Architect - should she have checked utilities before designing?

AnnieMary

Hello


We are in the middle of an incredibly stressful renovation project and one of the delays has been that the electrical supply for the street runs about 1.5m from the front door of the property and is very shallow. This was discovered by the groundsmen as the architect didn't research this in her design and the design relies on building too close to where the cable lies.


The delay in trying to get SSE to move the cable is costing us thousands. The builder says the architect should have looked at this before doing the design. Any ideas if he is right?


Thanks!

teneighty

I would say it is not down to the Architect unless there was something visible like an electricity substation next door that would suggest possible underground cables in the vicinity.

Most large mains electrical cables running across a property should have an easement so should be mentioned in your title deeds and therefore would be down to you to tell the Architect likewise any restrictive covenants restricting development.

Interesting question though, hopefully others have more first hand experience of this and can give more help.

Doozergirl

I wouldn't expect my architect to look at that kind of thing, particularly. It isn't part of a standard planning application.

It would have to be an extra cost as you'd need searches. And the person with the search information is usually already the homeowner, so why pay twice?

If you don't know your house, how is anyone else going to?

DRP

Doozergirl wrote: »

I wouldn't expect my architect to look at that kind of thing, particularly. It isn't part of a standard planning application.

It would have to be an extra cost as you'd need searches. And the person with the search information is usually already the homeowner, so why pay twice?

If you don't know your house, how is anyone else going to?

In that case, would it not be reasonable for a good architect to have asked whether the owner knows where the utilities enter the house? (I assume this wasn't asked)

A layman is not likely to know the relevance of such details until asked/told.

In any case, the costs are up to the OP to deal with unfortunately.

System

is it on your property? i.e. is the power supply for the whole street running inside your boundary or are you planning on building right up to the boundary and this cable is now too close? what distance is too close? and why is the whole street supply running very shallow (and what is very shallow?)

I don't think there is any responsibility on the architect to investigate a possible shallow laid electrical main running in your property unless there is anything obvious to suggest this would be the case - you can usually have a stab at where drainage lines are running when looking at an extension but it would be a hell of a spot to notice an underground cable running in a completely unexpected location - this is why you have contingency sums in your contract!

Doozergirl

DRP wrote: »

In that case, would it not be reasonable for a good architect to have asked whether the owner knows where the utilities enter the house? (I assume this wasn't asked)

A layman is not likely to know the relevance of such details until asked/told.

In any case, the costs are up to the OP to deal with unfortunately.

There's a difference between your own domestic utility connections and public ones. Where domestic utilities come in will be obvious to the builder and not a particular concern for permissions and buildovers.

brightontraveller

Doozergirl wrote: »

There's a difference between your own domestic utility connections and public ones. Where domestic utilities come in will be obvious to the builder and not a particular concern for permissions and buildovers.

Whilst the former should be obvious the later should be taken into account when extending beyond existing building boundary ?
Utilities in this case electricity (The Mains/Service Cable)tend to belong to National grid and be there responsibility until it reaches the Cut-Out/Service Head


Utilities etc some provide plans free some charge some are clueless as to what’s were?

Electricity(National Grid) provide info free? You still need to take care before preceding,
Some would expect good experienced architect to check, ask, enquire etc with client / utility providers (especially the free ones) It would be down to T & C but I’d guess unless there a moron they have covered there !!!!?

AnnieMary

Thanks all. The architect knows we are entirely inexperienced (and will never be doing again..!) - that's partly why I asked as I don't know, and the builder is saying she should have. The actual supply for the street is in the wrong place and instead of running along the street it runs very close to the properties and was laid 50+ years ago when the house was built. We didn't know to check this, and we have never lived in the house. She is relatively inexperienced too. We're also frustrated as we agreed at the start that she would project manage - she hasn't done this at all, and apparently has never intended to. We haven't had the heart to dig out the contract yet but it is entirely possible that despite the conversations and agreeing verbally (she even offered the service), she didn't put it in the contract and we didn't notice. We certainly wouldn't have given her the impression we were thinking about it - we always intended to have the architect PM for us.


Anyway - we are massively adrift and nearly bankrupt and it is very frustrating. We don't want to challenge her - we just want all this behind us. We just feel a little beleaguered and beset.


Can we maybe sue Kevin McCloud?

brightontraveller

AnnieMary wrote: »

Thanks all. The architect knows we are entirely inexperienced (and will never be doing again..!) - that's partly why I asked as I don't know, and the builder is saying she should have. The actual supply for the street is in the wrong place and instead of running along the street it runs very close to the properties and was laid 50+ years ago when the house was built. We didn't know to check this, and we have never lived in the house. She is relatively inexperienced too. We're also frustrated as we agreed at the start that she would project manage - she hasn't done this at all, and apparently has never intended to. We haven't had the heart to dig out the contract yet but it is entirely possible that despite the conversations and agreeing verbally (she even offered the service), she didn't put it in the contract and we didn't notice. We certainly wouldn't have given her the impression we were thinking about it - we always intended to have the architect PM for us.


Anyway - we are massively adrift and nearly bankrupt and it is very frustrating. We don't want to challenge her - we just want all this behind us. We just feel a little beleaguered and beset.


Can we maybe sue Kevin McCloud?

whilst there are regulations as to depths, coverings, markers warnings etc they are not retrospective and rarely meet in much of the supply network you could blame architect you and builder all for not checking asking etc ? Why and who is saying there in Wrong place ???? who has told you this National Grid or your builder ?

Doozergirl

If someone is project managing, you'd notice the bill, no? You'd notice my bill!

mishkanorman

AnnieMary wrote: »

Thanks all. The architect knows we are entirely inexperienced (and will never be doing again..!) - that's partly why I asked as I don't know, and the builder is saying she should have. The actual supply for the street is in the wrong place and instead of running along the street it runs very close to the properties and was laid 50+ years ago when the house was built. We didn't know to check this, and we have never lived in the house. She is relatively inexperienced too. We're also frustrated as we agreed at the start that she would project manage - she hasn't done this at all, and apparently has never intended to. We haven't had the heart to dig out the contract yet but it is entirely possible that despite the conversations and agreeing verbally (she even offered the service), she didn't put it in the contract and we didn't notice. We certainly wouldn't have given her the impression we were thinking about it - we always intended to have the architect PM for us.


Anyway - we are massively adrift and nearly bankrupt and it is very frustrating. We don't want to challenge her - we just want all this behind us. We just feel a little beleaguered and beset.


Can we maybe sue Kevin McCloud?

Its a nightmare, I know, but to NOT check what someone intends to do and what you will be paying them for is just bad adulting imho. Not understanding or knowing isnt the same as not bothering to keep yourself informed.

What does the architect say in response to the new information ? Have you asked her why she didnt take it into account ?

Sounds like you are having trouble keeping it a business relationship, you're paying so protect your own interests.