Architects Fees?

[davers79]

Hi!

We've just had the 1st quote back from an architect and are slightly shocked at the price! Just wondered if anyone else could give their opinions please? We will be getting a 2nd opinion but in the meantime I'm not sure what to think of this ....

4 bed house
creating new dormer the length of the rear of the property (approx 12m long)
changing the layout of the upstairs - knocking airing cupboard through to make a double bedroom, moving internal walls slightly to make rooms square, bricking up 1 window, knocking through toilet / bathroom into one, creating an en-suite and the new dormer will give additional floor space and make all the rooms bigger.

All of this work can be done within permitted development and we will get a lawful development certificate so we won't be needing planning permission.

The quote we received:-
£1900 for planning drawings
£875 for building regs drawings
£500 structural engineers fees
£75 for lawful development certificate
£135 for building regs costs

Total = approx £3500

Also to add we know what we want the new layout upstairs to be so we aren't particularly looking for ideas from the architect.

If we are getting a lawful development certificate - do we need the planning drawings? Are the building regs drawings sufficient?

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Go get an architectural technician out the Yellow Pages, you don't need an architect for something like this. You will get all that for about half the price.

The process for obtaining a Lawful Development Cert is practically the same as Planning Permission the only difference being that you are guaranteed your certificate provided it meets PD criteria.

 

[jeds]

The price you've been quoted is really £2775 plus struct-eng and local authority fees.

You will need accurate existing drawings and these will need to be developed for building regs. Taking off a set for planning or a certificate of lawfulness is a fairly minor extra really. So I would be looking at this as a measure, draw and building regs job with some struct-eng liaison. Somewhere between £1500 and £1750 would be plenty.

If the development is PD I don't see the point in applying for a certificate of lawfulness. Although as I say the it doesn't make a dramatic difference to the overall cost.

Get prices from a local building surveyor or technician. Just make sure whoever it is has PI insurance.

 

[DevilDamo]

Also to add we know what we want the new layout upstairs to be so we aren't particularly looking for ideas from the architect.

You still need somebody (i.e. architect/technician) to draw the layouts up though.

If we are getting a lawful development certificate - do we need the planning drawings? Are the building regs drawings sufficient?

If you're going down the LDC route, then you basically need planning drawings so the LPA can determine whether or not the works fall within the requirements of PD. So even though it's not full planning, the architect/technician would be doing as much work as a full application. The only difference is the application fee is half that of a full application, i.e. £75.

Building Regulation drawings are "normally" produced from planning drawings, not the other way round. If you opt out in having planning drawings done, but go straight for Building Reg's, then yes... those drawings can be used to submit to the LPA, but there's no need to as they would normally contain information the LPA do not need to know, e.g. wall construction, thermal efficiency of windows, doors, etc...

As said, try and get a technician on board who should be able to put the packages together a lot cheaper. Well the application fee's will reman the same. It's just the cost in the person putting the drawings and information for the application(s) together.

 

[^woody^]

Your Architect is giving bad advice if he is preparing full planning drawings (and charging you full price) for a LDC

And there is not much design work for your proposed work, so I don't know why this is costing so much in fees

 

[peca27]

My opinion.......

Get a Technician (you don't really need one with PI tbh) to draw up the Building Regs dwg's, they can then be used for the Bldg Regs application. He can also use them for obtaining the Cert. of Lawfulness (PD Rights).

I've just had somebody get approval for a small rear facing dormer from another technician. But they wanted a larger rear dormer instead + the technician told them to go ahead without anything in writing b'cos it's under PD. Planning Enforcement have now come out and stopped the works. The original technician will now have to go back, survey, draw up plans + elevations and then re-submit for Cert. of Lawfulness.

My advice is always get the paperwork in order + then proceed.

The costs of obtaining the Certificate, Building Regs application and Building Control Inspector fees are fixed tbh. It's only the Technician + Structural Engineers fees that can be negotiated.............get a few quotes + proceed. The original quote you have been given is a joke, I'd do it for half the price.

 

[noseall]

Also to add we know what we want the new layout upstairs to be so we aren't particularly looking for ideas from the architect.

You still need somebody (i.e. architect/technician) to draw the layouts up though.

Precisely what i was thinking. it is one thing knowing where you want the bedroom to finish and the en-suite to start but some of these walls may need need to hold up a roof etc.

 

[davers79]

Also to add we know what we want the new layout upstairs to be so we aren't particularly looking for ideas from the architect.

You still need somebody (i.e. architect/technician) to draw the layouts up though.

Precisely what i was thinking. it is one thing knowing where you want the bedroom to finish and the en-suite to start but some of these walls may need need to hold up a roof etc.

Agree. Perhaps I didn't explain very well - the architect who has quoted us a huge amount didn't really listen to what our ideas where. She got very excited about all the possibilities and different ways she could re-design our upstairs! Which is lovely, but we've worked out a layout ourselves which involves moving the minimal number of existing internal walls (therefore less cost) but still giving us the extra space and room sizes we want. We've already got plans from a previous planning permission by previous owners (when the front dormer was built several years ago) and can see the load bearing walls etc. We will still get structural engineer advice and input on our ideas as well.