Architectural Plans are essential and can be specifically tailored to your individual needs
• Extensions
• Loft Conversions
• Garage Conversions
Why do you need Architectural plans?
All Councils will require scale drawings, to a scale of 1:100 or 1:50 of your proposal, together with Site Plans and a location plan to scales of 1:500 and 1:1250
What Laws apply to my building an extension or making alterations?
There are 2 main laws concerning building alterations. Firstly, Planning Law governs what changes you’re allowed to make to your home and to ensure that the proposed changes to your home will not affect other people’s property, natural light or privacy, as well as the overall look of the street. Secondly, Building Regulations, which are concerned with the structure and how the proposed alteration or extension is built
The building plans serve two main purposes. First of all, they are submitted to your local council, together with the application forms. They will be used to determine whether the proposed changes to your home comply with Building Regulations and if Planning Permission is required. This will ultimately determine whether your building work can proceed
Secondly, your building plans are used by builders and project managers on site as a guide to how the finished building work should look. They enable builders to estimate the cost of the work and ensure that the finished building work looks how it was initially planned
Along with the Architectural plans, structural calculations are sometimes needed to define the requirements of foundations and any steel beams that may be needed
Planning Permission
The planning process aims to protect the quality of the environment and to ensure new developments are well designed and in keeping with your property and the ‘street scene’ in general
Planners will ensure your development does not affect your neighbour’s privacy or cause any loss of natural light
A valid planning application requires detailed scale drawings of both the existing and proposed elevations and floor plans of the property. Location and site plans are also required
Planning permission is not always needed but the rules are frequently changing so I would always check and obtain written confirmation from your local council before any building work starts
Building Regulations
The Building Regulations set standards for the design and construction of buildings, primarily to ensure the safety and health for people in or around those buildings, but also for energy conservation and access to and about buildings
The regulations cover key elements of the construction such as foundations, drainage, protection from damp, thermal and sound insulation, floor and roof construction and gas and electrical safety
The drawings will contain sufficient detail to obtain building regulation approval and also provide builders with the detailed information they need to be able to give you an accurate and competitive estimate.
Building costs
During the initial visit I can usually give you a good idea of the build costs for your project from my experience. As soon as the drawings are complete you can get detailed estimate from the builders.
Project Manager
We can also assist with the selection of the builders and manage the works from start to finish
Specification and Contract
A specification for the works is often used to give precise detail of the materials you want used in the building thereby taking away any doubts between you and the builder on what you require
Coupled with this is the contract, which sets out the terms under which the builder is to work. It will detail how and when the builder is paid. There are various forms of contract each specifically designed to cater for the different complexities of the work