Architect fee stages

thegentleway

Looking for advice with regard to architect fee stages

We were quoted

Stage 1 Measured Survey £450.00 + VAT
Stage 2 Scheme Design Floor Plans £400.00 + VAT
Stage 3 Scheme Design Elevations £300.00 + VAT
Stage 4 Prepare and Submit Planning Application £50.00 + VAT
Stage 5 If required, incorporate and/or action local authority planning departments comments to achieve determination. £50.00 + VAT per hour, or fees to be agreed.
Stage 6 Building Regulation Drawings £800.00 + VAT
Stage 7 If required, any works relating to re design of schemes, planning resubmissions and amending building regulation drawings. £50.00 + VAT per hour, or fees to be agreed.

Have paid for Stages 1, 2, 3, and 4. Architect has request payment for Stage 6 on 19 Dec as they  submitted the building reg application on that date. However, we haven't received the drawings because the structural engineer recommended we get a soil sample and check depth of current foundations. This is scheduled for 9 Jan.

Anyway, it seems odd to me to make final payment until we have got the drawings? Or am I being unnecessarily suspicious? 

Doozergirl

So far they've put in the hours and trusted you to pay them after each event?  And they've put the hours in for the building regs drawings but just a little more info from the structural engineer to finish them? 

Trust goes two ways, I think it's worth remembering that.  They don't know you either, but so far they've done everything they've said they would and trusted you to pay.  

I think their career is worth more to them than £800 plus VAT, but we all need to put food on the table and those fees are not high.  

I think you may be being unreasonably suspicious. 

Little_bit_taller

That is so cheap!

Cloth_of_Gold

Doozergirl said:

So far they've put in the hours and trusted you to pay them after each event?  And they've put the hours in for the building regs drawings but just a little more info from the structural engineer to finish them? 

Trust goes two ways, I think it's worth remembering that.  They don't know you either, but so far they've done everything they've said they would and trusted you to pay.  

I think their career is worth more to them than £800 plus VAT, but we all need to put food on the table and those fees are not high.  

I think you may be being unreasonably suspicious. 

This is a very sensible post.

gzoom

Little_bit_taller said:

That is so cheap!

Almost unbelievably cheap, our architect fees were many folds higher. 

weeg

Your architect is a bargain! They've done the drawings and lodged the application. It's (sensibly) cautious to hang back on sending you drawings until they confirm the SE isn't likely to ask for changes.

thegentleway

weeg said:

Your architect is a bargain! They've done the drawings and lodged the application. It's (sensibly) cautious to hang back on sending you drawings until they confirm the SE isn't likely to ask for changes.

What's SE?

Building control have responded with "Further information is required for the foundation design as within 2m away from Leylandi hedgerow"

stuart45

SE is a Structural Engineer. If your subsoil is shrinkable clay, it might need an engineer designed foundation. There are various grades of shrinkable clay, so it might be possible to just have a deeper strip foundation.