Frequently Asked Questions

Are your fees less or more expensive than other consultants ?
At the budget end of the market you could expect to pay approx £600-£800 for plans prepared for planning and building warrant applications. The drawings can often be of poorer quality with very little detail and the consultants will offer a less than perfect un-insured level of service. A poor set of construction drawings can also lead to problems on site with contractors having to second guess details and materials. ( remember any delay or extra on site will cost you in the long run).

Andrew Spence Design will typically be a few hundred pounds more expensive than budget services but with fully detailed drawings and specifications you can be confident of a smooth application process and build on site. At the top end of the market you have chartered architect practices who will likely offer a good service but at a price. Architects fees will be high at 10-15% of the projected build costs, therefore if your extension costs £60,000 you could expect to pay £6000-£9000.

Do your fees include VAT ?
There is no VAT to be paid on our prices

Do your fees include council planning and building regulation fees ?
The Planning and Building Warrant application fees are payable to your local authority and are separate from Andrew Spence Design fees. We will advise you of the exact fees prior to making the formal applications. Planning fees are typically £145 for an extension to a dwellinghouse. Building warrant fees are variable depending on the projected build costs an extension costing £35,000 would have a fee of £460.

Are structural engineers details and calculations required for every building warrant application?
No. If the proposed work can be designed in accordance with the small buildings guide within the technical standards the local authority will be satisfied with the architectural drawings. However if the design requires input from an engineer to size a single beam for example a simple structural appraisal will be sufficient. When the design is outside the scope of the small buildings guide and structural appraisal a full SER (structural Engineer Register) certified package will be required.

Does the price include Structural Engineering calculations and details ?
Our fees are for architectural services to obtain Planning and Building Warrant approvals only. We can sort out your structural engineering requirements with one of our preferred consultants, the engineer would provide you with a quotation directly and upon acceptance of the quote provide the calculations and details. Prices for non SER structural appraisals will be approx £250-£400 and full SER certificate packages will be £600-£1200 .

Is postage and printing included in your fees ?
No, postage is charged to customers at cost. Prints are charged at the following rates: A4 – 20p, A3 - £1, A2 - £2 and A1 £3.

Will there be other professional fees?
All applications vary depending on type and location of application site. Our fees include all the architectural requirements for obtaining planning and building warrant approval. Occasionally a local authority will ask for additional information like tree surveys, flood risk assessments, protected species assessments and design statements. If the local authority does require this information we will administer the process but a separate fee will be required for the consultant.

How detailed are your drawings ?
Our drawings are extremely detailed and are produced by qualified staff. Drawings and details produced are designed to comply with the current Building Standards and provided at large scale for ease of reading. All drawings are fully annotated with precise descriptions of materials and dimensions. Schedules are produced for items such as windows and doors.

Does the 3D visualization cost extra ?
No, all the 3D images, walkthroughs and renders are fully inclusive. Other companies would charge extra for such a service with a min cost of approx £400.

Are you insured ?
Andrew Spence Design has all relevant insurances including professional indemnity insurance. This indemnifies you should Andrew Spence design or any member of staff make a design mistake. We are also fully insured for public liability. Some smaller companies or consultants have only a limited level of insurance.

What is the difference between Planning and Building Warrant Permissions ?
Planning permission in simple terms is how the proposal will fit into the surrounding area in terms of looks and external materials. Building warrants assess the structure, fire regulations, energy and safety of the building (list not .

What is the difference between Planning and Building Regulation Permissions ?
Planning drawings will include plans and elevations as existing and proposed. The Planning Officers will be checking to ensure that your development fits in with the street scene and does not adversly affect any neighbouring properties. Building Regulation drawings are more detailed and include sections and details to show that the development will be built to the correct standards.

How long do the approvals from the Local Authority take to be processed ?
The time it takes Local Authorities to process planning applications differs from council to council and how busy they are at time of application. Generally a local authority will try to determine an application within 8 weeks. Building warrant applications take approx 4-5 weeks.

Andrew Spence Design can submit the building warrant application after 4 weeks of the planning application date to allow both applications to be determined at roughly the same time. Being realistic you should allow a minimum of 2-3 months to obtain both sets of approvals from your local authority.

Can I start building works before obtaining the approvals ?
Absolutely not - it is against the law to start building works without planning or building warrant approvals. If you do start works before approval you may be forced to put the building back to it's original state entirely at your own cost which may result in demolishing all new building works. It is extremely risky to start works prior to obtaining all approvals and Andrew Spence design will always advise against such action no matter what the circumstances.

Can we have our drawings on disc ?
We are happy to supply PDF format drawings on CDROM / email for a small fee. Unfortunately we do not supply the source CAD files as these remain our copyright. You may copy our paper or PDF drawings without restriction or if you prefer we can provide additional copies.

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