Architectural Services Leeds

Yes. Under the Building Safety Act 2022 dutyholder framework, clients must ensure a competent designer is appointed to manage compliance with Building Regulations during the design stage.

For domestic projects in Harrogate, this means someone must take responsibility for coordinating the technical design before and during construction. Simply relying on a builder to “work it out on site” does not satisfy the dutyholder requirements.

When formally appointed, we plan, manage and monitor compliance throughout design and construction in accordance with the legislation.

Not all house extensions require planning permission. Many smaller extensions can be built under Permitted Development, while larger proposals, homes in conservation areas or listed buildings are more likely to require a planning application.

As part of our architectural services, we assess your property and advise whether planning permission is required before preparing the appropriate drawings. Where an application is needed, we prepare and submit planning applications to Leeds City Council for:

• House extensions
• Loft conversions
• Home renovations and internal reconfigurations
• New build homes

Where additional information is required, such as Design and Access Statements or Heritage Statements, we prepare and coordinate the supporting documentation as part of the application process.

Following planning approval, we prepare detailed Building Regulations drawings to ensure your project is technically coordinated, buildable and ready for accurate builder pricing before construction begins.

Yes. We prepare detailed Building Regulations drawings following planning approval, transforming a planning proposal into a fully coordinated construction package ready for pricing and construction.

These drawings include structural coordination, insulation, drainage, ventilation, fire safety and all information required to demonstrate compliance with the Building Regulations.

Unlike planning drawings, Building Regulations drawings are prepared for construction, helping builders provide more accurate quotations while reducing the risk of costly variations once work begins.

Ideally, yes. While you can have informal conversations with builders at any stage, accurate quotations should be based on detailed drawings rather than rough sketches or planning layouts alone.

Planning drawings are prepared to secure planning permission and often don’t contain enough technical information for accurate construction pricing. Building Regulations drawings provide the level of detail builders need to understand the scope of work, helping reduce assumptions, variations and unexpected costs during construction.

At Carter Designs, we prepare coordinated planning and Building Regulations drawing packages that allow builders to price your project more accurately, giving you greater confidence before work begins.

Unexpected cost increases often occur when builders prepare quotations from planning drawings alone.

Planning drawings are produced to secure planning permission and generally don’t contain enough technical information to define construction methods, materials, structural coordination or Building Regulations compliance. As a result, builders have to make assumptions, which can often lead to additional costs and variations once work begins.

At Carter Designs, we prepare detailed Building Regulations drawings and coordinated construction information before builders provide quotations. This enables contractors to price a clearly defined scope of work rather than relying on estimates or guesswork, giving you greater cost certainty before construction starts.

Where required, we can also manage a competitive tender process and administer the building contract, helping to control costs, manage variations and protect your budget throughout the construction phase.

We can help avoid builder cost increases