When appointing an architect, a lot of time is lost due to organising the initial meeting, the site survey and any follow up meetings. As our customers provide the necessary measurements of their property we are able to start the drawings process immediately. Any conversations our customers wish to have is addressed through a telephone conversation and we always on hand for questions and queries. By removing site visits and unnecessary meetings from our process we can focus on providing your drawings as quickly as possible.

Yes! All you need is a tape measure. Add the necessary measurements of your property onto a quick sketch and we will do the rest. If you have estate agents floor plans you can add the measurements to these plans to make the process even easier. If you neighbour has a similar layout and has previous architectural plans then we could also work from these. Please see our guide for more detail.

A normal planning application is 8 weeks long however, the countdown doesn’t start until the council have validated the application which can take a couple of weeks. Upon validation the council aim to determine the outcome of the application within 8 weeks.

The drawings we provide are created to the same (if not better) standard as your local Architect. Our plans are created by an experienced member of our design team and will include everything the council require to process your planning or permitted development application. By streamlining our process and removing the unnecessary site visits we can provide the same detailed plans at a much cheaper price.

In an ideal world, this wouldn’t happen! We try to do as much research as possible prior to submitting your plans and we also reach out to the planning officer throughout the application to ensure they are happy. If the project is somewhat ambitious and the council do refuse the application, we will look to amend the drawings in line with the planning officer’s refusal notice, we will quote you a fee according to the changes required by the council. This will cover both the changes to the plans and us acting as the agent for the resubmission to the council.

A building control application must be submitted prior to commencement of construction works for all building projects. Building control are responsible for checking and approving your building regulation drawings and specifications and your structural engineering documents. You will be appointed a building inspector who will liaise with your builder and visit site throughout construction to ensure building regulations are being complied with.

Project management is not a service that we offer, nor do we believe it is something required for most projects. If a competent contractor is capable of running the majority of residential extension projects. Building control are appointed to liaise with the builders during construction to ensure the works are being completed to the necessary standard.

Upon approval of your planning application your building regulation drawings and engineers’ calculations will be submitted to building control for an application, this is to ensure all the information we have provided is double checked and compliant by a third party before work commences. This also goes for the builder too, the inspector will ensure the builder has followed our plans and installed them correctly resulting in a certificate, signing off the project. Once the application has been submitted you will receive a name and number of your assigned inspector who your builder can contact to arrange the different site visits, this should be normal practise for the builder.

Your building control application can be submitted to either the council or a private building control firm. As a private building control Is a business, they have a higher focus on customer service and are generally more readily available for queries and site visits. The final sign off that you receive from a private building control company is exactly the same as the approval you would receive from the council.

We advise waiting on approval of a certificate of lawful development prior to commencement of construction if you project falls within permitted development guidelines. Once you have the necessary approval from the council for the design of your project a building control application is submitted. We recommend submitting the building control application at least 3 weeks prior the start of your build to allow building control the time to approve your documentation. You are however within your rights to start building works just 5 days after submitted your building control application.

The majority of architects work on an hourly rate or a percentage of the build costs which makes it impossible to offer a final price until works have been completed. This can lead to unforeseen costs and an unexpectedly high final invoice. We have streamlined our service to provide you with only that which is necessary. We charge for your drawings only and will give you the finished price before you appoint our service, this includes one revision of your first draft plans.

Included in our cost is the purchase of an Ordnance survey map, this with your completed plans is everything the council need to process your application for almost all applications. We submit the application to the council and act as the agent throughout the process to ensure your application is processed as swiftly as possible, the council application fee is not included within our quotation.

Architects charge for their time spent on each project, a lot of this time is spent on drafting, site visits and meetings. This process is much more complex and not entirely necessary. We streamline this process, providing only what is necessary. As you provide the measurements, we do not have to charge for site visits and can start work on your plans immediately.

It’s simple, head over to our quote page to get a price. If you are happy with your quote, get in touch via the email we provide and we can start the process. Using our guide to ensure you have the images and measurements ready for us to start the drawings.