Frequently asked questions

Not every project does. One of the first things we do is check your plans against local and national planning rules to confirm the right route: full planning permission, or a Certificate of Lawful Development under permitted development.

We then prepare the drawings and, if you would like, submit the application to your council on your behalf.

More about planning permission drawings →

Permitted development covers smaller changes, some extensions, loft conversions and exterior alterations, that you can make without a formal planning application, within set limits.

Anything larger, or where permitted development rights have been removed (for example in a conservation area), needs planning permission: a formal application to your local council.

How we handle the planning route for you →

We review the council's reasons and prepare a revised design to address them. If we think permission will be difficult to achieve, we will tell you before submitting anything.

We can never guarantee approval. That decision rests with the local authority, and a significant redesign following a refusal may be chargeable.

Usually we recommend waiting for the planning decision first. However, if your project is permitted development (so planning is not required), or is fairly straightforward, you may choose to begin the building regulations stage in parallel to save time.

About our building regulation drawings →

Where your work affects a shared wall or boundary, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires you to notify the affected neighbours. We can prepare the initial notice to send to them.

If a neighbour does not consent, it may be necessary to appoint a party wall surveyor.

An Ordnance Survey map is a detailed, scaled map of your site and the surrounding area. Councils require one with most planning applications to show the proposed development and boundaries. We provide a licensed OS map as part of the planning stage.

Usually, yes. A measured survey is the accurate record your drawings are built on, so for most projects we carry one out ourselves: measuring the rooms, openings, levels and elevations and photographing the property.

Where suitable existing drawings or measured floor plans are already available, we can sometimes work from those instead. Site visits are charged separately and always agreed in advance.

What's involved in a measured survey →

Yes. If you already have planning drawings, we can prepare your building control drawings and/or structural design. If you already have building control drawings, we can take care of the structural design.

Upload your drawings for a fixed proposal →

Almost all extension, conversion and new build projects do. We prepare the full set of technical drawings and the written specification, and can submit and manage the application as your agent.

What our building regs package includes →

Building regulations are the minimum legal standards for how a building is constructed: separate from planning permission, and many projects need both.

We prepare your building control package, typically within 2–3 weeks, ready to submit to the council or an approved inspector. Submission on your behalf is an optional add-on. Council or inspector fees are not included in our price.

How building control sign-off works →

Planning permission is about whether you can carry out the work and how it looks and affects the area. Building regulations are about how it is built: safely, soundly and legally. Many projects need both, and we handle each stage for you.

See the whole process, stage by stage →

Yes. Our in-house structural engineers review your project and prepare a calculations report and structural drawings, suitable for building control and for your builder to price and build from. The same engineer stays with your project through to completion.

More about our structural engineering →

Yes. Our structural engineers can investigate defects such as cracks, movement or damage to your existing property, determine the likely cause, and prepare a design for the remedial or repair work needed to put it right.

Structural surveys and remedial design →

We provide a fixed-price quote for every project, with a clear breakdown of fees and what is included. Each stage is agreed in writing and paid at the start of that stage, with a deposit to confirm your booking.

Optional services are quoted separately and only charged if you choose to proceed, so you are never committed beyond the next step.

Get an instant quote for your project →

Yes. We work with homeowners across the UK.

Yes. We are fully insured, and we insure all of our designs for £1m.

We can guide you through three phases:

• Design & Concept: measured survey, proposed drawings and planning.
• Approvals & Technical, building regulations drawings and structural design.
• Build & Completion (optional): building control sign-off, tendering, contract administration and project management.

You decide how far you would like us to take it, and only commit to the next step.

Knowing what to expect: our process →

Yes. Internal and external 3D visuals help you picture the finished design, plan the space and communicate your intentions clearly to your builder and the council.

Amendments and revisions are included while we are preparing your drawings. Changes requested after submission, or a substantial redesign, may be chargeable, but we will always agree any extra cost with you first.