Cost for architect's fees?

HappyG1rl

I am planning to replace a flat felt roof with a pitched tiled one and hidden boxed guttering. How much would it cost roughly for architect's fees for drawing up plans?

Will_it_make_me_rich

Could you not have the pitch of the roof at a smaller angle so their would be no need for a gulley around the window.

For what you want to do I would think £300 is enough for the drawing fees, not sure an architect would be this cheap though.
Your best bet is to try and find someone that does plans on the side.

MrsJ2008

If it just Building Regs than an Architects would charge around £500. My other half is an Architect and says that you can get any person to do this i.e., technician, surveyor or as someone recommend above, local paper.

He also said that you could get away without drawings by obtaining a different application - Building Notice Application. This would mean that the the building inspector would come & inspect/instruct you weekly.

If you went for the full plans (drawings) application the inspector would come out at different stages of the build i.e., when footings are done, dpc, first lift & roof, etc.

Different Councils have differing charges but if you submit a full plans application you pay the council small amounts throughout the build. The notice application is the full charge at the beginning.

Contact your local authority building control (not planning) department for more info/advice.

Hope that helps.

MrsJ2008

Oh, forgot.. if you want to find an architect, look on the R.I.B.A's website (Royal Institute of British Architects).

Doozergirl

Do you really need an architect?

We used a Roofing Solutions company based in Kidderminster, who measured up the area and used a computer program to design the roof to the correct scale. They then built the trusses for us and one of their men fitted it for us. We used our own roofer to tile it. I'm sure you would only have to tell them that you would like an x sized velux and they will design it appropriately for you.

pm me if you want the number

iamcornholio

If you go the building notice route, then ensure that the contractor knows what to specify (material sizes and location etc).

Building control is not an advisory service, but an inspection service. You may get lucky and get a helpful inspector, but Birmingham BCO's are busy and time limited for inspections.

Agree with your contractor what he is responsible for - you don't want him to order or fit timber sections, and then have them inspected and declared inadequate. Ideally, make the contractor responsible for "specifying the required materials to conform to any applicable standard and to the approved documents"

Also bear in mind that the council are only required to inspect certain things, and they will not inspect for quality or workmanship - unless really bad. For this type of work, you will probably only get two inspections - one when the roof timbers are on, and the other the final completion check. So don't rely on the council inspection for ensuring that the work is what you wanted or expected from the contractor.

And a roofer fits tiles, but a carpenter constructs the timber rafters. A carpenter should be quite able to specify timber sizes, but if the roofer wants you to get an architect involved, then I would question his knowledge of roof framing. He may be a good roofer, but not a good carpenter.

This is an easy job, so I would ask why the roofing company want to work off plans - pass the responsibility maybe?

Finally, an Architect is overkill and too expensive for this type of work. You want a 'designer' who can be anyone competent to draw plans - building surveyor, engineer, architectural technician etc