Side return extension – architect or architect designer?

[fancyyang]

All, I need some advice on the planning for the side return extension.

Last weekend I invited a registered architect and an architect designer to visit the property and discuss the planning.

The architect suggested that there were different stages of services including measured survey, initial drawing, planning application as well as a detailed drawing for the building control. He estimated that it will take at least a month to get to the stage that the application can be submitted to the local council.

The architect designer came later on the day. He basically quoted me a fixed price, £2K + VAT which including everything but excludes application fees for local council planning, for building control and some report for Thames Water (£343 ish I heard, something to do with the sewerage I don’t fully understand).

What’s surprised me though is that the designer said he would do everything himself. In fact, he spent 30 minutes measuring the side return and he suggested he would also calculate for the steel beams. He said it would only take a couple of weeks to get everything ready and submit to the council.

My situation is that the side return extension requirement is bog standard on the same street (mid-sized side extension, a toilet downstairs and a knock through reception room) as there are quite a few plans approved on the council website in the past few years. These property are identical, and the plans are very similar to each other with small variation so I am not expecting a grand design here.

On the face of it I quite like the designer in that he can do everything by himself and do so very quickly, whilst the architect would need to arrange a separate survey and charge for initial plan and detailed plan (and for structural engineer). My concern is whether the designer has the expertise to do this especially calculating for the beams, which I thought is a niche job for a qualified structural engineer (?) Does it need to be done by the people with the proper title or am I complicating things due to my ignorance?

Am I better off using the designer which means cheaper fee and a quicker turnaround for a standard project or should I get a qualified architect which would have the right title and insurance but comes with higher price tag and a longer turnaround? Any thought on this are welcome! Thank you in advance for your input.

I think you get what you pay for. It’s taking a risk not to use a structural engineer for beam calculations and drains can be a costly issue if they have not been appropriately considered before the build.
The Architect’s insurance is protection for you.

When the designer says he can do it all, are you sure he isn't getting a structural engineer to do his calcs? Would he not also be insured?

@FlowersAndHerts, the designer just called me to say that (1) he is insured up to £10m; (2) her wife has bachelor degree in civil engineering and she will do the calculation for the steel beams; (3) he is not chartered architect but he has done this for 40 years and this is a straightforward job to do and that the architect who is competing for the job and charging for more is overcomplicate things. I am still of two minds of this.

@Beehumble2, can you elaborate on the drain issue? What part of the process covers drains? Measured survey or structural engineer visit? The designer assured me that he had done all the measurement and didn't need a second visit, there is no mention about the drain from the conversation. He did say that I need to pay for the Thames Water report, not sure if this is what you are referring to though.