Mrs H

Got a LABC gong for a self build certified Passive House. So maybe.

This is "Public Law" - also known as "Administrative Law". This is the body of law which includes the exercise of powers and duties by public bodies. Their authority is derived from Statute Law. The Building Regulations are another example of Public/Admin Law.

Yes. It's in the small print on my policy.

And fined up to £5000. And removed from the Register. Thus no longer being an architect. Therefore insurance is compulsory. http://www.arb.org.uk/regulating-use-of-the-title-architect-professional-standards

The ARB's FAQs on PI might be enlightening - http://www.arb.org.uk/pii–frequently-asked-questions They brought in compulsory PI about 20(?) years ago when I was registered but not working as I had small children. This would have been a financial blow but then the RIBA responded with a slimline policy RIBASur50 which cost £50 and provided £50K worth of cover - this was most welcome for architects who were part-time/semi-retired. Then a few years later the ARB imposed the £250K minimum which sent premiums up into the hundreds. It's worth noting that the £250K is for construction costs - this does not include the land cost. Nor generally the kitchen if it is installed outside of the building contract (there was one for £60K in a Self build I did a few years ago - so a significant amount).

Yes. It is compulsory for architects to have professional indemnity insurance. (PI is not required for pretend architects)

The ARB has a Find an Architect button on its home page. http://www.arb.org.uk/ All architects in the UK are listed there. (If someone is not listed then they're not an architect) The RIBA has a Find an Architect search tool - https://www.architecture.com/FindAnArchitect/FAAHome.aspx (find me there under sustainable design) CIAT has a Find a Practice search page - http://www.ciat.org.uk/en/members/ - (link provided to be fair to ATs) Given the thousands of qualified and insured people available to design buildings I'm mystified as to why anyone used unqualified/uninsured "Architectural Services". Would people take such an approach with their teeth?

No - this is a legal requirement. The ARB is a government body empowered to enforce The Architect's Act 1997 through Statutory Instruments. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/architects-registration-board From the earlier link I provided - " Standard 8 of the Architects Code - Standards of Conduct and Practice provides that: You are expected to have adequate and appropriate insurance cover for you, your practice and your employees. You should ensure that your insurance is adequate to meet a claim, whenever it is made. You are expected to maintain a minimum level of cover, including run-off cover, in accordance with the Board's guidance.

Architects are required by law to have Professional Indemnity insurance and can be prosecuted in the magistrate court for failing to have any/adequate PI. So it's not an optional extra. PI covers mistakes in the design in terms of detail failure, specification of the wrong materials, wrong dimensions, failure in procedure, leading to financial loss for their client. Here is the government's statement about Architect PI - http://www.arb.org.uk/professional-indemnity-insurance

Hello & thanks everyone for your welcomes. Fallingditch - this is what I mean. Your designer may not have had professional indemnity insurance to carry out architectural design. I don't know if indemnity for structural engineers covers this. My indemnity doesn't cover structural engineering. Yes, "both references and the relationship area really important" - but more so are qualifications and insurance. Without qualifications how could any designer get professional indemnity (PI) insurance? Architects are the most educated designers in the construction industry and yet we are required to carry PI insurance. Technicians/Technologists who are members of CIAT also have PI. http://www.ciat.org.uk/

We don't have gas either. I looked at induction hobs but didn't fancy getting rid of all my pans and replacing with iron. We bought a Bosch ceramic hob - It looks like an induction hob but you can use any pans, and it's cheaper. It's far better than the old fashioned electric rings and heats up really fast.

I work across a few local authority (LA) areas (as an architect) building stuff. One LA has a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), other LAs do not. This is a tax on new homes which developers pay to the local council. As a self builder you can get exemption. One of my self builds is affected and there's quite a few bits of paperwork to get right or it will cost £1000s. It's vital to find out if a CIL applies as you have to do all the paperwork to gain exemption BEFORE starting any building work.

If only. Location = West Midlands

Sorry - you were Unlucky. We give a fixed cost quotation and stop at the tender stage. No amount of cash/percentages would inspire me to undertake project management. Since the Principal Designer role appeared we have ongoing responsibilities into the contract stage though. Also I don't give build cost estimates - that's a QS job. I can give a £/square metre estimate based on whether it's new build or conversion and what the ground conditions are. Are you sure you had a real architect? A a third of those advertising as architects in my area are not registered with the ARB and therefore not architects. (There's no such thing as an unregistered architect - http://www.architects-register.org.uk/ )

Hello BuildHub forum. I'm a Chartered Architect specialising in the domestic market. I'm not here to sell my services, nor to dispense advice. I know a lot about the procedures involved in commissioning a house and hopefully can say things such as "We did it like this..." without incurring liability. What I hope to gain from this forum is an insight into problems encountered from the client point of view. I've already learned a few things. I'm getting more Self Build projects recently and am interested in streamlining my support services to those who don't need a full architect's service. Often I find that people don't know what they don't know. Me included.