Building a Home Renovating Design Dilemma

Architect plans awful- do I have to pay?

5 years ago

So we've just had initial 2d plans from architect and they are awful. Apart from the fact they don't fit the brief they are massively inaccurate.

Doors and walls are in wrong places and measurements appear to be massively inaccurate. For example the kitchen is half the size it should be in the initial plans

I would normally be happy to go back and ask for corrections and give benefit of the doubt but my concern is that these are the plans the builders will use so need to 100% trust they will be accurate.

We have signed a contract to instruct the work

What should I do? Go back and give her a chance to correct the mistakes. Or say we don't wish to use her because of the mistakes? If we went with the latter would we still be liable to pay her.

Or are initial drawings only rough to give the client an idea and a case of crossed wires maybe? I needed them to be accurate to help me decide what I want as the size of the extension is the problem we are having most difficulty deciding on

Not a great start Please help

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Comments (4)

Rhian Evans
Original Author
5 years ago
(On a different note- does anyone know why I cant post from my phone. The text goes all funny when I try to reply to anyone and I have to use my computer. Thanks)
Jonathan
5 years ago
I think you need to brace yourself for bumps in the road because there will be plenty building an extension.
I think you need to clarify if the plans produced are supposed to be finished quality or are they just produced by a junior to check that creatively they are heading in the right direction.
If it is supposed to be a finished product but is inaccurate and demonstrates a failure to listen to the brief then you need to give them another chance as it may be a failure in your communication.
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We are now half way through our build: 2 storey and loft conversion. Things are going well enough-ish. Building Regs have come to inspect the 'structural' part of the build only to find a few things they need changing. One is in the part of the house that should be 'untouched'.... namely the through lounge/diner. The arch between the once-two-rooms has had to have its' beam exposed to assess. They have now come to the conclusion that this current old beam is 'grossly over-stressed' and now needs to be taken out and a new one put in, thus a design fee. We are a bit cross that this didn't get flagged up at the beginning. It is now a 4 storey house and this particular steel is on the 1st floor/ground floor. We have been told by architect that it needs replacing as soon as. The builder advises and reassures us that it can be done in a month or so... no rush. But we are worried the weight above like the new sanitaryware in the ensuite will compromise the weight above. Can anyone advise us on the extra costings and the need for this urgency? Thank you.
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Hullo Masklin, it does sound like a tricky situation, and I'm sorry to hear about these additional costs. Building work is always expensive to begin with, and additional and unexpected costs are never welcome. In respect of whether there is scope to obtain costs for this from your architect and structural engineer, this will most likely come down to the original appointment, their scope of involvement in the project, and whether they where direct appointments with you - or whether the SE was appointed through the architect. If the architect and SE were appointed to undertake planning and building regulations drawings with no exploratory or invasive works (ie stripping back existing structure in the house to assess structure before the project was tendered) then there will have been a number of reasonable assumptions on their part, which will only have been assessed when a main contractor started. The conversion of the attic would have added some additional loading to the property, but certainly less than adding a whole additional storey. There is every chance that additional bedroom space at this level would have less weight implication than someone stuffing their attic full with storage. SE's are notoriously cautious, so their assumption for the attic should have taken into account any additional loading, and if an existing (previously completed) opening needs to be reinforced, it might suggest that the existing opening was not designed appropriately to begin with. The flaws in existing structural design would generally fall into 'unforeseen' items, which is generally where contingency funds are intended for use. However, as others have suggested, if you are unhappy you can always pursue this further through the ARB, or RIBA (if your architect is a member of these bodies) or through the body that the structural engineer belongs too - but it is always worthwhile starting a discussion with the architect and SE and asking them to clarify how this happened. They will no doubt want to try and address this and have the opportunity to resolve this with you direct. Check your appointments with them, and what they were briefed (and paid) to undertake on your behalf. It might also be worthwhile trying to source any information you can about the original works and structural beam that got installed. Hopefully there will be a positive outcome from it all. Good luck! K :)
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Hiring an architect may seem like an unnecessary expense, however, the right one can help you avoid hidden costs in the future and get the most out of your budget. For starters, an architect is best able to assess your space and get it working hardest for you. They’ll also give you an accurate understanding on the scope of work needed, so you can better plan out your finances. Not only this, they know the ins and outs of planning, meaning if you need it, they’ll be able to sort this for you ahead of time. Saving you time and money. If you’re removing a chimney breast, you’ll probably need a structural engineer. Again, an architect will be able to refer you to the best one for the project. Also, depending on your chimney, you could impact on a party wall. This could require its own set of planning, or even the recommendation of a good party wall surveyor. No matter the professional, at Resi, we try our best to put you in touch with the right people for the job. From CCTV surveyors, all the way to builders. If you’re still unsure about whether or not an architect is right for your project, feel free to book in a free advice call with our team: https://resi.co.uk/advice_calls/new
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Mainly for coordination (contractors, structural engineers etc), some drawings or interior design. Architects do all those. If you think your project's simpler than that, a good builder should be ok, but you'll still have to manage them and make sure thay make what you want. If you need some refferences for good cotnractors let me know.
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Sonia
5 years ago
My brother was complaining the other day about the architect’s drawings on his latest job. Measurements were missing and the staircase design was unworkable. He’s had to arrange a meeting between the architect and the staircase company to try and find a solution. Also the new roof frame was supposed to be delivered ready constructed, which meant closing the road, at a cost of £2500, and arranging a crane to lift it in place. My brother said it would be far cheaper to employ a chippie and build the roof frame in situ. He got his way. I’m sure there are some great architects out there, but there are some that just aren’t.
PRO
IMBY3 Architecture & Design
5 years ago
There seems to be a few issues at play here....

Firstly, your architect should clearly communicate with you whether the drawings are concept drawings, planning drawings, building control or construction drawings. Each different type will contain different information, so if you don't know what type you have I would advise you ask.

Secondly, what were your payment terms with your architect? When we're working on private residential projects we break the project down into 3 phases and only charge for each phase on completion of the work carried out. So you shouldn't be in a position where you're tied into an agreement that you can't get out of.

Also, we set our fees as fixed prices for each phase and fully understand that the best design will need to go through several iterations before it's good to go. In fact I never anticipate that the first draft will be issued without revisions. Design is dialogue, so it requires the client's feedback and comments to fine tune. Our fee doesn't change depending on the number of changes required - the only time we would charge an additional fee would be if the brief changes or the scope of work grows. If your architect is expecting to be paid for work you're not happy with I would suggest there is something not right there. Check your agreement and see what it says about what your architect will deliver in return of payment.

And thirdly (and probably most importantly), if there are such basic errors on your drawings I would say they're as good as useless. Once you've lost trust in the reliability of a drawing it can be difficult to win it back. The mistakes you've seen are only the ones you've spotted. There's a good chance that there are hidden mistakes too, and they could lead to costly issues on site. As a minimum the drawings should be accurate, regardless of whether or not you like them. For that reason alone I would say you shouldn't pay for the work until it is at least free of basic error.

I hope that's helpful. Good luck with the project!

Architect plans awful- do I have to pay?

Comments (4)

Rhian Evans
Original Author

Jonathan

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Architect plans awful- do I have to pay?

Comments (4)

Rhian EvansOriginal Author

Jonathan

Related Discussions

Sonia

IMBY3 Architecture & Design

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Rhian Evans
Original Author