ALL ASPECTS OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN UNDERTAKEN 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

01.  How much does it cost?

Fees vary hugely, but so does quality. A sole trader working from home may charge as little as £30 per hour.  A small to mid sized local practice between £40 to £100 per hour. A more prestigious architectural practice may charge over £100 per hour.

Paying a higher hourly rate doesn’t necessary mean you’ll receive a better service. Equally, a lower hourly rate doesn’t mean your overall cost will definitely be less. Each company will have their own method of calculating architectural fees which could be on an hourly rate, fixed price or percentage fee basis.

02.  How do Ball Architecture calculate their fees?

We charge our clients on a fixed price basis or hourly rate basis depending on the nature of the project.

We’ll agree the scope of work with you then estimate the time involved for your project. We can be involved in your project as much as you require. We’ll then send you an easy to understand fee proposal for consideration.

Our fee proposal will show you the cost for each work stage. It will also indicate other estimated fees or expenses you will have to pay that can be reasonably anticipated. These may include planning application fees, building control charges or specialist consultants fees.

If you are happy with our fee proposal, sign and return it as soon as possible so we can reserve time for you.

03.  Why charge an hourly rate insted of a fixed price?

All clients needs and all project requirements are different. We offer a bespoke service for all our clients so you get exactly what level of service you need.

Whilst the time required to complete certain tasks can be accurately estimated at the start of a project others (such as design) can be difficult to determine.

Design cannot be compared like-for-like and every designer will have their own way of working and own solutions to your problem.

By charging an hourly rate we can give you the right level of service and are able to over-deliver on value. It allows us to evolve if required to suit your needs which may change as work progresses.

04.  What can I do under permitted devlopment?

Under the rules, the ‘original’ (as it stood in or prior to 1948) rear wall of a detached home can be extended (subject to the neighbour consultation scheme) by up to 8m in depth with a single storey extension; this is reduced to 6m if you live in a semi or terrace. If your proposed new extension will be within 2m of a boundary, then the eaves height is limited to 3m under Permitted Development. Otherwise, a single storey rear extensions must be no higher than 4m.

If you hope to build a two storey extension (no higher than the house), this can project up to 3m from the original rear wall, so long as it is at least 7m from the rear boundary. It’s also important to note that no extension can project beyond or be added to what is deemed to be the front of the house or an elevation which affronts the highway. And a side extension can not make up more than half your house’s width.

Furthermore, with the exception of conservatories, new extensions must be built of materials ‘similar in appearance’and with the same roof pitch as the main house. So while Permitted Development rights are beneficial, there’s a lot to consider before starting work.

05.  Will we need any other professionals on our project?

Every project is different and has different requirements and we will advise you of any other consultants that you may require, for example, a structural engineer or ecologist.