Drawings

[Georgie73]

Hello

We want to have a single story extension done to the side of our house. We only need building control as no planning permission needed.

An architect came round a few weeks back and now has gone on holiday before even giving me the price for the drawings.

I've been told I don't even need an architect - a technician would be OK. Any ideas how I can get hold of a technician to quote me for the drawings? Where do they advertise?

I am based in SE London/Kent area.

Many thanks

 

[tony1851]

You don't even need plans for that - you can build it under the Building Notice system if you wish. You will still get the certificate of completion when it is finished.

If you do want plans, a technician will be OK. In fact, anyone can draw plans - you don't need an architect.

 

[Georgie73]

Hi

I need some drawings so that I can give it to the builders to show them what I want. Also, I was thinking that with proper drawings done, it would be easier for me to cost out the materials?

I won't be giving this to 'one' builder - I will get tradespeople in at each stage as I am trying to keep the costs down.

How do I get hold of a technician?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yellow pages, small ads in local papers/magazines or look on your councils planning portal and find out who is doing all the domestic extensions.

 

[angelboy]

Make sure they're not going under the 'architect' name unless they are actual architects.

You don't even need to get a technician. You could get a draftsman or a building designer.

I'd consider getting some builders round to see if they know of anyone - usually they can go hand-in-hand. You'll have less finger pointing if they do know each other.

The other trick is to look on the council website under planning applications. Sift through a few recent applications and you'll soon find agents names and contact details - plus you'll have a measure of the standard of their work.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You don’t even need to get a draftsman or a building designer, you could a fishmonger or roadsweeper. Jeez this site sometimes!

 

[peca27]

You don’t even need to get a draftsman or a building designer, you could a fishmonger or roadsweeper. Jeez this site sometimes

Ha Ha

To the OP, get in a Technician + give them your requirements. It'll be drawn up in draft, tweak if necessary & then once you have completed plans start getting quotations for works.

Some Building Control depts allow small works like this under the 'Building Notice', some may prefer a 'Full Plans App'. If you're going to the expense of putting together plans, make the 'Full Plans App' + start getting your quotes.

NB, there's no difference in fees between 'Building Notice' and a 'Full Plans App', as they work the Building Notice fee out via adding the plan fee and inspection fee together. I also wouldn't be overly keen on letting a Builder do his works via 'but you said you wanted the wall over there!'..........get in black + white on paper

 

[angelboy]

You don’t even need to get a draftsman or a building designer, you could a fishmonger or roadsweeper. Jeez this site sometimes!

There are perfectly good people out there that have the ability to draw plans that aren't architects or technicians.

They can provide a quite adequate level of service for simple plans.

If you want something with flair and imagination then get an architect - simple plans then don't bother wasting a couple of grand!!!!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You don’t even need to get a draftsman or a building designer, you could a fishmonger or roadsweeper. Jeez this site sometimes!

There are perfectly good people out there that have the ability to draw plans that aren't architects or technicians.

They can provide a quite adequate level of service for simple plans.

If you want something with flair and imagination then get an architect - simple plans then don't bother wasting a couple of grand!!!!

No one suggested employing an architect, but your inference that one should employ a 'draftsman or a building designer' instead of a technician is daft and suggests a naive understanding of this part of the industry.

 

[angelboy]

No one suggested employing an architect, but your inference that one should employ a 'draftsman or a building designer' instead of a technician is daft and suggests a naive understanding of this part of the industry.

Quite the opposite.

But I'm well aware that certain people can only see the world from their own perspective.

What works and continues to work quite happily for me is the proof I need that my comments are valid.

You may have had different experiences, which is fine by me and totally acceptable - but why not explain them instead of sarcastically shooting someone else down that has their own, but clearly different, experiences.

The OP has a good range of solutions available to him so he can now go and decide what to do.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yellow pages

 

[angelboy]

Which one's your number?

 

[cjard]

You don't even need to get a technician. You could

No one suggested employing an architect, but your inference that one should

To be fair, he said COULD, not SHOULD. There's a difference..