This is my penultimate blog in a series about what you should ask your architect before appointing him to your project. The series stems from a period of time where we were being asked a wide variety of questions when quoting, many of which were completely irrelevant and couldn't have been of any realistic help when the (prospective) Clients were considering who to appoint to deliver their project.
As you will have read in my first post on this subject, we are rarely asked the three or four questions that I WOULD ask if I were in their shoes. In previous posts I have touched upon the first few questions namely:
The next question in my list is as follows:
"Will your quote break down what you have to do into manageable and clearly explained stages so that, if I decide to stop, I know how much I owe you as well as when you will be invoicing me?"
Now you might be forgiven for thinking that the answer to this question is obvious, in fact it often isn't as many architects and other consultants have a variety of ways in which they structure their quotations - some give clarity, others offer clarity if you're prepared to do a bit of research and other methods give little or no clarity at all. Lets look at the most common structures for consultants quotes:
RIBA Outline Plan of Work 2007
The RIBA Outline Plan of Work 2007 is a useful document which breaks the life of a construction project down into stages (A through to L) with a description of key tasks associated with each task.
Many Chartered Architects will structure their quotations around the various stages, for example getting you to a Planning Application might cover stages A through D whilst Building Regulations Approval is achieved at the end of stage E with tender actions being covered by stages F through H.
Whilst this is extremely useful on complex projects where many complicated and interlocking tasks have to be carried out, for a smaller project this level of complexity can be somewhat overwhelming and reference to work stages as opposed to outcomes can lead to confusion, particularly for domestic clients who will have to look up the relevant document and then try to work out which stage they are on at any moment in time.
To be fair to the RIBA, they have recognised this and are currently in the process of replacing the Plan of Work with a revamped version, the consultation document can be read here, which will simplify the workstages down to seven easily understood stages that apply equally as well to all scales of project.
Hourly Rates
Some building consultants have chosen to disregard the RIBA Plan of Work and instead have adopted the approach of Solicitors or Accountants, charging by the hour.
Putting to one side, for a moment, what an Architect is "worth" in terms of hourly rates*, I want to focus instead on the lack of transparency involved when someone quotes on the basis of an hourly rate.
How long does it take to prepare and submit a Planning Application or a Building Regulations Application? How long does it take to survey and draw up an existing building? How long is a piece of string? How complicated is your project?
Frankly whilst we as Architects effectivly sell our time and expertise, how can we expect a customer to understand how complex their project is and how involved our role is and thus how long the project is likely to take from our point of view. Most of our clients have no idea how long it takes us to put together a Design Statement, Access Statement or any of the other multitude of documents that we have to submit in support of a Planning Application these days let along the drawings for their project which "coz it's done on a computer probably takes you no time at all"!
If we, as Chartered Architects, are to provide proper support to a client as they embark on their project, surly the first thing we should be doing is being clear about our fees and the added value we bring to a project. Not only does this allow them to budget properly (minimising the risk that they default on our fees) it also builds trust that we will be up front and clear about the costs they might expect to incur.
In my opinion, quotes based on an hourly rate should be stuck straight in the bin!
*Coming back to what an Architect is "worth", consider this:
- Architects train for a minimum of seven years before being eligible to sit their final professional exams which are required before they can register as Architects - more often than not the training takes eight years to complete;
- In contrast Solicitors train for about 6 years, Accountants for 5 years.
- Solicitors can charge £200 plus per hour whilst Accountants will regularly charge £150 plus.
So what's your Architect "worth"........more or less than your Solicitor?
Bespoke stages:
At Architecture & Design Services we quote for the vast majority of projects on the basis of bespoke stages with the outcomes defining the stage. For example a domestic project might be broken down as follows:
Stage 1: Survey the existing building & prepare existing drawings for the basis of further design work.
Stage 2: Prepare outline designs for Client approval, make all neccesary revisions and prepare and submit a Planning Application the agreed scheme.
Stage 3: On receipt of a Planning Applicatiomn, prepare and submit a Full Plans Buildign Regulations Application.
and so on.
The advantages of this approach speak for themselves. The Client knows exactly what to budget for, how much is due at each stage and when that stage falls complete.
So, why ask the question, because frankly you want to know how much you're going to be paying for your Architect's services and when that money is going to be due!
