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Section & Ground
SCOPE OF SERVICES08 SERVICES

What is in scope, and what is not

Almost every dispute between an architect and a client traces back to something one of them assumed was included. So each stage below states both sides — what the appointment covers, and what it does not.

  • 01

    Feasibility & Site Appraisal

    Establishing what can actually be built on the site, before anyone commits to a design. Often the most valuable two weeks of a project, and occasionally the stage at which we tell you not to proceed.

    Includes

    • Review of the site, its access, orientation, levels and existing structures
    • Review of applicable development control regulations, setbacks and permissible built-up area
    • Indicative accommodation schedule tested against the buildable envelope
    • Order-of-magnitude construction cost band, for budgeting only

    Excludes

    • Measured survey and soil investigation — appointed separately by the client
    • Statutory applications of any kind
    • Detailed cost estimation by a quantity surveyor

    Feasibility note · Indicative site plan and block massing · Buildable envelope statement

  • 02

    Schematic Design

    The design proposition: plan, section and massing resolved far enough for you to make a decision. You will see more than one option, and you should expect to reject some.

    Includes

    • Development of the brief with the client
    • Plans, sections and elevations at concept scale
    • A physical study model, usually at 1:100
    • Site and context diagrams
    • Two rounds of revision within the agreed brief

    Excludes

    • Changes arising from a substantive change of brief, which are charged as an additional service
    • Photorealistic visualisation, unless separately agreed
    • Structural, MEP and other consultant design

    Schematic drawing set · Area statement · Study model

  • 03

    Design Development & Statutory Approvals

    Resolving the scheme with consultants and taking it through the sanctioning authority. This is the stage with the least to show for it and the most that can go wrong.

    Includes

    • Coordination with structural, MEP and other appointed consultants
    • Preparation of drawings for statutory submission
    • Liaison with the sanctioning authority through the approval process
    • Outline material and finishes strategy

    Excludes

    • Statutory fees, scrutiny charges, development charges and premiums — paid by the client
    • Consultant fees, unless we are appointed to hold them
    • Any guarantee of approval timelines, which are outside the practice's control

    Approval drawing set as required by the sanctioning authority · Coordinated consultant drawing set · Outline specification

  • 04

    Construction Documentation

    The drawings a contractor builds from — the largest stage of the work and the one clients see least of. This is where the building is actually decided.

    Includes

    • Fully dimensioned plans, sections and elevations
    • Typical and specific construction details
    • Door, window, finishes and sanitary schedules
    • Specification of materials and workmanship

    Excludes

    • Shop drawings, which are prepared by the contractor and reviewed by us
    • Bill of quantities and tender cost analysis
    • Interior furniture procurement, unless separately appointed

    Good-for-construction drawing set · Specification document · Schedules

  • 05

    Tender & Contractor Appointment

    Helping you choose who builds it, on terms that are genuinely comparable. Three returns priced against the same set is worth considerably more than five priced against different assumptions.

    Includes

    • Preparation of the tender drawing set
    • Issue of tenders to a shortlist agreed with the client
    • Comparison of returned tenders on a like-for-like basis
    • Recommendation to the client, with the reasoning stated

    Excludes

    • Contract execution and any legal advice, which you should take separately
    • Negotiation of contractor payment terms on your behalf

    Tender set · Tender comparison statement · Written recommendation

  • 06

    Construction Administration

    Periodic site presence and the answering of questions, through to completion. It is not daily supervision, and the distinction matters both legally and practically.

    Includes

    • Site visits every fortnight, and weekly through the finishing trades
    • Review of contractor shop drawings and material samples
    • Response to site queries and issue of clarification drawings
    • Certification of stage payments, where we are appointed to do so
    • Snagging and completion review

    Excludes

    • Continuous or daily site supervision, which is the contractor's responsibility
    • Responsibility for the contractor's means, methods, sequencing or site safety
    • Project management and direct engagement of trades

    Site visit reports · Clarification drawings as issued · Snag list at completion

  • 07

    Interior Architecture

    Where the interior is designed as part of the building rather than applied to it afterwards. We take this on for our own projects, and occasionally for buildings by others.

    Includes

    • Layouts, joinery design and built-in furniture
    • Finishes, lighting and hardware selection
    • Coordination with the base build documentation

    Excludes

    • Loose furniture procurement and styling, unless separately agreed
    • Art and accessory sourcing

    Interior drawing set · Joinery details · Finishes schedule

  • 08

    Landscape Coordination

    Coordinating the ground around the building — levels, drainage, paving and the retention of existing trees. We coordinate; we do not design planting.

    Includes

    • Levels, paving and drainage strategy across the site
    • Coordination with an appointed landscape consultant
    • Retention strategy for existing trees, with an arboricultural report where needed

    Excludes

    • Horticultural planting design and specification
    • Irrigation system design
    • Ongoing maintenance regimes

    Site levels and hardscape drawings · Tree protection plan

FEES

Fees are quoted per project, after the first conversation

For new-build work we charge a percentage of construction cost, normally between 8 and 12 per cent depending on scale and complexity, with smaller projects at the upper end because the drawing effort does not shrink in proportion to the building. Feasibility is charged as a fixed fee and credited against the percentage if you proceed. Fees fall due at the end of each stage, not monthly. Retrofit and phased work we quote as a lump sum, because a percentage of construction cost rewards us for spending more of your money, which is the wrong incentive on a building that already exists.

Ask about a projectSee the stages in order