Planning vs Construction Drawings

Wolfhound14

Hi All,

I have just received Conditional Planning Permission for a new build (County Cork). Its a single story, 2900 sq ft , split bungalow.

Any ideas how much an Architect/Arch Tech/Engineer would charge for a set of construction drawings?
Are these always needed or can you typically build from planning drawings. (I'm new to building, but eager to research and have been reading boards for months now)

Thanks

seclachi

Wolfhound14 wrote: »

Hi All,

I have just received Conditional Planning Permission for a new build (County Cork). Its a single story, 2900 sq ft , split bungalow.

Any ideas how much an Architect/Arch Tech/Engineer would charge for a set of construction drawings?
Are these always needed or can you typically build from planning drawings. (I'm new to building, but eager to research and have been reading boards for months now)

Thanks

It depends on the plans you currently have, if you got a really well detailed set of drawings it will help drive the cost down. I`m in this situation and I`m paying 1200 to get an Engineer to make them into structural drawings.

I`m not sure of the legalities of building off planning drawings, but I imagine you might have some trouble getting an engineer to sign off on them. If you have a complex design then I`d imagine its not doable. Honestly I think considering how much building a house costs (your probably looking at least 250,000) and how much can go wrong, its money well spent. I think the best path is to get an engineer on board now to do your plans and for the other elements involved later on.

No6

Wolfhound14 wrote: »

Hi All,

I have just received Conditional Planning Permission for a new build (County Cork). Its a single story, 2900 sq ft , split bungalow.

Any ideas how much an Architect/Arch Tech/Engineer would charge for a set of construction drawings?
Are these always needed or can you typically build from planning drawings. (I'm new to building, but eager to research and have been reading boards for months now)

Thanks

Hi wolfhound a lot depends on the quality of your planning drawings, if they are high quality and well detailed most builders can build off them but you may still require some structural engineering input, for raft foundations, split levels / retaining walls and beams. If they are poor quality I would reccomend getting a decent set of plans done up.
You will also need someone to supervise and certify the construction.
Talk to who ever did your planning for you.

Rev. Kitchen

Planning drawings generally dont have roof layouts or foundation layouts or a great deal of structural details. Depending on how good your builder is he may be able to work from the plannign drawings but for the sake of an extra grand or so id get a full set done.

mr_edge_to_you

All quotes we got from local builders were more than happy to work off planning drawings. No problems with engineer signing off in that regard. The father in law who's our unofficial PM says if the builder can't build from the planning drawings you should be worried. That said if money was no object i would do everything by the book but it is a significant object so we went without and did fine.

henryporter

There isn't a builder in the country who knows the correct methods of constructing a house (or any other building for that matter) in compliance with the full range of building regulations, which I am sure your planning drawings don't show. The idea of spending potentially 250K or more without any advice on matters such as insulation, internal and external materials, heating systems, ventilation, disabled regulations and so on is folly. I would price around and see - what you're paying for is advice, and if if prevents you from wishing you had never built your house, then it would be money well spent.

muffler

Might be kinda hard to get an answer

mr_edge_to_you

Well spotted Muffler. We got a quote of 1500e to get a set of construction drawings prepared from our planning. Anyways we've had no issues whatsoever. Working from planning drawings perhaps allows more scope for minor changes as the build progresses.

seclachi

mr_edge_to_you wrote: »

Working from planning drawings perhaps allows more scope for minor changes as the build progresses.

In what way do you think ? I`d rather have the security of construction drawings myself, I dont think they can limit your changes, and you know your getting impartial advice when its from an engineer, more over you may loose out if your builder likes to charge for "extras"

Wolfhound14

Thanks for all the replies.

My next plan is to talk to an engineer and review the planning drawings with him.

I think the planning drawings are good and at the outset the architect did say that his planning drawings can typically be used by a builder.
Up to now, i.e. before I had received planning, the only other thing I did was send the planning drawings to a Timber Frame company. The were able to quote based on these drawings without any issue.

One of the things I would like to know is:
Do Construction Drawings detail the construction method i.e. Timber vs Block? If so, the I don't even know which way to go.
The objective is to build as energy efficient a building as possible, aiming for A2-A3 rating.

Thanks again for all the contributions. (Expect many more posts in the next few months )

RKQ

Wolfhound14 wrote: »

One of the things I would like to know is:
Do Construction Drawings detail the construction method i.e. Timber vs Block?

Yes.
Its time to sit down and make some decisions, timber frame or blockwork.

The details in Construction Drawings show the Builder how to build the structure. Preventing mistakes and cutting down on extras.

A simple rectangular bungalow may not need Construction Drawings especially if the planning drawings are fully dimensioned.

muffler

RKQ wrote: »

A simple rectangular bungalow may not need Construction Drawings especially if the planning drawings are fully dimensioned.

Regardless of the type or size of house all construction drawings must show sufficient detail for the builders to construct the building to such a standard that it will fully comply with all the requirements of the Building Regulations.

Dimensioned planning issue drawings are insufficient in this regard therefore your post and the advice contained therein is unacceptable and we cant allow people to offer others advice of this nature whether unintentional or not.

archtech

I note you stated the house is split level, which in that case I would definitely recommend detailed construction drawings. Improper construction and detailing of the area around the difference in floor levels can level to problems with damp, and can be hard and expensive to fix if not done properly and if a problem does occur everyone will try and blame everyone else.

If you are going the timber frame route, the timber frame company will prepare their shop drawings for you which will cover a lot of the construction elements (the elements which have a bearing on the timber frame manufacture anyway), however I wouldn't be relying on their information for anything not related to their construction and would get your own consultant to review their drawings before you sign off on their anyway so that what they proposed does comply/is correct with standard building practice.

Wolfhound14

archtech wrote: »

I note you stated the house is split level, which in that case I would definitely recommend detailed construction drawings. Improper construction and detailing of the area around the difference in floor levels can level to problems with damp, and can be hard and expensive to fix if not done properly and if a problem does occur everyone will try and blame everyone else.

If you are going the timber frame route, the timber frame company will prepare their shop drawings for you which will cover a lot of the construction elements (the elements which have a bearing on the timber frame manufacture anyway), however I wouldn't be relying on their information for anything not related to their construction and would get your own consultant to review their drawings before you sign off on their anyway so that what they proposed does comply/is correct with standard building practice.

Thanks Archtech.
Yes, there is a 1m difference between 2 FFL's and that's the main reason I was leaning towards the Construction Drawings.
Based on your name...do the construction drawings vary much with the design and would you have a ballpark figure?

sydthebeat

Wolfhound14 wrote: »

Thanks Archtech.
Yes, there is a 1m difference between 2 FFL's and that's the main reason I was leaning towards the Construction Drawings.
Based on your name...do the construction drawings vary much with the design and would you have a ballpark figure?

planning drawings would only indicate external finishes and dimensions, and perhaps levels.

Construction drawings would/should include everything such as:

construction system (block, timber frame etc) including specification
all drainage, internal and external, sizes and specification
all insulations, including schedule or specification
sections through separate parts of dwelling, minimum two
all roof construction, sizes, strength classes etc including specification
airtightness system schedule
window schedule including specification
door schedule including specification
all structural elements sized and specified
all mechanical and electrical elements size and specified
heating and lighting layouts and specification
security layout and specification

basically, anything included in the construction of the dwelling should be called up on the construction drawings (and preferably have a construction specification document attached)

RKQ

Wolfhound14 wrote: »

Yes, there is a 1m difference between 2 FFL's and that's the main reason I was leaning towards the Construction Drawings.

IMO You definitely need Construction Drawings.
As there is a 1m difference in floor levels, IMO this floor juction and the subfloor rising walls / foundation must be designed & specified by a Structural Engineer, with full PI insurance.

The details in Structural Engineers Drawings will show the Builder how to build the structure, subject to your sites soil conditions. Details of this nature are not standard and are not shown in TGD A, Homebond manual or Dept of Enviroment Robust details in any great detail. Only a Structural Engineer should design this detail.