Using an Architect When Building Your Own Home

As with any other professional consultant, because you're paying the money, you have the right to determine how much your architect will be involved in your home-building project. Architects can serve you in several ways. They can take a stock plan you have seen in a magazine or on the Internet and simply modify it to fit your needs, or they can help extract ideas from your mind and create a whole new home to meet your dreams. Some people simply want an architect to design a home based upon their thoughts and needs. Others want to be fully engaged in the entire experience and use the architect as an interpretive tool, expressing what they see completed in their own mind.

Deciding if you need an architect

The question of whether or not you need an architect for your project boils down to two factors: time and experience. If you're in no hurry to move your project forward and are willing to invest the time to figure out all the ins and outs of the process and make the right choices, then an architect may be unnecessary. But if you work for a living, are raising a family, or don't have the slightest inclination to take the time to figure out design, construction, and building codes, then an architect will be a welcome addition to your custom home team of professionals.

Here is a list of questions you need to ask yourself to determine if you're up to the task of designing your own home:

• Does your state require an architect for submitted plans?

• Will your project require extensive structural engineering?

• Are you extremely picky and difficult when making decisions?

• Are you lacking in aesthetic vision?

• Do you have difficulty understanding home functionality?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you'll probably gain value from an architect. Despite their seemingly high cost, architects can save you time and money by bringing their expertise to the table. Their insights on functionality and government bureaucracy can save you months of time and thousands of dollars.

The biggest question to ask yourself is whether or not you have the confidence to take this project to its completion. You may prefer to dabble or play with the design aspects, but an architect is a true professional who has spent years becoming an expert at home design. If you were to go alone without an architect, you might spend a great deal of time and energy gathering the information that already sits at the architect's fingertips.

Finding the right architect

Locating an architect is as easy as picking up the phone book or searching on the Internet. The hard part is figuring out which architect is right for you. You have several approaches you can take to find the right architect:

• You can drive through neighborhoods of custom homes looking for houses that strike your fancy. Don't be afraid to knock on the door and ask for the architect's phone number. Most people are happy to share the information while you're flattering their home.

• If you're lucky enough to have many friends with custom homes, you can ask for referrals from them. What are friends for?

• You can hit the Web. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has a list of its members by location. Click on the "Architect Finder" option, enter your zip code, and select the "A Home for Yourself" building type to find architects in your area.

When you have a list of prospects, you need to compare them. Cost is usually the first comparison but by no means the most important. When choosing the right architect, look for someone who fits the needs of your particular project and working style. You may want someone who manages the whole process or perhaps will work with you in a teamlike manner. Plan to have several discussions with two or three different architects so you can choose the right one for you.

Here are the important issues to address in those discussions:

• Aesthetics: You need to see if the architect can create something that suits your taste. Ask to see many of her prior designs. Ask for introductions to the owners. Go to the completed houses and see if the floor plans make sense and are comfortable for you. If you don't like the homes she previously designed, chances are you won't like a new one either. A good architect is also a good listener. Look for someone whose taste is similar to yours and who will design what you're looking for. You want your new home to be a reflection of you — not a monument to the architect.

• Experience: What's the point in hiring an expert who knows less than you do? You want an architect who has designed many custom homes and is familiar with the process. A commercial architect who specializes in office buildings may be looking for the next new challenge, but his lack of residential experience could create problems for you down the line with builders and planning departments. An architect needs to have a minimum of 15 custom homes under her belt to be considered for your project.

Local knowledge: Every municipality and planning department is different in the way they process custom home plans. Some are more bureaucratic than others. Much of the architect's time may be spent working your plans through the system. If you're looking for exceptions (variances) from the established local guidelines, you could have a fight on your hands. This fight could cost you time and money. An architect with local knowledge and experience can save you from costly battles and exercises in futility.

Managing the architecture process

If you're lucky, you may find the perfect architect — someone who is attentive to your needs and makes the process easy. In a perfect world, the architect would come up with the perfect design first time out with a minimum of communication. Sadly, wake up and smell the coffee: You don't live in a perfect world. Most custom home architects are small businesses; they're shoestring operations without huge profit margins. They tend to be overloaded with work and less concerned for your timeframes than you may be. The more successful the architectural firm, the busier it will be. You need to manage your expectations and the process.

Set your initial meeting as a getting-to-know-you session to get a feeling for how you'll work together and to see if you have a common vision for the project. After everything gets going, stay proactive in driving the process. (To stay on top of everything, you need to call the architect regularly to check progress and set the next appointment.) After all, it is your house and your timeframe. The architect's job is to present you with information and decisions to be made. All the decisions relate to four basic elements:

• Aesthetics

• Cost

• Quality

• Time

Get the facts from the architect and conduct your own research. The more you take responsibility for educating yourself and making some decisions upfront, the greater chance you have of eliminating problems, saving some money, and getting the home you're looking for. Use your architect as the high-paid consultant that he is and make sure to set a regular meeting schedule with him. Doing so helps you get a better handle on the time and dollars involved to design the project. Setting a regular schedule also reduces the panic or inquiry calls that can cost you more money and frustrate you during the process.