Architects...is this excessive? Or just me [blush]

[Trebuchet]

Hoping to have a small 2 storey extension on our house. The builder says it's very strait forward and recommended an architect. I asked the architect for a quote, and it's come back as £1375 plus vat for drawings and sending it off for planning, and a further £1050 plus vat for technical drawings for building regs. This does not include postage printing or travel or local authority fees. Whatever they are...

I sort of thought £500 quid might cover it... Naive?....

Is this a normal sort of fee? Not had anything like this done before.

Thanks.

[LondonGirl83]

That's not unreasonable.

[Trebuchet]

Ps we are not in London if that would make a difference.

[schmalex]

Seems normal to me too.

[Trebuchet]

Ok thanks

[struggling100]

Yes, that's normal. It's expensive.

If you know exactly what you want, you could employ an architectural technician to draw up the plans for you at a lower cost.

[Trebuchet]

Thanks for feedback. I thought I'd read in a homes mag that you can expect to pay £4-500 for plans... Must've misread.

[Labootin]

Homes magazines price quotes are the equivalent of the Chicken that's feeds a family of eight for a week plus soup.

Fee sounds about right.

[pmgkt]

That's expensive, it was fine until I noticed they were charging another grand for the building regs. My hubby does this and I would say about £1200 + vat for both drawings plus you pay building reg/planning fees to council. Unless you are trying to do something with huge amounts of glass or very technical

[pmgkt]

Where are you anyway?

[MummytoMog]

I paid about 1500 for plans for a two storey extension, and then paid the planning fees direct to the council. No other fees for technical drawings from what I remember. In London.

You could ask around a bit. If it is very straightforward, you might find someone cheaper. I don't remember the technical drawings being terribly complicated, just with positions of the steels and descriptions of the various insulation/windows/smoke alarms etc.

[Trebuchet]

Thank you. We are in the midlands. Thanks for the advice

[pmgkt]

I would get some other quotes locally then, sorry we are down south so can't help you out.

[Parliamo]

I've just paid 550 for plans for a bigger two storey extension plans + building regs + planning fees (which are fixed by the council). It's pretty standard stuff though, and all he's done is draw up (hand drawn - he's old school!) my ideas.

I'd be asking round and getting some more quotes. Asked any local builders for recommendations?

[AngryFeet]

I am paying similar but ours is quite complicated. If your is simple then just get a technician to do it. Half the cost.

[wigglybeezer]

I am paying £ 600 not including fees etc. but that is for taking down a wall and putting in a new staircase. Also it's my NDN and he is doing it at mates rates.

[truelymadlysleepy]

As above I'd be looking at an architectural technician to do the construction drawings if it's a simple job.
Your builder might know a local one.

[AngryFeet]

Technicians often advertise in the local paper

[lovingmatleave]

If its pretty straightforward you don't need a fully qualified architect. Try an architectural technician or someone advertising architectural services. We are being charged around £1000 by one these for both sets of drawings, plus planning fee and building regs fees which are charged by the local authority.

[LadyKooKoo]

Where about in The Midlands are you? Our architect works for a big firm in Birmingham but does work on the side. We paid £250 per set of drawings (buildings regs have just gone in) and he also put us in touch with a structural engineer who did all the calcs for the steels etc and he charged us £300.

[Trebuchet]

Lady Kokomo owe are near Redditch I'd be grateful of any recommendation xx

[Trebuchet]

Thanks for advice all