ᐅ Architect Not Meeting the Schedule – What Can Be Done?

Hello everyone,

I have a serious problem: I hired an architect for the renovation of a single-family house. The contract was to prepare the submission documents and handle the entire process with the authorities.

The contract date was, believe it or not, seven (7!!!!) months ago. During this time, I received two drafts that did not meet my requirements, and otherwise only empty promises. The originally agreed submission deadline was the end of May. If the now communicated submission around mid-October is met, that would mean a delay of four and a half months. Since we have already made a down payment and I don’t want to hire a new architect because of the entire process, I’m at a loss and am turning to you in the hope of getting some advice.

Throughout the project phase, no deadlines were met, let alone was I informed when deadlines could not be met. There were an incredible 21 missed or postponed appointments during this period. I was promised 3D plans of the exterior and interior at the beginning of September, even though the floor plan data was already finalized, but they still have not been delivered. Since I intend to rent out the property and expect rental income of 1500-2000€/m (around $1,600-$2,100 per month), I am now facing a loss of nearly €10,000 (around $11,000) from lost rental income alone. Due to the inability to apply for a loan and rising interest costs, the total financial impact of the delay likely amounts to a six-figure sum for us.

Is there anything that can be done here? As mentioned, I cannot hire a new architect now, as that would mean starting the whole process over again. Unfortunately, I should have pulled the plug on this three months ago....

Thank you in advance for your responses.
Best regards,
nico333

You want to claim lost rental income even though the plans aren't finished yet? Honestly, that sounds like nonsense. Delays in construction are normal, and in my opinion, you are the only one responsible for them.

Dear Katja,

please explain how I am to blame in this matter. I never said that I want to claim lost rental income; I only mentioned it to point out the difficult situation.

According to surveys among other architects, a submission plan usually takes between 2 and 4 months.

Please avoid provocations or unnecessary replies and provide a constructive contribution instead. I am already stressed enough. Thank you.

The first question is what was contractually agreed upon and what you have done so far to speed up the whole process? Were deadlines contractually set? Have you imposed any time limits on your side? Or have you just resentfully accepted the canceled appointments over the past 7 months without taking any further action? Otherwise, have a lawyer review the contract and advise you on what options you have to enforce the agreement. As long as no one knows the exact wording of the contract, everything is just speculation.

nico333 schrieb:

please explain how I am to blame for that.

You already did that yourself:

nico333 schrieb:

Unfortunately, I should have pulled the plug three months ago....

But you still haven’t managed to put an end to things with this guy. 🙄

It seems that at some point between the 21 appointments, he ran out of working hours.
Seriously: What is it about the planning for permits/planning permission that requires so many meetings? Especially since it concerns a renovation, not a new build? The existing structure already sets many parameters.