Architects error

[Greenleaves20]

We’re in the middle of a kitchen diner extension to our house. We’ve discovered that the kitchen part is 20cm smaller than the architects drawings. This means our kitchen and island have to be reduced in size and also means the back wall is uneven. There is a post dividing the two sections so it probably won’t be too noticeable but it’s frustrating as we’d have gone out further into the garden if we’d known this. The shell of the building is finished and the roof is on. The project is costing well over £100K (utility and downstairs loo and hall all being done too). The architect has emailed to say it was an error due to an assumption they made but hasn’t really apologised. Having looked online etc I think I’m some ways we would like some compensation for this error, especially as we’ve paid over £10K in architects fees and their survey and it’s meaning we have to change our designs and end up with a smaller space. So should we (and anyone who knows are we able to) ask for some money back for this error?

YABU - it’s a mistake, just leave it and enjoy your extension

YANBU - ask for some money back

Thanks @billy1966, we will try to layout the kitchen plan with newspapers! That’s a great idea. We can then put the post in too and see what that might look like.

@minipie that is a good idea and would definitely hide the post but there are a couple of reasons that it might not work. We have a kitchen window above the sink and looking out into the garden on the long wall where the sliding doors are. The opposite wall doesn’t have a window so moving it would probably look a bit odd. Secondly all the plumbing is being done this week which may be difficult to alter…

I have an architect in the family he says builders will pickup on some things but this isn't one of them. It's down to the architect who is insured I hope. This may delay the job if he can make amendments

Oh is the window for above the sink already in place? Yes I can see it might be odd to have no units there in that case. Any chance it could be changed into a full height picture window?

Assuming it’s not too late to change the plumbing…

Meeting today and initially the architect suggested shelving and reducing the island to disguise the large post. We said we weren’t happy with that and asked what the options were…. He said they’d actually explored the option of a steel post instead of brick to make it smaller but this would be very expensive. The screed has also just been completed on the floor. We left it with him to look into options and meeting again tomorrow but it doesn’t look like there is a simple solution.

Sorry that should read shelving to disguise the post

Did he take responsibility for HIS fxxk up?

He’s acknowledged in an email that it was their survey that was incorrect but there was no mention of this and no apology which I was surprised about I have to say….

What would you have done differently if you’d known that wall actually stuck out 20cm further? (ie if his drawings had been accurate)

You would probably have to demonstrate a financial loss in order to claim compensation. If your kitchen supplier has charged you more for adjusting your kitchen, or if the kitchen has cost you more, you could sue for that amount.

@minipie I think we’d probably have gone out further into the garden and extended the utility room so the back wall was in line if that makes sense.