Cheapest place to buy an ordinance survey map?

[jerksy]

I paid an architect £352.50 for a planning application. The fee was for drawing and filling out the necessary forms for a double storey extension and loft extension.

Now that he's been paid, he’s demanding a further £40 for an ordinance survey map. This was never discussed in the initial conversation and therefore I never budgeted for it.

Where is the cheapest place to buy an ordinance survey map from? Or is there a site where you can download one for free?

The architect has also stated that his fee for the detailed building regs drawings will be £1500. Is this correct? It does sound expensive.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Fee for the map should be about £25 it takes a 10minutes or so to do and he'll be charged about £10-15 for the map. Fees for regs sound about right especially if structural are included. Assuming the drawings are good and not just the planning drawings with some regurgitated load of notes.

 

[chapeau]

You have to pay OS for the licence to use them and if he bought the paper copies he is making a tenner on the deal. Sample prices are here http://www.streetwise.net/Prices.aspx remember to add the £5 VAT.

If you agreed £1500 for building regs then that's what you need to pay him. I wouldn't pay that but I don't know what services he provided. Plenty of people out there do what you had done for a quarter that price but cannot call themselves architects so have to price accordingly.

 

[jerksy]

With regards to the building regs drawings, I have not made any agreements with this architect. I simply asked him for a quote for producing building regs drawings.

I do not owe him anything. If I can find someone who can produce building regs drawings cheaper then I will obviously hire them.

Any suggestions?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

chapeau, if you really think can get a good set of building regs drawings and notes for a double storey extension and loft conversion for £375 then count your chickens, personally I think you're as mad as a hatter!

 

[chapeau]

why do you have to be rude?

 

[jerksy]

Now now children. Anymore of that and you're both going on the naughty step.

Look at me when I'm talking to you!

 

[jerksy]

Thanks for the map link chapeau.

 

[chapeau]

Still no need to be rude.

Anyway.

The guy already paid £325 for his planning drawings and that is a lot of the work done. Not all of it of course, but that means he's been round to do a site visit and measured it all up.

So an additional £375 to add the building regs isn't ridiculous. It means a total charge of £700 for his services. Very easy to get that

Quite doable round here where times are hard. If Freddie charges more then that's his business and good luck to him.

 

[^woody^]

I do not owe him anything. If I can find someone who can produce building regs drawings cheaper then I will obviously hire them.

Any suggestions?

The problem with this is that if you instruct someone else they will have to do a complete remeasure and survey and redraw the whole lot up again - unless you can convince your Architect to provide the measurements, survey and if applicable CAD file and design concept

And then the new guy may find that the planning drawings don't work, and he will not know what the original Architect was thinking, and so he may not be able to do the technical drawings and detail

More than that though, there is the copyright issue of the drawings and the design

So even if practicable, it will be potentially a lot more money

And it's not just a case of finding someone cheaper. Any monkey can draw up some plans, but then if they are crap and the builder can't understand them, or they lack detail for quoting off, then the money you save will turn into extra costs charged by the builder

As for the maps, its not just the case of printing out a map. There will be a site and location plan (different scales) and the plans need to be marked up with the proposed works and site details

However, if this additional cost was not advised, then don't pay it

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

It means a total charge of £700 for his services. Very easy to get that

Decent Planning and Regs drawings for a 2 storey extension and loft conversion for £700. Hilarious!

 

[^woody^]

Perhaps it's a summer sale or a 3 for 1 type deal?

 

[chapeau]

More like to do with worst recession in living memory and people out there needing whatever they can make to pay their mortgages.

Not everybody of course, some still think they 'deserve' what they could earn in the good times, but there are those of us who have cut our prices to remain competitive.

I bet I could get it built for less than Freddie could too

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I daresay. But my extension would be good!

 

[chapeau]

Good would not satisfy my mrs, she would require 'very good to excellent' and she would get it.