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Your SE is clearly showing a 1000 dig with 700 depth of concrete (and it would generally be inferred if not clearly stated that this is subject to on site confirmation by BC that the ground at this level is satisfactory). Depending on how old the house is you may well be deeper than its...

CAD is Computer Aided Drawing: do you mean a designer or architect who is doing the drawings for you? Pedantry aside, it really doesn't matter: many SEs just work off drawings. I always prefer to visit a job though I'm normally doing steels as a part of the design brief rather than as a stand...

You will need PP for the reasons I and others have explained. It would appear that your "architect" does not know his job! Alternatively it might be "ok they've failed that we'll apply for planning, extra cost ....." This post would be better in the building regs and planning section: probably...

Always best to fit all steels at the same time if you can to avoid this worry. You may need to add some shims between the plates if you have a misalignment. Unless you have a really bad fabricator and or installer of first beam you'll only need very thin sheet: maybe cut up a baked bean tin.

An awful lot of architects produce lovely drawings full of difficult/expensive details and have little idea of practical building.

Keying the walls together will give rigidity which may come back to bite you if there is any differential movement between new and old foundations. This is a real possibility given the modern insistence on ensuring the new bit doesn't move without considering what the original structure is...

Absolutely not. Far too many loft conversions have loads of unneccessary steel specified. As an extreme example I was asked to redesign a loft many years ago after 2 builders had refused to price it. The design had actually been approved by the LA though they are never going to say "that's too...

It will be Permitted Development provided: 1. It falls within the constraints listed on the Planning Portal 2. Your property hasn't had its PD rights removed.

You have doubled the span on that purlin by removing the central support. To get the same resistance to bending you need a beam that is 16 times stiffer so unless you are providing vertical support then it's a resounding no. If you have supported the purlin from below then you didn't need to put...

Is this a one off visit for your folks or can you use wheelchair access as a plus if you rent the place out (now or in the future) or if you want to encourage them to come again. Ideally you need something like a big Stannah type stair lift with a platform that sit flat on the path and be...

You won't get an LDC for the new bit as the whole of the addition to the original structure (unless pre 1946) is considered so it's PP or nothing. Approval of the existing bit doesn't actually come into the thinking. There is no realistic chance of your being told to pull it down so far down...

If it's a public sewer then you'll need Water Co's approval to join into the manhole. A backdrop is the usual approach to joining a shallow run to a deep sewer.

I have spent many a happy hour in B&Q playing hunt the straight bit over the years. Our local timber yard is much better quality, much better price (and nicer peeps) and the only real benefit of the shed is the one stop shop.

Be cheaper still from a timber yard. For a shed you could use 3x2 for the roof quite happily

OK I would only pay the invoice straight not to someone else. What is the invoice for: have they reached an agreement that yoiu are happy with? BUT I wouldn't be paying at all if there is no need for a PWN at all as there is then no requirement for this guy's services in the first place. I...

I'd guess around £4-500 but bear in mind I'm way south of the border. Ask a few: I always gave a free first visit to discuss then a fixed fee based on that discussion and what was required/how realistic the client's expectations/likelihood of having to rsubmt planning etc. I always advocate...

I've just skimmed back through the whole tale to refresh the grey cells. It seems to me that your PWS doesn't have a Scooby Doo and it may be time to raise a formal cpmplaint with the RICS.

I guess the first question is why did the original extension not go full width for a reason: drains in the way perhaps? If it was just a case of that's all we need then enlarging shouldn't be a problem. Find a decent architectural technician to do you some detail drawings and crack on.

No good arguing with the ultimate authority: get breaking.

Overkill. You don't need to sister the whole length as the bending stresses are biggest at midspan and shear loads which are biggest at the ends are generally low so the original joist needs no help especially if not rotten. I would personally just use plenty of woodglue and 70or80 screws.