Is £2,200 fair for architect drawings if it's same as neighbours?

[firsthomebuyerfirstreno]

Hi all, I’m after some advice. I’ve just had a quote from an architect for a rear extension, we want the same design he did a few years ago for our neighbours. The houses are the same. Terrace rear back 4.5 extension .In his quote, he’s charging £2,200 for structural calculations and drawings. I’m wondering if it’s a fair fee and whether i should ask for a wee disc to pay since it’s basically a repeat of his earlier work.
Also, I wanted to ask about the planning drawings. I feel confident I could put together some basic plans for the council submission if that helps keep costs down, but I’d still need the full, precise construction drawings for the builders. But im not sure if thats allowed or whether I'm missing what the whole point of an architect is
Thanks so much for your thoughts and steer!

I am sure the architect knows that and has priced that in. Most architect jobs are copy paste really. Well a combination of copy pastes atleast.

But each project carries its own individual risk, consultation, workload, back and forth, revisions and liability.

So no you can’t just say oh I will use next doors drawings for a sum I plucked out my head.

How much would your neighbour charge you to borrow their drawings to look at them? But I would assume that yours will be different and the drawings are subject to copyright as it is his work.

He's still going to have ongoing costs to pay like his insurance and other services.

He'll have to review the design in case rules have changed.

How do you know what the neighbours got charged, what the inflation is since then and whether he is discounting or not ?

It sounds like you have decided it is an easy job and therefore should be cheap.

House reno on a bargin basement budget rarely ends well.

He's going to have to do all the calculations specifically for your house. He can't assume that it's identical to next door. No two houses are identical, especially older houses, even if they are in a terrace all built at the same time.

It sounds like you have decided it is an easy job and therefore should be cheap.

Mumsnetters never want to pay the rate for the job. Whether it's the cleaner or gardener or the plumber or the removal company or the architect.

You say the houses are the same but the architect doesn't know if they actually are. I don't think you could pass off structural calculations done for a different house as ones that have been done for yours. You would be liable if things go wrong.

Similarly, if you give builders plans for another property and things are different then it could cause problems, which are always costly. Maybe the ground is slightly different and you'd need different footings, or there could be different pipes and cables.

Architects are usually very familiar with the planning process and know how to get through it with minimum fuss, and can deal with any queries if they arise.

So your drains and services are all in exactly the same place?

His Professional Indemnity will just carry over?

Materials and labour costs are the same as when your neighbour's was done?

A couple of inches out for a steel could be disastrous.

No it is not fair to ask. You see, you are paying for his professional skill. Why not just draw it yourself?

YABVU

Do it yourself then. If you know best. And are entirely confident that your house is mm by mm the same as your neighbours. Services and so on identical. Copy their application and technical drawings from the planning portal. I suspect your arrogance and mistakes will cost you a lot more than your quote

It takes 7 years of training to become an architect.

I’m not convinced you can knock up the drawings yourself.

i actually think that’s a reasonable quote OP.

Copy their application and technical drawings from the planning portal. I suspect your arrogance and mistakes will cost you a lot more than your quote

If it's her immediate neighbours, at very least she'll have to reverse left and right. I'm in a terrace and my kitchen faces the opposite way to my neighbours on either side.

And the architect may be after her for breach of copyright.

I think you are wading into cheeky fucker territory tbh.

I never discount my services regardless. Why would I earn less and devalue my skills when I have plenty of people enquiring for jobs who will pay full price?

Planning rules have changed a lot in the last couple of years. Even the council costs have increased, and contrary to people thinking it’s to get through planning queries, they’ve actually made it harder to navigate the process.
yabu.

YABVU

If you’re quibbling about a few hundred quid here, you’re not ready for the extension.

I’ve never been to your house but I can guarantee it’s not identical to your neighbour’s.

The architect will need to pay an engineer to do the structural calcs - unless they are qualified themselves. And that’s highly unlikely. So that cost exists irrespective of the drawings themselves.

When you say basic plans for the planning submission you are aware these have to be drawn to specific scales and then you have to build to exactly what you've had approved? If your extension ends up 50cm taller because you needed more insulation in the roof to comply with building regs than you'd accounded for then it's not in accordance with planning (completely seperate processes), meaning you don't have planning permission for it at all.

So they may suggest alterations to roof, roof lights or windows to take account of different direction and angles of sun and shade. Which won’t just be mirror image.

My Dad was an architect. Half his domestic clients fucked around with fees. Or had an initial consultation than took his ideas to a builder and didn’t pay him. But he’d see a bad version of his ideas take shape on the plot, and then have issues.

Firstly I'll state i don't think those fees are that bad for a professional service.

However on the planning application it is possible to do it yourself as long as you are able to successfully draw up scale plans and drawings. We have just been through the process for replacing our roof. DH drew up the plans and cross sections using PowerPoint and I found all the location plans using online services and filled in all the application, including statements about bats and protected trees. We did have a consultation with a Structural Engineer, who lives locally - he didn't charge for his opinion fortunately, but we will pay him Structural drawings for building control. Got the approval last week, so it is possible.

Do you expect to be paid when supplying your indemnified expertise to clients/employers, including third party work?

If so, why would the architect not be paid?

But do try copying your neighbour’s drawings and explaining all the calculations and decisions to the building inspector when they come round to consider approval.