace, which meant that it gave a lot of freedom for interior decorating. At the centre of the west wing was a room with what is believed to be steps and a portico in the eastern side. This room is later identified as the Audience Chamber. Also found in the West Wing were the remains of a hypocaust system, which suggest that the owner’s private quarters had been located there. In total, there were an estimated 27 rooms all along the west wing of the palace.

The Northern Wing of the Palace was the best preserved of the whole palace, with two internal courtyards surrounded by 23 rooms. It was designed much like three suites opening into its own garden, most likely to accommodate family and personal advisors . The floors were decorated with black and white marble mosaics.

Most of the south wing, to this day, remains un-excavated due to the fact that main roads and private housing cover it. It is known that there would have been large colonnades along its southern side and offered a great view of the harbour.