Architect - who do i complain too

raq

Okay, be as brief as I can

Had a local architect to do some artic drawings for us at the beginning of the year. Not cheap as you can imagine.

Builders ordered the timber , and other materials. We paid for them, ( especially ordered because of the size ). Well over £3,500. THen low and behold, the dimensions was slightly out. We lost a lot of money. Thankgod the builders where able to adjust some of the timber but not all of them.

When myself and the builders rang the architect, he was so full of himself and stated " you are not suppose take my dimensions as 100% accurate. ". If you read the tiny print at the bottom of the drawings, it will state this information. Well hello, who should then. We where fumming. NOthing was done, he had his money and didn,t care.

I don,t want another family having to go through what we went through.

ANYBODY NOW WHO WE TURN TO PUT IT IN WRITING ABOUT THIS HUGE MESS.

Thanks guys

sunshinetours

Firstly follow the architects own complaints procedure usually involving the senior partner (may be same person in a one man band) and if no joy there get the RIBA involved which is their governing body is all else fails, however mention this first to the architect that you plan on doing this.
Surely if accurate (scale) plans have been drawn up you should be able to rely on them?

teneighty

It sounds to me like your claim is against the builder and not the architect.

It is standard practice for the builder to check dimensions on site as your architect rightly confirmed and pointed out the standard note to that effect on the drawing.

I'm assuming it is a loft conversion so there is no way the architect would have been able to get totally accurate measurement crawling around in the roof space, probably on his own. Once the contract is awarded and the roof space opened up it is far easier for the builder to check all the measurements and correct any minor errors.

That probably isn't the answer you wanted but you are wasting your time trying to pursue the architect.

raq

thanks for both replies. The builder used the architect quite a few times and knew his work well. Unlucky for us, not so with our loft conversion.

I can see what your saying about , wasting time but we are so annoyed over the whole incident. My hubby had to work 2 weekends in a row to cover the costs.

System

if it says on the drawings (as it usually does) something along the lines of "all dimensions to be checked on site and any discrepancies reported to the architect"
then that's exactly what should have happened - if the guy is registered you should contact the arb, however if there is a note saying to check dimensions on site then there is little point in pursuing the architect as the dimensions should have been checked prior to anything being ordered/built.
incedently, how much did the measured survey set you back, and how long did it take them to complete?
to do a mm accurate survey on an existing roofspace for a loft conversion would take a while and likely require a couple of people (including one small one to get right into all the edges of the roof)
It should be a matter of course for anyone doing work to check the dimensions on site before doing anything

rxbren

it will say on the drawings do not scale from this drawing
most drawings will be out you should always double check all measurements first before ordering
was working on an old villa and all the measurements for the building walls were out so all new works measurements were out by a small amount too

raq

okay guys, thanks again for the replies

builders also did check the measurements as i was also present when they did this.

up in the air now whether to pursue it or not.

System

the builders checked the measurements and ordered the materials and are blaming the architects drawings for things being the wrong size?! seems like theres a buck being passed here...

mysk_girl

Yes, I'd agree with buck being passed. At the very least if the builders measurements didn't match the written dimensions, it should have been referred back to the architect... My drawings usually say "do not scale, all dimensions to be checked on site prior to fabrication or ordering of materials and all discrepancies to be reported to the engineer" (I'm a structural engineer, not an architect, but similar enough)

lostinrates

We are doing a Reno project, and honestly, we have a very good highly recommended architect and he himself will say...'on site things sometimes work out differently'. His plans were made on plans based on a very, very expensive 3d digital surveying provided by a third party, but once you start things change a little.

Builders should know that the plans are plans.....but the best laid plans can not translate in actuality.

If it were not dimensions it might have been something else. For example, we found an old well under a courier of our house, and there have been other extra costs for unforeseen happenings, changes, where plans looked great but on the ground looked less great.

The plans, nonetheless, have been the steer of the project and the guidelines, and 'Bible' of the works done.

It's essential, I now realise, however well costed things are,(and we were costed almost down to number of screws) to take seriously the contigency fund recommended, and to make sure your builder and architect are respectively adaquately insured, and that your insurersare aware and happy for work to go ahead.