What Do We Do? - John Webster Architecture

Now that you have made the decision to start a building or renovation project you probably have lots of questions, Like:

How do I get started?

Who should I speak to first?

Do I need Planning permission?

How much are the Architectural fees?

What other professionals do I require?

How long does it take?

Most of our clients have never built anything before or never worked with an architect before. So don't know much, if anything about the design and construction process.

Your project should be really exciting, and stress-free, so you can enjoy the process. we want you to see how simple and logical the steps are.

It's our job to guide you through your project as smoothly as possible. We want to give you, the homeowner, the experience that you deserve, so we have outlined for you the specific steps that we follow regardless of the type or size of the project.

Here is the process we follow:

step one:

The Inital Feasiblity Call

Once you have made initial contact we will arrange a call with you.

This is a Fact-finding discussion between you (the client) & John Webster Architecture to discuss your project in detail, establish project constraints, your Budget, and when you expect to start & finish the project.

Some clients can provide us with a brief and are very clear about what they want, while others are not so sure, either way, don’t worry, this stage will help you get the clarity you need to move forward.

We will ask you ahead of the call to send over any relevant material such as floor plans etc.

The call is held over zoom or phone, whichever you prefer.

This will normally give me plenty of information to establish the feasibility of the project, although in certain circumstances there may be a requirement for a site visit, for example, if you are considering a loft conversion a visit may be required to establish if the necessary head height can be achieved.

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step two:

Fee Proposal & Survey

On the back of our feasibility call we will let you know if your project is a good fit for us, if so, we will send you an email outlining the fees, the exact process, and the approximate timeframe.

Once this stage has been agreed upon we will arrange to visit your property and carry out a measured survey, which involves a discussion onsite with you, followed by confirming all of the dimensions that we require, photos, and a video of the property.

The site survey normally takes around 1 - 2 hours to complete.

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step three:

Design

The design stage is based on the outcome of the feasibility call and meeting on-site.

We will draw up the initial design and, with your input (the client), will continue to tweak the design until you are 100% happy. (after all, it’s your house)

It's really important to understand the relationship between your budget and what you want to build, sometimes your budget will not stretch that far. It's also my job to keep you on the right track with this and make sure that the design matches your budget

Most of our projects are done in 3D software which means that you can ‘virtually’ see what you will get before you are committed to building it.

No more meaningless line drawings that are impossible to understand!

Once you have signed off on the design we will move on to the next stage.

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step four:

Planning

The design drawings are developed to a standard that is suitable for a planning application.

Once the drawings are at this stage a planning application will be submitted to the local authority.

The planning officer may request supplementary information to support the planning application such as drainage arrangements Etc.

A Planning Fee is paid directly by you to the Local Authority (Currently £300)

Once the Planning Submission has been made it will be validated by the Local Authority planning department and generally takes around 8 weeks for a decision to be made as to whether Planning permission will be granted or not.

Some projects may not require planning permission, such as garage conversions, etc. Once planning has been granted the next stage is to apply for a Building Warrant.

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step five:

Building Warrants

Every project requires a building warrant.

A building warrant is a legal document that you require that allows you to carry out construction work. This warrant is granted by the local authority building standards department

The planning drawings are developed further, into a set of technical drawings that are suitable for a building warrant application.

Once the drawings are completed a building warrant application is submitted to the local authority building standards department.

A Building Warrant fee is paid directly by you to the Building Standards department of the local authority (the Building Warrant fee is related to the cost of the works)

When the Building Warrant has been granted the documents will be issued along with the Construction notification plan.

At this point, you are legally free to begin construction.

We offer 3 different service levels;

Silver

Gold

Platinum

Different people require different service levels, it's not a one size fits all approach.

If the project is simple in nature and you don't require assistance during the construction phase the Silver package will be perfect for you.

If the project is larger and you require some level of assistance during the construction stage then the Gold or Platinum packages will be for you.

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