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Jimbobidybone
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 17
Location: Derby, UK
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 Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:29 am Post subject: £50 for Planning and Building regs.??? |
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I recently had an enquiry from someone local asking me if I had the time to consider designing developments for 9 properties and potentially another 3 in the near future in my area. The guy wanted to "Test the Water" with me on his first development which was a 4x6m extension to the rear of a property. I gave him a respectable quote for doing the work to which he replied "Wow that's a bit steep, I've just had a quote for £50 can you beat it" I basically told him to do one!
I personally think it's scary that someone who's potentially worth a few million is trying to barter my fees to below £50
I'm fairly new in business and this scared me, lets hope I don't get too many more time wasters, Has anyone else had any rediculous enquiries they want to share?
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James Pegg
Please check out my site www.jrpcad.co.uk. |
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briklight
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 7:14 pm Post subject: Re: £50 for Planning and Building regs.??? |
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| Jimbobidybone wrote: |
I personally think it's scary that someone who's potentially worth a few million is trying to barter my fees to below £50.
... Has anyone else had any rediculous enquiries they want to share?
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I've had 'em. I've even done the work for less than my cost. Be happy that you discovered mismatched expectations before you had done the work. Stay in touch with the guy. In a few months, he may be ready to spend more to have the work done over again, the right way. |
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lekizz
millennium club
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 1212
Location: UK
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| Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:45 am Post subject: |
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Apparently (according to the Architects' Journal) Tesco's told all of its UK consultants (architect's, engineers, solicitors etc) earlier this year to make a 40 percent reduction in their professional fees. Cheeky beggars!
From what I recall from the news article, their lead architects offered a trial period of a 20 percent reduction for a reduced service ...which didn't suit either party ....so they told Tesco's where they could stick it! A brave decision but very commendable! |
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Jimbobidybone
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 17
Location: Derby, UK
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:33 am Post subject: |
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I was speaking to a guy who does contract and private work (similar to how I work) and he offers his clients different levels of detail depending on how much they are willing to pay, basically having the front to ask them what their budget is for their design fees and giving them a list of what he will provide for that money. quite a nice way of squeezing every last drop out of people really.
I personally like to just stick to a fixed fee, and stick to a level of detail I decide they require for what they need. If someone wanted a small extension, I'll do just enough work to get council approval and to cover my back and charge accordingly, I think that way people feel they are getting better value for money ;p
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James Pegg
Please check out my site www.jrpcad.co.uk. |
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88
Joined: 15 Nov 2005
Posts: 94
Location: usa
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| Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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| £50 ? That is less than US $100 ! May be just spend 30 minutes on it and give him what you have at the end of 30 minutes. |
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Jimbobidybone
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 17
Location: Derby, UK
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 5:03 am Post subject: |
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That was my theory I told him he would get a childs sketch for that much
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James Pegg
Please check out my site www.jrpcad.co.uk. |
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WalkerARCHITECTS
Joined: 25 Sep 2007
Posts: 105
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| Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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Working for free or at impossible rates, as a strategy eliminates the potential for profit... for all of us. As a principle our profession should be limited to those best qualified and locally licensed. Those who do not share liability for the same task should not be competing at an unfair advantage. Offshore architects doing work from CHINA or India should not be tolerated, because the liability path is quite truncated by the complexities of international law.
I suspect the other proposal is from some person who is not qualified or licensed, this is what has happened to me, too many times, and if this is the case it is unethical for your client to do this and it should be illegal.
Clients often want architects to do some work for free, as a competition approach to selection, it is expensive for architects just to get the job. So ethics in such circumstance needs to be clearly defined in advance.
Comparing apples with citrus fruit is a common entry point to this quagmire. I did some schematic design once for a CEO, to get the job, the residential remodel was eventually given to and done by a design build contractor and not an architect. So competing for this job meant my competitor provided a guaranteed maximum cost to design & build, who had just a minimum line item for the design. After it was built by the competitor, I went by and discovered that it was my design with a small change by the builder.
Both Design Build contractor and CEO participated in a swindle in my view. Now as a matter of pollicy I immediately advise clients of the hourly rates and include a statement that simply says that I do not work without compensation. The act of taking services under the guise of negotiating with the fee with the architect, is a swindle just as if they took my money; although it is difficult to characterize as fraud, even though it is definitely fraud.
We need to act as an industry to protect ourselves! |
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88
Joined: 15 Nov 2005
Posts: 94
Location: usa
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| Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:28 am Post subject: |
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To most clients, the architect or engineer fees are just numbers. It is very hard for them to tell if it is apple or orange. In general the smaller the fee it is the better. Most architects are not really running a business anyway. They are doing it as a hobby.
Most think they can do it from Kitchen and basement with pirated softwares. Imagine you go to a doctor or dentist or lawyer who operates out of the kitchen. |
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