Frequently Asked Questions

A lot of information can be found online these days. With the use of tools such as Google Maps, Rightmove,  Local Planning Application Portals we can gain a lot of insight in to the layout of your home. This along with the measurement our clients provide we can produce some very accurate plans

Yes. You may have had some drawings done for a previous project . If so we can use these to create drawings for your new project. You can email these to us once you have recieved our quote.

Not all that accurate. Generally builders work to around a 5cm tolerance so as long as you are reasonably careful about taking an recording the measurements we will have a good accurate layout of your house. 

No. We will send you a pack with the laser measure, some simple instructions on how to turn it on, point it at the wall and press the measure button to get the measurement. It really couldn't be easier, and its much faster than using a traditional tape measure.

We always aim to have a draft set of plans ready within 14 days. these will be 80-90% complete and will allow you to see how the extension will look and let us know if you would like to change anything before we submit for approval(s).

Planning drawings a a simple set of plans and elevations to show the planners what the modified building will look like. They do not contain any technical information.

Construction drawings are produced to show the builder how the extension is to be built with much more details included. These are produced by adding to the planning drawings to outline wall, roof and floor construction methods with a full specification of the extension. These plans are sent to an Approved Inspector for Building Regulations approval.

Permitted Development was introduced by the government to allow people to add small extensions to there home without planning approval. Originally it was cheaper and much quicker to build an extension using permitted development. However over the years it has become clear that some paperwork was needed to confirm that your extension had been built legally and that it was within the permitted development rules. Some people had trouble proving this to solicitors when selling or mortgaging their homes. So it is now necessary to apply for a Lawful Development Certificate from your local planning department to prove this. They charge the same amount as a planning approval application and it takes the same amount of time.  Due to this change in process ArcHab took the decision to set a single fee for our drawings package whether the project is suitable for Planning Approval and Permitted Development are the application process for both are now so similar.

This very much depends on the local authority you live within. The target time for a decision on a planning application is usually 12-14 weeks. However since COVID 19 the planning departments have been inundated with applications and some have staff shortages so we have been finding that a decision can take anywhere up to 6 months.

No, in order to start the building you need to apply for Building Regulations. This is done through an Approved Inspector. To apply for this you need to have construction drawings. We can give you a quote for this as part of a package with the planning application drawings or separately. Once we have drawn up the construction drawings we will provide a quote from an Approved Inspector and you can submit them for approval. Once the project is registered with the approved inspector you can start building.

In our experience most builders ask for a full set of construction drawings for them to price from. Some will give an estimated cost based on a set of planning drawings but it is better for them to have as much information as possible so that they can price for everything and there is less chance of any surprise costs down the line

We take on all sorts of projects. The ones detailed on the website cover about 90% of what we do which is why we can provide fixed prices for them. If you would like to discuss something that differs from this then send us an email to info@archab.co.uk or go to our contact page on the website.