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Schedule of works (many many page line by line list of all the work items, the more detailed the better)
@Sparky this. The schedule of works (plans translated into a big spreadsheet of work items and parts) is what the contractor quotes against, and what is referenced in your contract with them. Any item the architect forgets will occur extra costs. You shouldn’t have to self-assemble the quote from emails and material lists.
This also makes quoting a big job, and risky in times of rapidly changing prices. Many good contractors don’t need to / want to quote anymore. Others add big margins to cover the risk, and their time quoting.
One way forward could be to find a contractor you can trust and have a good conversation with them based on a detailed schedule of works. Rather than them guaranteeing a price and breaking it down to every item, you could allocate your budget to parts of the schedule, address the biggest expenses, have enough contingency (20%) and closely monitor/anticipate as you go along. It can be hard to predict knock on effects of time (money) spent waiting for some material to arrive or trade to finish their part before another thing can happen.
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meneer
Check the appointment document you signed with the Architect and use the schedule of services to compare what has been delivered and what hasn't - it should make it pretty clear. Also note there should be something about dispute resolution.
As for construction costs - the whole point of employing an Architect for stage 4 is to design to a level of detail that is adequate for a building regs check and obtain comparative tenders (3 minimum) Typically this could be:
Stage 4A
Developed design drawings, integrated with Structural and Services design (provided by others) - submitted to building regs for a plan check.
Stage 4B
More drawings and schedules of finishes and joinery etc.
Schedule of works (many many page line by line list of all the work items, the more detailed the better)
A materials and workmanship specification (usually NBS) cross ref' to the drawing and SOW. Setting out what-of and how it's to be built.
Then...
Send to 3 contractors, 1 month for pricing - then choose the cheapest - on the basis that all of them come recommended and are reputable in the first place.
It's a serious chunk of work