• Survey
• Sketches
• Final Drawings
• Planning
• Building Warrant's Applications
• Liasing with clients and contractors to compilation
• Arranging tenders for works
• Site visits throughout contract
• Preparing specifications

" A typical indication of our work using an existing property"

Firstly after receiving enquiry is to meet with a client to discuss their proposals in more detail and to receive their initial brief. This meeting is always free of charge and without obligation.

Secondly on receiving instructions to proceed, we will fully survey the property and return to the office to plot to scale as existing . We will then proceed to prepare sketched proposals for the intended works, on completing same sketches will be forwarded to client for their perusal .

After a further meeting to discuss same we will return to the office to either update the sketch or will proceed to preparing the final working drawings to planning stage, which really is a drawing showing the plans and the finished elevations, only noting the intended external finishes at this stage, we would normally discuss the proposal with the local planning officer to ensure that the design will meet with their requirements and that when the application for planning is made that a positive result will be forthcoming. Making a planning application today can be more demanding than previously due to new requirements that in some cases prior to receiving consent noise assessments have to be made, flood risk assessments can be requested, if in an area of conservation then the archaeology group can be involved, tree experts are now required to give reports prior to removal of trees from a site, ground contamination reports are necessary in many cases now, civil engineers are necessary to provide ground reports on surface water soakaways being formed as rainwater etc now in most towns cannot be connected to sewers. Planning can therefore now take up to 2-3 months from application. On knowing that planning is to be granted the drawings are completed to warrant/tender stage which means plans will shown construction and finish detailing, all to the current building regulations . Due to the amount of notes required to ensure all detail is given, we now actually prepare a specification document to prevent the plans being hidden by the detailing.

At this time, we now submit to council building control for the required building warrant and arrange for the contractors tenders for the works. In many cases now with alterations and extensions to properties, reports, details and design certificates are requested and structural engineers employed to issue same. A building warrant application can take up to 5 weeks to be issued. Contractors are usually given 3 weeks to return their costs to ourselves. On receiving planning, building warrant and tenders we will then meets with the client as a final part of what we call pre contract work to discuss the tenders and to update them on all conditions attached to the planning permission and to any changes made to the drawings to ensure compliance with the building regulations which may have been necessary to ensure warrant consent was granted. A decision will be made to appoint a contractor but before issuing acceptance a final request will be made to same to update costs with regards to any changes made and an on site meeting will be made to discuss starting date and for length of contract period i.e. finishing date. On all this being agreed a letter of acceptance will be issued to contractor confirming all the above and the works can therefore commence. Building control are required to be notified of this starting date and 7 days notice must be given.

Having completed pre contract works it is not necessary in all cases to carry out post contract works as small extensions etc do not require the same on site inspections but in all cases we ensure the necessary council paper work is in order i.e. electrical compliance certificate we received and the council completion certificate is requested and obtained. Where full post contract works are carried out we will visit the site on a regular basis for visual inspections and will liase with client and contractor throughout to ensure all paper work is in order and all interim and final accounts are also to the clients satisfaction.