Re: Architect fees
The RIAI official charge rate for architects is 8% which should include plans, applying for pp, sourcing a builder (where brown envelopes come in), surveyance work, on-going site management which means more than 4 or 5 visits during construction - if anything is wrong you don't tell the builder, you tell the architect to sort it out.
I know it is a rip-off, but that is the official rate.<snip>
I think you'll find that it may be a guide, as opposed to an official rate.
No architect worth his salt will touch "brown envelopes" in choosing a builder.
If you suspect him of playing favourites for financial gain or unfair advantage in the marketplace, report him to the RIAI.
They are empowered to remove his name from the Register of Architects for improper professional conduct.
As for saying that a rate of 8% is a rip-off, I beg to differ. Here's why:
A build of €200K yields €16K fees.
Say:
- 4K to planning lodgement
- 2K for further information/ planning Appeal Submissions
- 4K to building regulation compliance/tender
- 3K post-tender and working drawings
- 3K on-site inspections and certification.
Let's just look at the work to planning lodgement stage.
From thefirst meeting to finished design [not build] can take 3-4 months or more of meetings to develop a concept, explore and resolve any differences between the spouses, look at other houses for inspiration ["I want it just like that"], perform site research and investigations, carry out a Development plan review, hold preliminary planning meetings, etc.
Several checks as noted in the Self Build FAQ will require to be carried out after the concept is approved and then the detail design starts.
Preparation or public notices and drawings, checking documents and lodgement of planning will take a week for a sole practitioner.
All that for €4K? David Grant charged €3.5K and he had a 60% failure rate!
Also please remember that the work in this and subsequent stages are intended to result in a set of formal Opinion of Compliance documents under which the architect takes full responsibility for the design of your house.
The bottom line is that all of the work noted above takes time and an architect can only take on so much work while giving a good attentive service. Most practices are lucky to see an income of 50% of gross.
Assuming your architect does five houses in a year [80K Gross] carries PI [€1-2K] and runs an office in a town centre [say 10K/annum for rent, 10K secretary, 10K running costs] is a member of the RIAI [600 membership fee and say 400 CPD conferences] he'd be lucky to see a nett take home pay of around €40K.
Out of which will come say 12K mortgage and 10K food leaving about 18K for other bills, kids schooling, medical expenses and if he's very luck, a holiday.
I see no new BMW in there, more like a Golf and a mini MPV over five years.
I'm not defending any very high fees some practices may [or may not] charge BTW - I'm just pointing out that when you employ an architect, you're getting a professional service overseeing the design and production of a once off product and it has to be paid for.
You might think - "Oh I could get a good second had car for what I'm paying my architect."
You could, but did you know it takes 5 Billion dollars to develop a new car design from scratch? And that car can be mass produced to recoup the losses? Your house design process cannot be reproduced like that. Each house design process is unique, a once-off and each has to pay for itself.
I hope this adds to your understand of the process and the costs involved.
FWIW
ONQ.
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