what do I need?

book_lover

Hello,
We are planning a fairly large house extension. We know exactly what we want, but need to get these ideas transcribed onto plans to submit for planning permission, seek tenders etc.

What is the cheapest method to do this, since we dont necessarily need an architect to come up with a design? Can we get a draughtsman to draw up the plans? I realise everyone needs to make a living but the architects fees I have heard of from neighbors etc seem very high. roughly 8 percent of the cost of the build, would that be about right?

Please do not attack me for asking this, if you are indeed an architect. We just need this extension done and cannot afford to pay out 10K plus for an archiect fees before we start laying a brick...

Thanks,

BryanF

It all depends on what level of service you want.
there are different stages and controls an arch can offer you.
for instance are you happy to liaise with builder without a formal contract? and if the costs over-run be prepared to take it on the chin?

few are getting 8% at the moment... however, the 8% does depend on the size of the extension. as in, 8% of 40g is not a lot money for Panning, tender, construction drawings, project management and contract admin..and if followed in all those stages a good arch should save you money over all..

so you need to interview several architects or Architectural technicians and explain exactly what you want and what you don't want, asking them for a break down of their fee structure and to clearly outline the risks of not employing them for a particular stage.

archtech

book_lover wrote: »

Please do not attack me for asking this, if you are indeed an architect. We just need this extension done and cannot afford to pay out 10K plus for an archiect fees before we start laying a brick

You should get architectural services from an architect/ architectural technician/technologist or any other competent building professional for less than 10K, seek 3 quotations. Furthermore most are happy to work to a fixed fee, provided you don't start changing the design brief throughout the project.

A competent professional will bring value to the project and save you money, both during construction and long term.

Slig

book_lover wrote: »

Hello,
We are planning a fairly large house extension. We know exactly what we want, but need to get these ideas transcribed onto plans to submit for planning permission, seek tenders etc.

What is the cheapest method to do this, since we dont necessarily need an architect to come up with a design? Can we get a draughtsman to draw up the plans? I realise everyone needs to make a living but the architects fees I have heard of from neighbors etc seem very high. roughly 8 percent of the cost of the build, would that be about right?

Please do not attack me for asking this, if you are indeed an architect. We just need this extension done and cannot afford to pay out 10K plus for an archiect fees before we start laying a brick...

Thanks,

I'll start off by admitting that I'm an Arch. Tech. in private practice so I'm a pretty vested interrest:D. That said I'll try be as objective as I can.

I completely understand your reluctance to hire an architect, its one that is shared by many people and the only way I can justify it is for you to think of it in terms of value for money instead of cost.

If you want to just get it drawn up and submitted for planning with the minimum amount of detail then you could go to a draftsman or cad technician or even a student studying something architectural or engineering related. The planning process is open for anyone with or without qualifications to submit an application so anyone with a pencil and ruler and a very basic knowledge of construction could technically do this for you. This would probably cost you anywhere from €300 upwards depending on who does the work, not necessarily on the quality of the work.

For this you should get enough detail to get a rough price from a builder and if you have a good knowledge of building, are prepared to do the research, spend the time on-site and have a good builder this may be enough but expect extras at the end of the build as any contract you have with a builder will be based on these drawings. The drawings may have a brief specification but probably wont have anything on insulation, services or building reg compliance and there will be no after planning service as this is where qualifications and PI insurances come into play. If you know someone that is experienced with building then they could help by giving advice and inspecting the work but DONT trust the builder alone to do all that is required to make your house warm and dry. Your build is a job to them and even the most professional builder is out to make the biggest profit they can at the end of the day and you cant blame them for that.

Having an compitent Architect, Arch.tech or Engineer overseeing your build should mean that your floors wont wobble every time you walk across them, the insulation (that you pay for) is put in where its actually needed and not just where its convenient and that your light fittings dont sway everytime there is a breeze outside, in short that your house is strong, dry and warm. Its alot easier to make sure this is done correctly in the first place (with construction drawings and site inspections) than to retrofit or repair, especially if you have to fight with the builder to get it done. Thats the reason that Architects charge what they charge, its not just drawing pretty pictures its ensuring that the house they designed for you is fit for purpose and lives up to your expectations. Remember to a Draftsman and builder you are a customer where as with an architect/engineer you are a client.

That said I dont think you need to pay €8000 for to get a professional service. If you shop around you should be able to get all you need from a professional Arch.Tech, Architect or engineer for a set fee of about €1500 - €2000 even for a large extension.

DvB

Slig wrote: »

I'll start off by admitting that I'm an Arch. Tech. in private practice so I'm a pretty vested interrest:D. That said I'll try be as objective as I can.

I completely understand your reluctance to hire an architect, its one that is shared by many people and the only way I can justify it is for you to think of it in terms of value for money instead of cost.

If you want to just get it drawn up and submitted for planning with the minimum amount of detail then you could go to a draftsman or cad technician or even a student studying something architectural or engineering related. The planning process is open for anyone with or without qualifications to submit an application so anyone with a pencil and ruler and a very basic knowledge of construction could technically do this for you. This would probably cost you anywhere from €300 upwards depending on who does the work, not necessarily on the quality of the work.

For this you should get enough detail to get a rough price from a builder and if you have a good knowledge of building, are prepared to do the research, spend the time on-site and have a good builder this may be enough but expect extras at the end of the build as any contract you have with a builder will be based on these drawings. The drawings may have a brief specification but probably wont have anything on insulation, services or building reg compliance and there will be no after planning service as this is where qualifications and PI insurances come into play. If you know someone that is experienced with building then they could help by giving advice and inspecting the work but DONT trust the builder alone to do all that is required to make your house warm and dry. Your build is a job to them and even the most professional builder is out to make the biggest profit they can at the end of the day and you cant blame them for that.

Having an compitent Architect, Arch.tech or Engineer overseeing your build should mean that your floors wont wobble every time you walk across them, the insulation (that you pay for) is put in where its actually needed and not just where its convenient and that your light fittings dont sway everytime there is a breeze outside, in short that your house is strong, dry and warm. Its alot easier to make sure this is done correctly in the first place (with construction drawings and site inspections) than to retrofit or repair, especially if you have to fight with the builder to get it done. Thats the reason that Architects charge what they charge, its not just drawing pretty pictures its ensuring that the house they designed for you is fit for purpose and lives up to your expectations. Remember to a Draftsman and builder you are a customer where as with an architect/engineer you are a client.

That said I dont think you need to pay €8000 for to get a professional service. If you shop around you should be able to get all you need from a professional Arch.Tech, Architect or engineer for a set fee of about €1500 - €2000 even for a large extension.

As an Arch. tech with ovr 15 years experience i have to agree with this, in thta time i've prepared & submitted hundreds of such applications & in terms of having a competent professional prepare & submit a valid planning application a fee of 1500-2000 is perfectly reasonable, especially in the current climate.

The thing a competent professional will bring to the table is (hopefully) years of experience & therefore advice... you may think you know exactly what you want & merley see your planning application & more specifically your planning drawings as a drawing exercise but a professional designer will spot discrepancies & conflicts with building & planning regulations etc that you may not be aware of. A draughtsperson or CAD technician can prepare the drawings as you have provided but may not pick up on current requiremenst that could ultimately lead to expensive problems further down the line.

For now though, one step at a time, i cannot stress enough how important it is to have a competent professional at least as a minimum look through your application & advise as to its suitability. There is no point applying for planning permission for something that may need to be changed further along the construction process incurring additional costs that easily could have been avoided if identified earlier in the design stage.