Working with us
A house in western Crete takes about two years from the first site visit to the keys. Here is what happens in that time, what you get at each stage, and what it costs.
We work with a small number of clients at once, so that one of the two partners is on every project from start to finish. If we are not the right office for what you have in mind, we will say so at the first conversation, and usually suggest someone who is.
A typical house, month by month
The permit bar includes the time the authorities take, which is the part nobody controls. Near a monument or in an old town, add three to nine months for the approvals that come first.
The stages
First conversation
At the office, on site or by video. You tell us about the site, the budget and the timing; we tell you honestly whether we are the right office and what the next step would cost.
- You receive
- A short letter afterwards with what we heard and a proposal for the survey.
- Time
- One hour
- Fee
- Free
Site visits and measured survey
Four visits on one day, at different hours. A measured survey of any buildings on the site, and a check of the legal position with a topographer: boundaries, building rights, forest and archaeological zones.
- You receive
- Survey drawings, a site report with photographs and notes, and a clear answer on what can be built.
- Time
- 3 to 5 weeks
- Fee
- Fixed: €1,800 for up to 250 m², plus €6 per m² above
Concept design
Two or three ways of using the site, drawn and modelled, then one developed with you. We talk about climate, materials and cost from the first sketch.
- You receive
- Plans, sections and a card model, with a first cost estimate from a quantity surveyor.
- Time
- 6 to 8 weeks
- Fee
- 15% of the design fee
Permit design
The drawings and studies the permit needs, coordinated with the structural and mechanical engineers, submitted online through the national e-permit system. In traditional settlements and near monuments, the Council of Architecture and the antiquities service see it first.
- You receive
- A building permit. We chase the authorities so you do not have to.
- Time
- 8 to 10 weeks, then the authorities
- Fee
- 25% of the design fee
Construction drawings and tender
Details at 1:20 to 1:5, a specification and a bill of quantities, sent to three builders we have worked with. We compare the prices line by line with you.
- You receive
- Signed contract with a builder, a fixed price and a programme.
- Time
- 8 to 12 weeks
- Fee
- 25% of the design fee
On site
Weekly site visits, the legal supervision that Greek law requires, approval of samples and every payment certificate. Yiorgos is on site two days a week.
- You receive
- The building, the as-built drawings, the energy certificate, and a visit a year later to see how it is working.
- Time
- The length of the build, usually 12 to 18 months for a house
- Fee
- 35% of the design fee
Fees
For new houses our design fee is usually 9 to 11 percent of the construction cost. For restorations, which take more drawing and more time on site, it is 12 to 15 percent. Public buildings follow the state fee scale.
- The survey is a fixed fee, paid on its own. It is useful whatever you decide afterwards.
- Fees are paid at the end of each stage. You can stop after any stage and keep the drawings.
- Engineers, the topographer and the permit charges of the authorities are separate. We give you their quotes before you commit.
- VAT at 24% is added to every fee.
A worked example
A new house of 200 m², with a construction budget of €420,000 before VAT.
- Survey, fixed
- €1,800
- Design fee, 10%
- €42,000
- Total before VAT
- €43,800
- With VAT at 24%
- €54,312
How the design fee is paid, stage by stage
Permits in Greece
The part that worries people most. It is slow, but it is predictable once you know the order, and we deal with the offices for you.
The legal check
2 to 4 weeks
Title deeds, boundaries, building rights, forest maps and archaeological zones. A topographer surveys the plot; we read the planning rules. Most surprises happen here, which is why we do it first.
Approvals before the permit
3 to 9 months, when needed
In the old towns, traditional settlements, or near a monument, the Council of Architecture and the antiquities service approve the design before the permit is submitted. We present the project to them in person.
The building permit
1 to 3 months
Submitted online through the national e-permit system with the structural, energy and mechanical studies. The planning office checks it and issues the permit.
During and after the build
Throughout
Supervising engineers sign off each stage of the structure. At the end: the as-built drawings, the energy certificate and the connection to the networks.
Questions clients ask
What does it cost to build a house in western Crete?
In 2026, a stone house built to our standard costs between €1,800 and €2,600 per square metre of floor, before the fees, the pool and the landscape. The survey tells you where your site sits in that range.
Can you help us find a plot?
We do not sell land, but we will visit a plot before you buy it and tell you what can be built on it, for the fixed survey fee. It is the best money you will spend.
We live abroad. Can we work with you at a distance?
About half of our private clients do. We send drawings and short films from site every two weeks, and we meet by video. You should come for the first site day and at least twice during the build.
Do you design interiors and furniture?
We design the fixed things: kitchens, shelves, beds built into the walls, doors and shutters. Loose furniture we leave to you, though we will happily advise.
Can we use our own builder?
Yes, if they are willing to price the full drawings and accept our supervision. We will ask to see a building they have finished.
How long does the whole thing take?
For a house, about two years from the survey to the keys: nine months of design and permits, a few weeks of tender, and twelve to eighteen months on site.
Do you work outside Crete?
Rarely. Our way of working depends on being able to visit the site often, at different hours. We have built on Kythera and in the Mani, and we would consider other islands of the south Aegean.
Do you enter competitions?
Two or three a year, for public buildings we believe in. We lost most of them and learnt from all of them.
The first conversation is free
Tell us where the site is, what you would like to build, and roughly when. We answer every enquiry within three working days.