Architects fees

Thank you. I'll check with architect tomorrow re examples of work and ask to explain quote in more detail.

Hi Sman, just to let you know i've recently used an architect in Limerick who does a consultancy service, i found them very good. They're called Prospect Architects.. not sure where they service but it would be worth a try..

thanks Alana. I think i am going to go for this Architect I met last week. From speaking to him - i think it is worth the extra money to have him do construction drawings and oversee the build also. I've come round to thinking that saving a couple of grand getting an engineer to draw up a house is not worth it. (of course i may be wrong). I would still be paying up to 5 grand and would require a lot more input from me.

Carrotcake - that price seems more like what i had read on other forums here and was the reason i was not too keen on goin with an architect - would probably work out >20k for full service. I am getting intitial planning stage for 4000. - Of course all architects are different and yours may be excellent and well worth the fee - but a 62.5% increase for the same service seems excessive: see my quote below - covered by 4000

Conception and general services

(1) Carry out a measured survey of the site
(2) Make preliminary consultations with Local Authority

Outline proposals
(1) Analyse the clients requirements, prepare outline/sketch design based on clients instructions
(2) Discuss proposal and incorporate clients comments

Scheme design
(1) Develop scheme design from approved outline/sketch design
(2) Prepare an application for planning permission

Hello Sman, thanks very much for that info. Much appreciated. Enquired with architect today to see if they could come down in price any way at all so they will see what they can do. The architect is very pleasant indeed to deal with and says that they have never had a client yet who has been unhappy with design or refused planning..my gut feeling is very good about them, it's just the big money that is worrying me! Tks again.

Hi Dublin 6 would you mind sharing the name of the architect with me - looking to engage an architect at the moment. We will be having a lot less work done than you had and they're looking for €20,000!

Architects are very expensive but in my opinion a good design goes a long way.

I have been in many boring houses that people got an engineer or wood work teacher to draw up. Or even worse a plan from a design book. More often than not these options result in a house that misses key design principles and is lacking despite the big money spent. Think of the long dark corridor in the bungalow!

A good architect designed house is worth an extra €20,000. A friend of mine had the big decision of whether or not to pay the expensive fees but I persuaded him to opt for a local Architect as I had been in one of his houses and was very impressed. The end product was and is very good and is nothing like the ideas he had or the engineer he was initially talking to. He paid something like £5,000 which was alot at the time but now it seems like money well spent.

From my experience Architects will ask for big fee but will usually work for less if you offer them less. I employed an architect to do a drawing for me for £6,500 for a house that would have cost £150,000 to build at the time. This included planning. He wanted to do the full package and charge 10% but I insisted that all I needed was the design / drawings and planning. I waved 6.500 at him and all he did was site visit and sketches - his draughtman a French student did the working drawings on the computer. I was very happy with the finished product - although after working with him on this project I now know how they think or approach work and would be less fearful of having a go at designing myself in the futher.

I think the site visit part can be a bit of a rip - the same Architect did a job for another friend and he only visited the site about 4 times when the builder was there (I worked on this project as a labourer and the builder was not impressed by his quick pit stops). My own worry was that the Architect was not there when the concrete was poured in the foundations!

The end product was a very nice transformation of a farm house....

Anyways - I personally will employ an architect when I find a new site.

Best of luck and remember to be assertive and ask questions and make the Architect work for his/ her money.


Best of luck

Paid 4K cash to a fully qualified guy to design ours and submit planning application on our behalf.

There's a few things I'd change or wouldn't do again now that it's built but overall am happy with it.

Best of luck, this stage is worth spending the time and money on imo you're going to be in it a long time!