Hello
I am trying to find a suitable architect to help me obtain planning permission for 4 flats on a piece of land, within a built up residential area. I doubt I will go on to build the project (not in a position to fund it) but I would like to get planning permission and take it from there.
I have not worked with an architect in any capacity before. I have renovated a couple of period properties (our homes) and I'm not clueless, but I would like to know the potential pitfalls and things that may come up when working with an architect.
I have spoken to a couple of firms and have very different quotes. One for £12k, and they lay out the basics of the job - pre planning meetings and drawings, developing the scheme, submitting plans etc. The other quote is £20k and they mention this including all meetings, light reports, etc. Not other professional's fees but they do seem to include more.
I will ask both to break down their quotes in more detail but the more I think about it, the more I think that a quote on a project like this can only be a complete estimate. What if they have to come to 3 pre planning meetings - do they then have carte blanche to charge what they want to for these? What is planning is not achieved, and we have to alter the scheme and resubmit - should I get a figure for this at the offset? What if down the line they claim the Planners have requested far more than they expected and therefore more work involved?
I'm feeling very apprehensive about engaging an architect and feel there are going to be a lot of unexpected additions to their fees down the line (I am on a tight budget and this would spell disaster for me).
Broadly speaking, is it usual for there to be add ons when working with architects, or should I expect the initial fee quote to cover the entire project, even with unexpected issues?