Architectural Drawings

[Victor Webster]

Hey everyone! I bought a historic building in a small town last summer and have finished the interior demo. It is completely gutted now. I am leaving it wide open and opening a small neighborhood pub with an investor who knows the food/bev/bar industry. The space is only 1100 sq. feet. I got a quote for $8,000 for an architectural drawing. There is no structural work involved in the renovation. I am adding one bathroom. Other than that, simple plumbing work and re-wiring the space with exposed conduit. I am upset about this quote because other than the bathroom, nothing else is being built. I only need these drawings to obtain a permit from the city. Can anyone offer advice on how I can get a cheaper set of drawings?

[Patrick Orefice]

I'm approaching this in a little different way than what your question is, but would appreciate a little more info.

Is the existing interior space set up as a pub currently or is it completely gutted, i.e. will a new bar area need to be designed?  Is there a kitchen space involved that will be renovated at all?  Is the architect providing any other design services (finishes, layouts, booth design, cabinets, partitions)?

The jurisdiction will also need Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection drawings from licensed engineers.  A portion of that fee would be for those consultant's as well.

As a rule of thumb, the architectural services fee will be about 8-10% of the construction cost for a situation like this.  It's possible to find a little lower, but with a small project I'd expect it to be in this range.