01 / YOUR PROJECT
Start with your brief
Write down what you want the property to do better. Include the address, current use, approximate budget, desired timescale and your priorities. Photographs and any existing plans help us understand the enquiry. You do not need to know the application type before contacting us.
02 / YOUR PROJECT
Agree the existing information
A measured survey records the building for design purposes. It is not automatically a structural report. For remote work, we agree whether available plans and measurements are suitable, or whether a survey is required. Flag anything approximate or uncertain.
03 / YOUR PROJECT
Choose the planning route
The route depends on the actual property and proposal. Some work may qualify as permitted development; some may need planning permission or prior approval. An LDC can establish the planning lawfulness of a defined proposal. Restrictions and previous permissions need checking.
04 / YOUR PROJECT
Prepare and review the design
We agree a drawing scope and prepare the proposal for review. Many straightforward initial drawing packages are targeted for around a week once the information and payment requirements are met, with timing confirmed in the quotation. Revisions and specialist input can take longer.
05 / YOUR PROJECT
Submit and follow the application
Where included, we act as agent for the agreed submission and council correspondence. The authority validates and assesses the application. Its timetable is separate from our drawing programme. Further reports or material design changes may need an additional appointment.
06 / YOUR PROJECT
Read the decision and conditions
Keep the decision notice with the approved drawings. Check whether a condition requires information and approval before a particular stage. Identify who will prepare each item. A permission does not remove separate building-regulation or other relevant requirements.
07 / YOUR PROJECT
Develop the technical package
Building regulation drawings develop the agreed technical information. Structural calculations and design are prepared by the appointed engineer where required. We define the extent of drawing coordination; building-control assessment and site inspections are separate functions.
08 / YOUR PROJECT
Prepare for construction
Confirm the current coordinated drawings, the building-control route, relevant approvals and the responsibilities of the people involved. Our standard drawing appointment is not site management or a Principal Designer appointment. Discuss the statutory appointments appropriate to your project before work begins.
09 / YOUR PROJECT
Plan the whole budget
Budget for the agreed design fee, application charges, surveys, engineering and any specialist reports as well as construction. Your quotation states the scope, revisions and payment stages. Let us know if the brief changes so additional work can be discussed first.
10 / YOUR PROJECT
Keep your project records
Retain final drawings, permissions, condition decisions, calculations and completion documentation. Use revision numbers when sharing plans. Before making changes on site, ask how they affect the design and approvals. A clear record helps everyone work from the same information.
General guidance for England · Reviewed 9 October 2026. Check the requirements for your property. Further reading: Householder guidance, Lawful development, Building regulations, Planning conditions.