1. Reputable contractors will always recommend that you get professional plans before they give you a bid on your project. A good contractor wants to distinguish himself from the other contractors by what he does best: competitive pricing, swift completion and good workmanship, confident that other contractors are bidding the same plans.
2. If a contractor recommends that he is able to provide his own plans BEWARE! he may be motivated to omit some details in order to keep his price low and/or to provide abbreviated plans from unlicensed “designers”.
3. Getting started from scratch requires imagination and engineering economy rather than construction management skills. (Architectural design works from general ideas to specific details.)
4. Building codes, deed restrictions and property ordinances are the rules that must be followed in any building project. (An architect is professionally responsible for getting it right from the start.)
5. Construction will take longer to complete when working from poorly detailed plans, requiring more supervision time for the contractor, since ambiguities must be “worked out” on the job.
6. Contractors may be motivated to charge more for their construction contracts when plans are prepared by an amateur, in order to cover uncertainties.
7. Without an architect a homeowner could be put in the position of having to depend on their contractor to evaluate his own workmanship or the value of work in place; potentially a conflict of interest for the contractor.
8. A homeowner should always recover the money spent for professional plans, saving the difference between competitive bids for the same work. (It’s free enterprise working for the homeowner’s benefit).
9. Building aesthetics are best handled by a professional with an eye for balance and proportion, to blend the addition seamlessly into an existing house construction.
10. An architect is licensed, insured and educated to provide design services and construction expertise. Ending up with a great addition/remodeling project starts with a thoughtfully prepared plan by an experienced architect.
The photos shown here represent a sampling of remodeling projects designed by G.M. Frech and Associates.
