how much to charge for planning application

ruskin

Hi,
Im an architectural technician and am about to design a house and lodge planning permission drawings for a friend of a friend. My question here is, what should I charge them for the planning application? In the practice I work in, we charge the client for sketch design, planning, tender, construction stage- but what is reasonable to charge the client for planning permission? I worked it to around €2000.

Builderfromhell

Are you to include;
1. Surveying site - levels etc.
2. Arranging Site suitability etst.
3. Expenses - OS map, Planning fee, advert in paper.
4. VAT @ 21%.
5. Follow up planning application with LA - Further info.

I charge between 5,000 and 10,000 including
1. all above
2. Tender docs.
3. 5 visits to site while construction in process.
4. as many design meetings as it takes.

I work alone and get an average of 1.5 enquiries a week, mostly from referrals.

Slig

ruskin wrote: »

Hi,
Im an architectural technician and am about to design a house and lodge planning permission drawings for a friend of a friend. My question here is, what should I charge them for the planning application? In the practice I work in, we charge the client for sketch design, planning, tender, construction stage- but what is reasonable to charge the client for planning permission? I worked it to around €2000.

in my opinion that is too much, Are you going to pay VAT on that?
for an office there will be PI insurance to ensure everything drawn can be built and meets the building regs and all the work will have to be above board (invoices etc.) thats why you pay the extra for work from an office.
If your doing it as a nixer then it could take longer to do aswell.

sinnerboy

Slig wrote: »

in my opinion that is too much, Are you going to pay VAT on that?
for an office there will be PI insurance to ensure everything drawn can be built and meets the building regs and all the work will have to be above board (invoices etc.) thats why you pay the extra for work from an office.
If your doing it as a nixer then it could take longer to do aswell.

no point in charging less - the amount of free time , evenings and weekends these nixers consume is not worth it otherwise . I stopped doing them YEARS ago

muffler

Builderfromhell wrote: »

Are you to include;
1. Surveying site - levels etc.
2. Arranging Site suitability etst.
3. Expenses - OS map, Planning fee, advert in paper.
4. VAT @ 21%.
5. Follow up planning application with LA - Further info.

I charge between 5,000 and 10,000 including
1. all above
2. Tender docs.
3. 5 visits to site while construction in process.
4. as many design meetings as it takes.

I work alone and get an average of 1.5 enquiries a week, mostly from referrals.

I thought you were a builder

gummibear

Hi there,
we got an architectural tech to do our planning. He did everything working from our basic sketches- going from basic plans right through to full plans, percolation tests, application, site notices etc. etc. He basically sent us out our letter of approval when he got it. got it first time and his price would've included any necessary minor changes to plans, applicaton etc. if there were any problems.. (Any major changes were to be negotiable)
Charge: €1 per sq. ft + VAT so it rounded down to €3000 for 2700 sq. ft house. Very pleased with that as he knew his stuff.:)

Builderfromhell

muffler wrote: »

I thought you were a builder

I'm an Architect who also has a building team. I design and build.

Regarding the OP's question, I figure if you design an average of 1 house a month for lets say 3,000 euro and an extension a month for 1,500 thats a yearly income of 54,000. Deduct for holidays, expenses (driving, telephone, Insurance, bad debts etc.). Allow for meeting people in evenings and at weekends and People calling you whenever they like.

I don't think it's worth it to charge the figures quoted above. So I do quality work and charge more. I'm as busy as ever. Just finished a house extension design with a building budget of 300,000.

Mellor

Builderfromhell wrote: »

I'm an Architect who also has a building team. I design and build.

Regarding the OP's question, I figure if you design an average of 1 house a month for lets say 3,000 euro and an extension a month for 1,500 thats a yearly income of 54,000. Deduct for holidays, expenses (driving, telephone, Insurance, bad debts etc.). Allow for meeting people in evenings and at weekends and People calling you whenever they like.

I don't think it's worth it to charge the figures quoted above. So I do quality work and charge more. I'm as busy as ever. Just finished a house extension design with a building budget of 300,000.

See, it all depends on what full services are.
You charge 5k-10k for a reasonable full service, Other people would charge less and provide less. Others maybe more.

I didn't see snagging on the list.


An aunt hired an "architect" to do their house (I refused to get involve in the process). His fee was 1k for planning, plus newspaper fees, la fee etc, and an additional 1k to site supervise it
When I seen his stuff, I told them to pull out,
Plans were hand drawn, badly
Would of met current regs, basic homebond stuff over looked.
They had zero design imput
It was never getting planning
And he was a member of a professional organisation that doesn't exist.

A year later, he still hasn't lodge it (probably lucky) and I got that strong I told you so feeling

Tester46

ruskin wrote: »

Hi,
Im an architectural technician and am about to design a house and lodge planning permission drawings for a friend of a friend. My question here is, what should I charge them for the planning application? In the practice I work in, we charge the client for sketch design, planning, tender, construction stage- but what is reasonable to charge the client for planning permission? I worked it to around €2000.

That sounds like a good quote to me. I have been quoted €4,500 plus VAT and all outlays by my architect to draw a simple 40sqm rectangular extension to my existing house and prepare the planning application for it. It sounds like a lot to me - it is just a simple two room extension and there are no detailed internal bits. His price doesn't include construction spec or drawings either - they're extra.

How does that price sound to you?

Slig

If its a nixer your doing for a friend then for gods sake dont charge office prices, there are so many things that you wont be able to do (VAT invoices?) If its just a simple house plan then maybe but you wont be able to certify the construction unless you have PI and whoever does end up certifying may be p1ssed that the original designer did it as a nixer.
Also as I found out, some employers can get very agressive if they find out that you are working outside hours aswell:D.

ruskin

Slig wrote: »

If its a nixer your doing for a friend then for gods sake dont charge office prices, there are so many things that you wont be able to do (VAT invoices?) If its just a simple house plan then maybe but you wont be able to certify the construction unless you have PI and whoever does end up certifying may be p1ssed that the original designer did it as a nixer.
Also as I found out, some employers can get very agressive if they find out that you are working outside hours aswell:D.

€2000 is far from office prices, and the other technicians who Ive talked to who do these jobs on their own have never had any problems whatsoever. Slig seems to imply that I dont know what Im doing, whereas I am a competant professional like any other.

Slig

ruskin wrote: »

€2000 is far from office prices, and the other technicians who Ive talked to who do these jobs on their own have never had any problems whatsoever. Slig seems to imply that I dont know what Im doing, whereas I am a competant professional like any other.

I am very sorry if I came across like that, I didnt mean to. I'm just saying that I have learnt that nixers arent worth the hassle, bring it into the office and you have a happy boss! If you charge too much for your nixers and are paid by cheque or asked for an invoice and arent VAT registered then revenue could have a problem with it.

From my own experience, I did a nixer for a neighbour and when We had the design sorted he asked me to send him a copy by e-mail. I then found out his e-mail address was xxx at revenue.ie. needless to say that one didnt get charged too much and I have been cagey ever since. My last employer was p1ssed when he found out I did nixers because he reckoned that I was taking jobs from him and aside from that it could be affecting my work.

My advice:
If its a friend dont do it for the money, if it isnt dont do it.

sinnerboy

Freinds and family are the BIGGEST p*** takers . Never do nixers for them .
( voice of bitter experience )

Supertech

Seconded sinnerboy, and what's worse, they'll know ALL your phone numbers AND where ya live, so ya can't get away from the feckers .......

alinoee

Mellor wrote: »

I didn't see snagging on the list.

An aunt hired an "architect" to do their house ...

neither the contract management, certs of payment nor opinions on compliance. i like the idea of architect who issue certs of payment for the works his team did. fortunately its illegal now!

sydthebeat

alinoee wrote: »

neither the contract management, certs of payment nor opinions on compliance. i like the idea of architect who issue certs of payment for the works his team did. fortunately its illegal now!

whats illegal?

alinoee

sydthebeat wrote: »

whats illegal?

call yourself architect if you're not.

sydthebeat

correct, but remember that you dont have to be an architect to sign off stage payments, manage contracts or certify compliance.

alinoee

Builderfromhell wrote: »

Are you to include;
1. Surveying site - levels etc.
2. Arranging Site suitability etst.
3. Expenses - OS map, Planning fee, advert in paper.
4. VAT @ 21%.
5. Follow up planning application with LA - Further info.

I charge between 5,000 and 10,000 including
1. all above
2. Tender docs.
3. 5 visits to site while construction in process.
4. as many design meetings as it takes.

I'm an architect.

I work alone and get an average of 1.5 enquiries a week, mostly from referrals.

thats correct but you dint read the thread

alinoee

by the way I love re-design meetings after construction in process.

sydthebeat

sorry, i was confused by your post...

alinoee

sydthebeat wrote: »

sorry, i was confused by your post...

no prob. my point is Builderfromhell cant call him self an architect, engineer or tech cos they not. what he/she does, is simple builder advertising her/himself . i found it funny:). there is a good link on youtube - polish plumber in cork.

muffler

alinoee wrote: »

no prob. my point is Builderfromhell cant call him self an architect, engineer or tech cos they not. what he/she does, is simple builder advertising her/himself . i found it funny:). there is a good link on youtube - polish plumber in cork.

Another troll.

Have a weeks holidays and read the charter during that time

Slig

muffler wrote: »

Another troll.

Have a weeks holidays and read the charter during that time

I dont get it?
(BTW BuilderfromHell has already stated that he doesnt sign off on his own work on another thread)

hogisland

Slig wrote: »

I dont get it?
(BTW BuilderfromHell has already stated that he doesnt sign off on his own work on another thread)

don't worry, i got banned for saying that : )
if you will try to help someone here, you either get banned or got lots of insults from admins (including car forum!!!) to back up muffler. now, i have to to ask kindly, in a week time, to get alinoee account unblocked. its a joke!

muffler

hogisland wrote: »

don't worry, i got banned for saying that : )
if you will try to help someone here, you either get banned or got lots of insults from admins (including car forum!!!) to back up muffler. now, i have to to ask kindly, in a week time, to get alinoee account unblocked. its a joke!

Bang.