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Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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Posted by arkansaswifey (My Page) on Thu, Oct 8, 09 at 7:39
| We are in the early stages of planning an addition to our master bedroom. I have an idea of what I want and a sample floor plan. But, I need it altered to fit our home.
I contacted our city's building/planning department and they said that we only need to submit a sketch of our addition with exact measurements and square footage to obtain a building permit. It did not need to be a stamped, signed drawing from an architect.
I placed an ad for a residential designer and got responses that range from interior decorators to architects. I'm trying to decide if I should go with an architect to draw up our plans or just someone with remodeling experience?
I know the architect will be more expensive (which I don't mind), but if I don't need to spend that money I would prefer not to.
What do you suggest? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| Are you going to hire a contractor to do the work? If so, you might look for a reputable company that has a designer/architect on staff. That usually makes the build smoother, especially if the designer/architect participates in the build, since they have a much better understanding of how paper drawings transfer to real framing. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| You may not need detailed plans for the permit, but whoever builds it will need the details so they can build it properly, especially if you're talking something that will require footings, walls, roof, etc. I'd go with an architect or experienced draftsperson who can do the engineering calcs. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| The level of design input depends on the complexity and difficulty of the exterior architectural and interior structural modification as well as the general level of design detailing you want for your new room. From what you've told us there is no way to know what kind of design services you might need. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| A lot hinges on how it will tie into the existing,( foundation, exterior walls, roofline, etc). I would go with at least a consultation from an architect especially if you want it to look original to the house as if it were never added on in the first place. There are a lot of variables with projects even as simple as this and how straight forward it may or may not be. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| Thanks for your help! I will be working with a remodeling company to do the build, but that will be at a later date. I did not want to work with someone from a remodeling company just yet because we will be paying for this out-of-pocket (no loans) and didn't want to be pressured to start right away. I was leaning towards using an architect for the reasons all of you stated. I want the addition to look original to the house. Also, I want the designer to be able to tell me what the best/most space efficient way to lay out the floor plan. So, this will help me wade through the responses to my ad! Thanks again! |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| As one who has used, and has not used, an architect on builds and additions I recomend using one at least for some design help. You are likely to end up with a graceful addition that blends in with your home as opposed to a tacked on box that will detract from it. A good builder is unlikely to also be a good designer (though some do have some good suggestions). An architect will be able to design an addition that will make the best use of space and you may find you don't have to build as large as you thought or that they can suggest some things that will add beauty or function at minimal cost (or some cost saving options). With the building slump you shouldn't have any trouble finding someone who will do a good job for you. If they have an interior designer on staff (not an interior decorator) all the better as they are very good on finishes and functionality. Good Luck! |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| I have a client who put an ad on Craigslist for an architect/designer for a 2 family renovation and got 250 responses from five different states. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| If your contractors are like the ones I've hired, they're not going to follow the plans anyway. It'll be generally the right size and shape, but unless you're there verifying each measurement it's not going to match the plans. If you've got guys like that doing your work there's not much point to paying for an architect. The only exception seems to be electricians, who will put things exactly where you want, if you give them measurements. Another issue you're going to face is that you can't know exactly how the addition will structurally fit into the existing building until you start removing parts of the building. At that point the contractor will probably start modifying the plans to fit what's already there, rather than rebuilding things. The later option is a lot more expensive and time consuming. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| For new home construction our city demands you hire an architect for your home plans (or you can buy them predone from an architect online /home plans company online). There are numerous codes you have to meet and you won't be able to design your house plans without knowing what those codes are. Our plans for the house we thought about building would have cost us $6,000.00. So we decided to remodel, which is a whole nother story. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| Architect, architect, ARCHITECT! It's a big investment to do an addition. Don't skimp on a having a well-created road map. The more detailed the info is, the less room there is for your contractor to make it up. Then write your contract so that the GC has to follow the specs in the architects drawings. Like most things...you get what you pay for. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| Some builders are "design-build" outfits. As written, they design and build. If you're really concerned with melding the new work with the old, then a good architect will likely be your best bet. If it seems to be a straight-forward integration, then a design-build firm might be able to do both roles and save you money along the way. Best thing you can do is be prepared for what you want. This is a master bed addition, so think about how you'll use the space, from waking up in the morning and brushing your teeth to going to bed at night. Walking through the space. Everything you can muster about how YOU want the space to operate will help either the design-build firm or the architect get you what you want with fewer wasted hours. Mongo |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| I took the advice here and hired an architect. We will be getting started in a couple of weeks. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| One of the side benefits of hiring an architect is that they are unusually attractive, well mannered, and charming. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| Lol! Macv, do you happen to be an architect? funny. |
RE: Do I need an architect for floor plan?
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| On good days I can meet most of the requirements for person grooming and sociability set forth by the state architectural registration board. |
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