We are currently trying to get working drawings complete for 6 townhouses in Melbourne's south east. We went to this firm (not sure if I can name them) with plans and permits and asked them to detail the plans in order to get our building permit. It is a very basic job. We talked to four different firms before we settled on engaging them. We looked at their previous work and it looked good and the designer who was to lead our little project seemed competent when we asked questions about our development and other similar developments. We went in, held a kick off meeting and they very confident that the work would get done within four weeks.
Then the problems started. The lead on our project unexpectedly left after four weeks with only half the plans done. The firm then handed it to someone else and then delivered to us an incomplete set of plans (when we reviewed them we had 8 pages of drafting errors and missing details) and gave us the bill. We were shocked at the what they gave us. There clearly had not been any independent verification of the work before the gave it to us. I would be ashamed to issue something of that quality to a client.
So we handed the plans back and two weeks later they provided us with a new revision. We again looked over them and they were an improvement but still had lots of very basic drafting errors on them. Bear in mind this is a basic townhouse development.
We asked them about how they verify their work before they issued it to clients but they got very defensive and took this to mean we were questioning their integrity! We feel they don't have any quality control and think the best thing to do is cut ties with them.
I would advise others to stay away on the basis that they have still not even come close to fulfilling their contract scope after 14 weeks and they have incredibly poor communication and verification.
Our problem is now how do we get the CAD files from them to give to another drafter to finish? The original designs were all done by us this firm were just meant to detail the drawings for construction.
Then the problems started. The lead on our project unexpectedly left after four weeks with only half the plans done. The firm then handed it to someone else and then delivered to us an incomplete set of plans (when we reviewed them we had 8 pages of drafting errors and missing details) and gave us the bill. We were shocked at the what they gave us. There clearly had not been any independent verification of the work before the gave it to us. I would be ashamed to issue something of that quality to a client.
So we handed the plans back and two weeks later they provided us with a new revision. We again looked over them and they were an improvement but still had lots of very basic drafting errors on them. Bear in mind this is a basic townhouse development.
We asked them about how they verify their work before they issued it to clients but they got very defensive and took this to mean we were questioning their integrity! We feel they don't have any quality control and think the best thing to do is cut ties with them.
I would advise others to stay away on the basis that they have still not even come close to fulfilling their contract scope after 14 weeks and they have incredibly poor communication and verification.
Our problem is now how do we get the CAD files from them to give to another drafter to finish? The original designs were all done by us this firm were just meant to detail the drawings for construction.
