Architect problems - Please Help!
Discussion
Puggit & I need help! We seem to have taken on completely incompetent architects & would like to fire them. Only problem is we are unsure of our liabilities with regards to work already completed. Here's the story so far:
Jan 2004 - We think it would be nice to knock through the 2 downstairs rooms in our 2 bed Victorian terrace & also to put a roof & French doors over the courtyard as a sort of conservatory to gain much needed light. Not sure how to proceed I called a few architects - some said job too small sod off! Others came round all seemed to agree that the conservatory bit could be covered by the conservatory company.
However we will need a structural Engineer for the RSJs. One was recommended, he looks at the job & says it would be better with drawings as it involves a party wall & these will clarify the work for the neighbours. It’s a small job sort of thing that the junior might consider on the weekends he’ll speak to an architect he knows.
22nd Mar - Quote from Architects for drawings finally arrives - looks reasonable. Architect comes round measures up
...We wait...
6th May 2004 (& many irate phone calls later) the drawings arrive (with letter of apologies for the delay) of the property as it is! What??? I call the structural engineer who is also head scratching as they'd both agreed with the job being so small the-what-it-will-look-like drawings would be all that were produced! He says he'll call the architect & let me know
...we wait... & Mrs Puggit makes several phone calls leaving messages everywhere.
3rd June 2004 - I get hold of structural engineer (have given up on architects by now!) he promises to speak to the architects & to call me back the next day.
...we wait...
So in the 5 months since we started planning & the 3 months since we accepted the architects quote we have a set of drawings of what Puggit Towers currently looks like (which we sort of know ourselves anyway!) And are no nearer our conservatory. Kitchens have been ordered, ovens are sat in Mrs Puggits parent’s garage, builders are raring to start the job & the cats are getting desperate for their cat flap!
We haven’t started applying for the party wall bits as we need the sodding drawings!
To add to the pressure we’re getting wed in Nov & would really like to have the job completed by then (we’ve given up on having it done for the summer!)
Can we give everyone the boot & start again? We've got to the point where no matter how much longer this would take we feel we have been messed about so much & are fed up with our phone calls being ignored that we want shot of this lot! Should we write to all parties concerned & give them an end of the month deadline? Or are we being impatient & this is a normal time frame?
PistonHeads collective we await your words of wisdom
Cheers
Charlie
Jan 2004 - We think it would be nice to knock through the 2 downstairs rooms in our 2 bed Victorian terrace & also to put a roof & French doors over the courtyard as a sort of conservatory to gain much needed light. Not sure how to proceed I called a few architects - some said job too small sod off! Others came round all seemed to agree that the conservatory bit could be covered by the conservatory company.
However we will need a structural Engineer for the RSJs. One was recommended, he looks at the job & says it would be better with drawings as it involves a party wall & these will clarify the work for the neighbours. It’s a small job sort of thing that the junior might consider on the weekends he’ll speak to an architect he knows.
22nd Mar - Quote from Architects for drawings finally arrives - looks reasonable. Architect comes round measures up
...We wait...
6th May 2004 (& many irate phone calls later) the drawings arrive (with letter of apologies for the delay) of the property as it is! What??? I call the structural engineer who is also head scratching as they'd both agreed with the job being so small the-what-it-will-look-like drawings would be all that were produced! He says he'll call the architect & let me know
...we wait... & Mrs Puggit makes several phone calls leaving messages everywhere.
3rd June 2004 - I get hold of structural engineer (have given up on architects by now!) he promises to speak to the architects & to call me back the next day.
...we wait...
So in the 5 months since we started planning & the 3 months since we accepted the architects quote we have a set of drawings of what Puggit Towers currently looks like (which we sort of know ourselves anyway!) And are no nearer our conservatory. Kitchens have been ordered, ovens are sat in Mrs Puggits parent’s garage, builders are raring to start the job & the cats are getting desperate for their cat flap!
We haven’t started applying for the party wall bits as we need the sodding drawings!
To add to the pressure we’re getting wed in Nov & would really like to have the job completed by then (we’ve given up on having it done for the summer!)
Can we give everyone the boot & start again? We've got to the point where no matter how much longer this would take we feel we have been messed about so much & are fed up with our phone calls being ignored that we want shot of this lot! Should we write to all parties concerned & give them an end of the month deadline? Or are we being impatient & this is a normal time frame?
PistonHeads collective we await your words of wisdom
Cheers
Charlie
Sorry for your problems - us archis are normally ok (but do tend to-apparently-work at snail pace). It would appear that you have no direct contract or formal agreement with the architect, particularly as the initial brief was made through the structural engineer. I would suggest that a letter, basically giving them 14 days to complete would be in order - although you may wish to do this through a solicitor to cover yourselves. If you have paid their fes, you should have no problems. Best of luck.
mrs puggit said:
We haven't paid anything. We have a quote in writing from the architect. Should we offer them a portion of this? Or can we send back the drawings they did (by mistake!) & walk away without paying anything??
That's a toughie. Depends a great deal on the architect concerned as to their attitude - and the amount of work they have done. If I was in a similar position (not that any of my clients are unhappy, I hasten to add) I would, as an architect be willing to reach an amicable agreement re fees - no one really wants to go to court. Mail me off line with architects name, if you like, and I'll make a few enquiries.
mrs puggit said:
We haven't paid anything. We have a quote in writing from the architect. Should we offer them a portion of this? Or can we send back the drawings they did (by mistake!) & walk away without paying anything??
How clear is the quote? did they quote for what the work would look like or what the house currently looks like?
If it's the former then they haven't produced what they quoted for and you shouldn't have to pay.
We've had a bit of this over the last year, the fact is that the bloke was really, really busy and managed to be late for just about everything. Saying that the drawings are good, they went through planning more or less first time. So I'd say give them a bell and try to sort things out.
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