Whether you’re planning a second-story addition or adding office space to
your home, it’s great when a plan comes together. And that plan depends on a
good architect to design and estimate the costs of whatever you’re trying to
build.
So, your first step is finding an architect. You can begin your search by
using referrals from friends, scanning the Yellow Pages or checking the
Internet. Terry and Debbie McElroy of Bartlett recently added a sunroom to
their home, and renovated their basement and dining room. The McElroys found
their architect through another professional they trusted.
“Architects aren’t like a doctor you’ll see once or twice a year,” Debbie
said. “We asked our Realtor when we were buying the house if she knew anyone.
We originally hired someone as a consultant, and eventually he became our
architect.”
Brian Reno, owner of Venture Resources Architects in Chicago, says that not
all architects are created equal.
“Lots of architects specialize in commercial properties, as opposed to
residential,” Reno said. “Some agree to take a side job because they’re
moonlighting, and really don’t have the experience in residential work. About
a third of our business comes from people who worked with another contractor
or architect who didn’t know what he was doing.”
Kerry Levin, owner of Levin Associates Architects in Des Plaines, says
choosing the wrong kind of architect can lead to costs beyond design fees.
“For smaller home projects, I’ve always stressed that people make sure
their architect is experienced in residential construction,” Levin said. “In
our industry, some people regard residential as the `poor sister’ of real
architecture. People who don’t do homes aren’t real assets as managers, and
often can’t help people in terms of whether there is a more economical way to
do their project.”
Levin says architects should furnish “input you can rely on” and suggests a
“second opinion shouldn’t be necessary unless estimates are way out of line.”
Reno said a good architect becomes more than a project designer and
estimator of costs. “A good one will coordinate the entire project,” he said.
The McElroys found their architect to be “reality oriented.”
“Our experience with the architect wasn’t just that he was creative but
practical as well,” Debbie said. “We had an idea of what we wanted, but
because of certain parameters we needed his expertise to help formulate the
vision we had. We were asked about furniture placement in a room, for
instance, which affected the design of windows we were adding.”
“We advise people about materials and help guide them in making rational
decisions,” Levin said. “Someone may say `I like brick’ and it will cost them
$15 a square foot. We can suggest vinyl siding that’s $2 a square foot, and
more in keeping with the other homes in the area.”
Once you’ve settled on your architect, experts say a number of project
delivery methods are used.
“The first is the traditional three-way method using the owner, the
architect and the contractor,” Levin said. “Today, the more popular
alternative has been to go with the design-build method, where the owner works
with the contractor, who sometimes does both the design and construction, or
subcontracts one of them out somewhere else.”
Edward Mindak, owner of Residential Design Associates in Chicago, said he
prefers the traditional delivery method since it gives homeowners more
control.
“Design-build puts too much control in the hands of someone else,” Mindak
argues. “Some architects want to make a statement and build the Taj Mahal. The
homeowner should be able to work out his design with the architect, get three
construction bids and then give someone the plans and say, `Build this.’ “
The design-build is usually less expensive, but Levin cautions homeowners
against signing any contract until the final plans and specifications are
complete.
“Sometimes it’s hard to estimate the total scope of the project,” he said.
“You may be able to get a price proposal that says `guaranteed not to exceed’
a certain amount.”
Experts said fees are either a flat rate or a percentage of the job. Levin
estimates that larger projects worth $100,000 or more will usually cost
homeowners a rate of 6 to 8 percent of the construction costs in architect’s
fees.
“But when you’re doing $20,000 to $30,000 worth of work, the rate can be a
high as 15 to 20 percent, since there’s the same amount of work in terms of
the trades necessary and machinery as there would be in a bigger addition,”
Levin said.
Flat fees also can vary. Reno said a senior-level architect might charge
$90 per hour, and a firm’s midlevel architect about $50.
Mindak, who specializes in turning bungalows into two-story Victorians or
Tudors, says he gives homeowners a flat fee and allows plenty of time for
changes before final drawings are rendered.
“Hourly rates scare people because neither the architect nor the homeowner
knows when it will end,” he said. “Sometimes, rates depend on how easy the
people are to work with.”
Expect construction cost estimates to vary according to the area you live
and the type of materials used. Reno suggests a range from $80 to $200 per
square foot in the Chicago area; Mindak’s estimate is $80 to $140. Both
architects agree that the closer you live to the city, the more detailed your
plans will have to be.
“The City of Chicago requires full plans that show all your plumbing,
mechanical, heating and air ducts, size of units, amount of refrigerant
necessary and so forth,” Reno said. “The more established an area is, the more
demanding the building departments are. The North Shore area is probably the
most demanding.”
“It’s true that the farther out you go from Chicago, in places like Kane
County, it’s far more lenient,” Mindak said. “But regardless of where you
live, if you want a building permit, you’re going to need a set of plans.”
Reno warns that most renovations involve fixing existing problems and that
inexperienced architects can cost you more than the remodeling will.
“It’s important to hire someone who looks at all aspects of the job,” he
said. “I’ve seen people who tried to put 9-foot ceilings in walkout basements
that didn’t work. A good architect avoids mistakes and adds enhancements to
your home. And that’s worth more than the perceived or actual cost of his
services.”
Here are a few other suggestions to keep in mind:
- Beyond personal referrals, you can check architect recommendations from
the American Institute of Architects. Their local number is 312-670-7770.
Levin says they’re the largest trade association for architects and offer a
referral list, plus you can call and check credentials to see if your
architect is a member in good standing.
- If possible, find an architect who works in your own immediate area. A
couple of advantages are that you can view previous projects and that it’s
more likely a local professional will know the current zoning ordinances.
- You can save your architect time by having a survey of your property on
hand.
- Ask to see samples of your architect’s projects. Reno says to check
recent as well as older projects to see how well they’ve held up, since
problems don’t always develop during the first year.
