FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We aim to complete all our architectural drawings within 4 weeks of the initial visit from our technicians measuring your property. However, this can vary depending on the size of your project.

Depending on your requirements, there are two of architectural drawings. These are Building Regulation Drawings and general Planning/Concept Drawings.

 
Planning/Concept Drawings give you an understanding of the project layout and appearance of the project. These drawings can then be submitted to your local planning authority.

Building Regulation Drawings give a detailed understanding of the materials and construction methods used within the project. These drawings can be checked by Building Control to ensure the project is compliant with the Building Regulations.

This entirely depends on the size of your property. Our technicians that visit to measure your property are trained to measure the property in an efficient and accurate way. On average, it takes 1-2 hours to measure a 2-bed terraced house. 

In the initial instance, one of our experienced consultants will visit you to discuss the project and your requirements. They will be able to advise if the project is possible within current regulations, while also providing you with some design ideas.

 
Once you are happy to proceed, our technicians will visit the property to conduct a full measured survey of the property. On this visit, one of our highly qualified architectural technologists will also attend to gain a visual understanding of the project and discuss design ideas. 

During the drawing process, our team will continue to liaise with you to ensure that our drawings are meeting your needs and requirements. When we have finished the first design proposal, we will send you a digital copy of the drawings for you to view and approve, or make amendments.

The majority of our drawings don’t always specify structural work as it can depend on whether you have a structural engineers report. However, all our drawings show an indication of where potential structural work is required.

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If you require a structural engineer for your project, we can supply you with a quotation for a structural engineering report. Our technologists are then able to incorporate structural engineering calculations into the designs. If you already have a structural report, this can be incorporated from the beginning of the design.

We can provide you with a 3D model showing the design via an online resource. This is commonly provided on request towards the end of the design process.

This can vary depending on several factors. We consider which type of drawing do you need, the size of property, and the extent and size of the project.

Unlike other companies, we don’t ask for the full balance or majority of the fee. We only ask for a 40% deposit and will only ask for the remaining balance once you have approved the drawings.

Our designers are not Architects, our team consists of Architectural Technologists and Technicians and we therefore don’t consider ourselves Architects and nor should we. Like Architects, our Architectural Technologists have completed university degrees and are therefore equivalently qualified.

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Unfortunately, Architectural Technologists aren’t eligible to be registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) as they aren’t considered an “Architect”. However, all our Architectural Technologists are registered with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) which is an equivalent regulatory body. The CIAT membership number of the Architectural Technologist assigned to your project can be provided upon request.

Before you have approved your drawings, you will have only 1 opportunity to make amendments to your drawings. On this opportunity we recommend you provide us with as many amendments as you wish to ensure you are satisfied with your drawings and design.

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If after this opportunity, or after you have approved the drawings, you still wish to make amendments, you may incur additional fees. However, if your local planning authority request amendments during the planning application, then we make these amendments free of charge.

Most experienced builders will be able to work from general planning drawings with a structural engineer’s report alongside the drawings. Some contractors may request building regulations drawings, however most of the contractors we work with are able to work from general planning drawings.

Detailed plans are not always required and can be dependent on the requirements of your local building control or builder. However, you will require a full set of detailed building control drawing if are seeking building control approval via a full plans inspection application to your local building control.

Although planning departments reserve the right to request a structural engineers report, it is unlikely that your planning application will require a structural report. A structural engineers report will likely be requested during the construction phase by building control or by your builder.

For any construction, new build or alteration, it is a requirement that a building control is assigned to your project. The building control officer assigned to your project will make regular visits to your site to ensure that it being built in compliance to the current building regulations. This will give you the reassurance that your project has been built correctly by your contractor.

When building within your lawful development rights, you will still need to apply for a lawful development certificate. For a lawful development certificate, you will still need general planning drawings to submit as part of the application. A lawful development certificate, although not a full planning application, is proof that your project has been designed/constructed lawfully.