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Did your main contractor has b&w written quotation stated with t&c " The refund of the design fee will only be eligible if we were appointed as main contractor for all scopes " as he said to you.

if no b&w, it will be hard for you to argue with him.

This post has been edited by ehwee: Jul 25 2018, 04:53 PM

That's the definition of " all construction scopes " makes the argument then.

Most design and build firms will separate design fee and the construction quotation, they will ask for upfront fee for design drawings

Whether they will return these design fee for client is depend on their company policy, some of them will return or deduct the design fee from the total construction cost when you decide to appoint them for construction as per their quotation.

Some of company will not deduct the design fee even if you appoint them for construction works later part.

Yet your main contractor ask for deposit, is this deposit is part of the construction cost or as a design fee?

This you will need to clarify with him upfront before they actually start the design process.

This post has been edited by ehwee: Jul 25 2018, 07:23 PM

Yes, different ID charge with different payment terms.

You can approach a design and build firms to provide you the home design drawings. normally they will request for up front deposit for their design proposal.

Some of them will return the deposit to you if awarding them on construction works after you see their design.

Yet if you decide not to let them do construction may be due to their expensive renovation quotation, you won't get back the early deposit mostly.

the deposit request early by these ID firms is actually for them to pay for their in house designer salary or their regular freelance designers to produce the design proposal. Without being awarded for construction works base on their submit renovation quotation, there is no way for them to return the deposit and provide free ID drawings for public

This post has been edited by ehwee: Aug 7 2018, 08:15 AM