ETC

I'm not practicing at the moment - so no. On a flip side - how may members on here actually know who the governing body is for architects, (big hint - it is not the RIBA) what the difference is between an architect and an architectural designer is? or if members know that they can complain to our governing body about the service they get.

What about vets fees?.........................listen to Jeremy Vine about the subject - some people paying in excess of £10k!!!!

I give up!

Doesn't comply - forget it!

Rubbish.

According to @Dave Jones you can get a design for £1000 and construction drawings can be done in half a day. Don’t tell anyone but I’ve got this big red button on my laptop that when pushed will spit out a complete set of working drawings in about 10 seconds! I really think some people need to be shown the detail needed for a proper set of construction drawings and the time it takes to do them not to mention the years tracing required to get to that level of competence.

Me too. My wife is still waiting for the big bucks after all these years!

I once met a guy on site who boasted to me that he’d paid his architect peanuts and went on to tell me how much he’d spent on his heated drive! He had his priorities sorted.

7 years @Big Jimbo 7 long and hard years!!! And thanks for the kind words. I continue to work in the background helping where I can.

Lol. Just stirring the pot. As others have said just cut the brick at the bearing points only - you won’t need to do the whole row just the length of the required bearing for the lintel. Level up with cut bricks and mortar or cast in an insitu padstone for the lintel.

Firstly fire the bricklayer. Secondly take the brick down and start again this time with a proper level string line.

Rubbish.

Very very cheap. Please share where you can get a design for £1000 and construction drawings for an extra £250-£300.

And if the costs came in lower?

I agree wholeheartedly - the higher the cost estimate the higher the fee. No incentive to design something cost effective.

Never ever agree on a percentage fee - it’s a lazy way to determine a fee. Get them to actually work out what it will cost them to do the work.

I am very sorry to hear of your experience - it really isn’t - or shouldn’t be the norm. You should have determined your contract with them and made a complaint to ARB and RIAS. There is no place for incompetence in the profession. Smacks of inexperience to me.

Yes.

If i was in your shoes I would speak to your neighbour to start with - if you like the look of his house ask him who did the drawings and go from there. Whoever you choose tell them EXACTLY what you want and ask them for a fixed fee for this service - including all expenses, printing, mileage and so on - plus VAT. You could also ask for an hourly rate to be kept on the end of the telephone.

And bash again. You guys really do not like architects. The truth is that 90% of the drawings done in this industry are not done by architects - plan drawers! Check who you employ for starters - an architect should (and is legally obliged to) agree the cost of his services with you before he lifts a pen (well in this day and age a mouse).

Are you sure he was an "architect" - bet he wasn't!

Time to bash the architect - again!!

Absolutely.