# cost of architect



## triciamonty (25 May 2011)

Hello to all, my sister has received quotes from architects for pre-planning meeting and planning application .One quote was for 650 euros pre-planning and 2500 euros for planning application.Also if any further info was asked for it would be 500 euros.this person is very qualified and has  proven track record ,but do you think its a bit steep ? The other price was 2200 all in .why such a difference ? Your opinions please....thank you.


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## Superman (25 May 2011)

triciamonty said:


> Hello to all, my sister has received quotes from architects for pre-planning meeting and planning application .One quote was for 650 euros pre-planning and 2500 euros for planning application.Also if any further info was asked for it would be 500 euros.this person is very qualified and has  proven track record ,but do you think its a bit steep ? The other price was 2200 all in .why such a difference ? Your opinions please....thank you.


Both are cheap (to say the least).
Find out what they do for the money.
Any difference may or may not be related to the actual quality of the work they do - at that sort of price I would imagine it is an "ordinary" type design. 
I'd recommend seeing images of finished projects they've done to determine which your sister likes more. In the overall scheme of things, the difference in price is only a tiny fraction of the end cost - it would be worth it to get the better design.


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## Peter Sweeny (25 May 2011)

Most important to see samples of their work, you will get a good feel from previous drawings submitted by the architects whether they are on the same wave length as you for what you may be planning.


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## onq (25 May 2011)

triciamonty said:


> Hello to all, my sister has received quotes from architects for pre-planning meeting and planning application .One quote was for 650 euros pre-planning and 2500 euros for planning application.Also if any further info was asked for it would be 500 euros.this person is very qualified and has  proven track record ,but do you think its a bit steep ? The other price was 2200 all in .why such a difference ? Your opinions please....thank you.




Other posts have referred to the quality of the work you will get for this money.
People don't seem to understand that the lines on the planning drawings do not proportionally reflect the amount of time put in or the sheer work needed to create the design.
Using CAD even a visually dense drawing can be drawn in around a day but even for the survey this doesn't reflect the time taken to visit the site and survey the building.

How much less might it reflect the time taken to design a building from scratch, a significant part of which process can be trying to bring out of your clients mind what they actually want, sometimes melding conflicting desires and aspirations within the one person and definitely from each person in a couple living together.
Depending on how well the couple have communicated their relative ambitions you may end up like a marriage guidance counselor before the job even gets to planning lodgement.
There is no way this process of discovery and creation will be recorded in the final drawing, which could be the twelfth revision or more.

If all you want is a square box with a standard window and traditional building spec a draughtsman could knock out a permission in a day based on sketch plans in his possession.
It would look terrible, probably take away from the dwelling and add little or nothing to the amenity of the the house because it would not be properly designed.

Each site is its own unique set of circumstances, each client is equally unique - standard boxes are the same poor quality solution and people know this instinctively.
In addition to this, if the draughtsman didn't understand detailing and scheduling, specification and contract, you could be well on your way to a disaster.

The fact that your sister hasn't appointed the architect for the complete job, inception through planning, tender process, working drawings, site inspections and final certification suggests neither person she spoke to has properly explained the role of the architect to her or the benefits of appointing a competent design professional.

May I respectfully suggest she reads the Key Posts at the top of this forum, particularly the ones entitled " What to ask your architect at your first meeting" and "The Self Build FAQ".
This should inform her as to what she might expect to discuss with her representatives and why their role should not end with "a set of drawings".

ONQ.

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## RIAD_BSC (26 May 2011)

Is this for a domestic extension or an entire new build?

I recently got an architect to design an extension, do planning drawings, send in application etc..... €1,800 all in. We are delighted with his innovative design, he was always courteous and available if we had queries and he clearly put considerable time and effort into it - it shows in his design.

He is an award-winning and experienced architect who has obviously just cut his prices to get work - he's not some cowboy. He scheduled several meetings with us at our home, and was a consummate professional throughout.

The upshot is that we have now hired him on a fixed price to do tender drawings and oversee the build - this is work he got from us only because he gave us such great value first time round. We hadn't intended on getting him to do this extra work originally. We have also recommended him to some friends who are thinking of extending.

Architects who do things cheaply aren't always rip-off merchants or cowboys. Some architects know how to react to the market and adjust their cost bases and prices accordingly, and hence are getting more work out of it in a challenging market.

To the OP - the first guy in particular sounds to me like he may be charging over the odds (although we have no details on your project)..... Do not pay above market rates, no matter what lobbyists for the architectural profession say to frighten you.......


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## thumbelina (16 Jan 2012)

Riad_Bsc,

Are you allowed to give out details of the architect you used?

If so can you send them on please.


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## threebedsemi (16 Jan 2012)

If you're happy with your finished product RIAD_BSC then good for you.

Underpricing work generally leads to corner-cutting while doing the work (it has to by default), which may not be evident to the client (who is not an expert) at the time of completion, but may appear as a problem with the building down the line. 

When this happens, the Architects who underpriced the work aren't likely to be around in 5 years time and keeping up their PI Insurance in the meantime if something goes wrong and you need to persue them....

www.studioplustwo.com


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