How To Avoid Paying For An Architect?

robk

Guys how do I go about avoid paying for an architect? I need someone do a daft and create plans that could be submitted for approval. An architect wants to charge me between 10-15% of the construction costs which works about to be $20K. I am not really anxious to pay that much for drawing up some plans? Any ideas?

Cole

A home designer, would probably charge you anywhere from 7% to 10%!!!

I will do it, what size are you looking at? ( sf. )

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TimWieneke

Dang, now I could be wrong but it sounds to me like your architect thought he won the lotto. Don't know what it's like in Joisey so I'll just speak from experience in our region.

You said you're doing remodeling projects in your insurance post and a quick crunch of the numbers leads me to believe your doing about a 200k remodeling project. I do my own design and construction drawings in villages that allow it. If you must use an architect, find one who will do drawings on a fixed fee. We have a good architect here that will do drawings for about 7k and another one we use for smaller jobs when needed that will do them for about 3k. For a 200k job we'd probably use the 7k architect.

Just sing the song "My momma told me. You better shop around..."

Tim

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Cole

It really depends on where you live and the quality of the architect. I have seen $9.00-$15.00 a sf.

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Grumpy

I have spoken with architects who want anywhere form 1% -10%. I have spoken with archtiects that may want $1 per square foot.

Really it depends on what you are getting from the archtiect. Some archtiects draw the minimum to get building approval. Some help the owner manage the job from start to finish.

I had one architect willing to stamp my "canned print" for a quick $1,000. I spoke to another archtiect, who mainly does commercial work that wanted $7k just to stamp the drawing. Another architect wanted to redraw the print, using the canned print as a concept and build a huge house and help me manage the job from start to finish. Really all I would need is the stamped approval. Why would I need an architect to help me manage the job and pick out materials?

(This post is in regards to the the vacation house I was gonna build until I decided to get married instead.)

Cole

Believe it or not 10-15% of the construction cost is the normal. It can be higher it all depends on the scope of the work.

I agree Grumpy, but a normal homeowner isnt going to know all you do and is going to need the help of a architect/designer.

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PipeGuy

check out this site

before the architect

Grumpy

That as my point. It more important to know what you are getting for your money. If the original poster thinks his quote is too high then he can ask the architect to reduce the scope of work or find another architect willing to reduce the scope of work.

Cole

True...

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TimWieneke

Grumpy,
If it comes to a matter of need for you, I can refer you to one of our architects who operates on a fixed price for residential projects. He's drawn a lot of our Hinsdale projects as well as the drawings for the Illinois Brick building they built in the western burbs a few years back. He was an art student before he switched to architecture and it really shows in his work.

Tim

__________________
As Steve the Foreman would say, "Forgive him Lord, for he doesn't know what he's doing."

Grumpy

The money I was going to use to build this vacation home I instead used to buy me a wife and start a business.

I have gotten past the point of needing an architect for thi project. All I need is his stamp to get permit approval.

PipeGuy

I just love to hear peopel say that. Like, it's just a stamp and anybody could get one. If I was and architect or engineer the fee would be double for the "just the stamp" package.
I was talking on the phone with a project manager the other day and he told be about a project they were doing that had a small tunnel. The tunnel contractor, a backwoods guy from SW Virginia kept sending him submittals with no PE stamp. The PM kept telling him they had to bear a proper seal. After a couple of weeks they started coming in sealed, with the guy's name, state, some other decorations and the letters "NSBSG". The PM subsequently started approving the submittals. One day soon after that he was talking to the tunnel contractor and asked "what does NSBSG" stand for. The ol' boy replied "No seal but still good"

robk

I am going to call around see if anyone will do the project for a fixed fee.

Cole

Good Luck!!!

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