1) What does your price include?

The price that you will be quoted for in our commission letter will include all drawings for Planning and Building Regulation submission, all form filling, letters and telephone calls to the local authority, an Ordnance Survey map of your address, printing and postage.

2) How detailed are your drawings?

Our drawings are extremely detailed. Typically our drawings will include existing and proposed plans and elevations, cross sections of the proposed works All our drawings are computer generated and our details and notes have been honed over the years so that we comply with all the current regulations. Please view samples of our drawings in the “Drawings” section of this website.

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3) Does the price include Local Authority Fees?

No, the Planning fee and Building Regulation fees made payable to the Local Authority are to be paid direct to the Local Authority by you. We will advise you of the costs in writing prior to submitting the application.

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4) What other services does MCT provide?

We offer a full range of service packages, which include:

• Architectural pricing services
• Site visits
• Structural engineering

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5) Does the price include Structural Engineering calculations and details?

No, our fees are for architectural services to obtain Planning and Building Regulation approvals from the local authority. If structural calculations are required an extra fee will be payable at a later stage. These are provided through our association with Longmynd Consultants.

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6) Will I require Planning Permission?

It is difficult to say for sure without viewing the property. Every homeowner is entitled to develop his or her property under permitted development rights. If your extension meets the following criteria then you may not require Planning Permission:

• The volume of the house would increase by no more than 10% or 50m3 (whichever is greater) for a terrace / EOT
• The volume of the house would increase by no more than 15% or 70m3 (whichever is greater) for any other house type
• You do not live in a conservation area, National park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• No part of the extension is closer to the highway than any part of the original house
• No part of the extension is 4m high (pitched roof) or 3m high (flat roof)
• You are not using over half of your external garden space
• There has not been any other development on the house which has increased volume

These are general rules for permitted development and each project should be looked at individually. We would always advise seeking written confirmation that your development does not require Planning Permission from the local authority. In all circumstances Building Regulation approval will be required.

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7) What is the difference between Planning and Building Regulation Permissions?

Planning drawings will include plans and elevations as existing and proposed. The Planning Officers will be checking to ensure that your development fits in with the street scene and does not adversely affect any neighbouring properties. Building Regulation drawings are more detailed and include sections and details to show that the development will be built to the correct standards.

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8) How long do the approvals from the Local Authority take to be processed?

The time it takes Local Authorities to process planning applications differs from council to council. Planning decisions should take a minimum of eight weeks to be processed if everything runs smoothly. We would suggest that you should allow between 2-3 months for the whole process to be completed.

The process for obtaining Building Regulations approvals takes approximately six weeks. MCT will submit the Building Regulation drawings after Planning has been approved. Being realistic you should allow approximately 3-6 months to obtain both sets of approvals.

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9) How can I make sure that the development is built in accordance with the Building Regulations?

Before you start your development you will need to inform the Building Control organisation and pay an inspection fee. An appointed Building Control Officer will visit the site at various stages and check compliance and advise your builder of any changes. When the job is complete you will receive a certificate to confirm that the works were finished to the satisfaction of Building Control. You will need this certificate if you ever sell the property.

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11) How long does the design process take?

We typically send sketch drawings back for comments within approximately four weeks after the survey date. A submission is made after we receive your comments and stage payment. If payment is made by cheque please allow 5-7 days for payments to be cleared.

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12) Is your first visit free and how long does the survey take?

You are under no obligation on your initial consultation. If for any reason you are unhappy or if we find that the proposal is not viable then you owe us nothing. If you are satisfied with our quotation then we can proceed with the survey, which will take 2-3 hours for most types of houses.

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13) At what stage do we pay your fees?

We ask stage payments which are detailed in the commission letter that is sent to you following the initial no obligation meeting. You will receive an invoice when we issue the drawings for your approval, which should be paid in full when returning the drawings with your approval.

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14) What kind of survey do you perform?

Our survey is a dimensional survey to ascertain the sizes of the rooms and external appearance. Our survey is not a conditions survey where we report on any defects to your property. If this type of survey is required then we would recommend that you contact our associate company Homespec, who can undertake building condition reports.

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