75ZT Community

Mrs BW and I are examining having an extension on Borg Warner Towers. Looked through the local paper and found an architect who did drawings for such an enterprise and arranged for him to visit.

He promptly turned up and had a look around. First thing he commented on was the size of garden, it's around a third of an acre. Passed the comment that we'd get a lot of houses on a plot this side????? Hmmm.

Anyway he said if we decided to go ahead with it he would arrange for someone to call to measure up? This would cost about £700.00. Seven hundred pounds for a bloke with a tape measure???? He would then draw us a sketch - £800.00 Eight hundred pounds for a fag packet???? Then there would be a proper drawing - £1200.00. Twelve hundred pounds for a couple of sheets of A2.

His total bill would be in the region of £4000.00.

When at our first house we had some drawings completed for, if IRC, £400.00 but that was 12 years ago. Have they really gone up that much?

Sorry if there are any architects on here, but is this what it really costs nowadays?

And no we are not selling it to a developer.

That does sound a bit expensive to me.... Perhaps he charges per mm of line drawn???

Architects usually charge a percentage of the price of the job, I forget how much but maybe 5-8%?

Best bet is to ask someone else.

My wife is architect and the rates can be as high as 10% or negotiated before the project starts. We had to use an architect in ZA as she is not registered here and I was angry when we got a bill for £5000 just for one drawing which she did but was submitted by a registered architect to the council planning dept for the house rebuild after the fire. What a cheek. You ought to shop around for different quotes if you have time and try to negotiate a better rate. Don't forget the VAT, be lucky!

Those Saab's don't buy themselves you know!

Borg Warner wrote:Mrs BW and I are examining having an extension on Borg Warner Towers. Looked through the local paper and found an architect who did drawings for such an enterprise and arranged for him to visit.

He promptly turned up and had a look around. First thing he commented on was the size of garden, it's around a third of an acre. Passed the comment that we'd get a lot of houses on a plot this side????? Hmmm.

Anyway he said if we decided to go ahead with it he would arrange for someone to call to measure up? This would cost about £700.00. Seven hundred pounds for a bloke with a tape measure???? He would then draw us a sketch - £800.00 Eight hundred pounds for a fag packet???? Then there would be a proper drawing - £1200.00. Twelve hundred pounds for a couple of sheets of A2.

His total bill would be in the region of £4000.00.

When at our first house we had some drawings completed for, if IRC, £400.00 but that was 12 years ago. Have they really gone up that much?

Sorry if there are any architects on here, but is this what it really costs nowadays?

And no we are not selling it to a developer.

I just read your letter out to my wife: she suggests you go to the council and ask them to pull out your existing plans. You could then ask a chartered surveyor or a draughtsman to do the drawings, based on those to reduce costs and depending on whether or not council will accept the new plans for submission from either. If they do, it is likely the fees will be lower than those rip off prices you had been quoted on.

Thanks for the comments guys. Have got a price from someone else and there's more or less a nought knocked off it. Go figure eh?

There's always someone willing to lighten one's wallet to an excessive amount. Had a recent quote for the belts on the hippo of £1300.00 from an independent Landy dealer too.

Gary M.