From my last posting, you should have gathered your thoughts, collected documents, established a budget and ordered or prepared to order a survey. Boring! I know. Although building is actually pretty fun and exciting, it has a lot of boring. It’s important stuff but not remotely fun or exciting. However, now we ‘re getting to the fun part. It’s time to seek a DESIGNER. I made that all caps because you need this tattoo-ed on your mind’s map to project success. In previous postings I’ve discussed how the internet leads you directly to builders. This is not in YOUR best interest. Works out dandy for the builder though. Please understand that I am not ‘dissing’ builders or labeling them as bad people. Quite the contrary. I was one for 27 years. Marketing is just that. Marketing. Seeking out projects to build. This is about your control of the process.
I’ve worked with hundreds of builders. They’re just people like you and me. There is an old adage, “what do you call a person that graduates from the bottom of their class in medical school?” Doctor! That’s true with builders or any other profession. Some are just better than others. Some have more extensive resources. The list goes on. The challenge is that these considerations, and many more, affect your project from pricing to quality. A good example is steel beams. As a designer, occasionally we need to use a steel beam rather than wood or engineered wood alternatives. Not a big deal. A more experienced builder will take this in stride. They bring in a welder, order the steel and go to work. A less experienced builder may have strong reservations because it can’t be handled by carpenters. They mark up the cost on that element to cover their lack of experience. I’ve even had a builder tell my client that I am “over-building”. A classic retort for “this is not in my wheelhouse!” Now they are assuming the designer’s role and doing you a disservice. It’s fine to question the designer. Remember, the only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask. However, this should be done in a collaborative manner. Not a false advisory intended to control the narrative.
Everything I’ve said about builders holds true for designers. When searching for a designer, take your time. First, a designer is not a designer. Essentially, single-family detached residential construction falls into 2 basic genres: new construction and renovation/remodeling. New construction is a more definable animal. You know what is to occur every step of the way with practical certainty. You’re starting with dirt and work through a very well established sequence of processes from there. However, renovation/retrofit has many more variables. For this discussion, please set aside kitchen and bath remodeling. We’re discussing projects such as a significant addition, structural modifications, significant floor plan alterations or both. This designer needs to know much more than the general complexities of building. Out of the gate they must understand the capabilities and restrictions of the home being added to or altered. Was the house built in the 1920’s or the 2000’s? Perhaps the late 1800’s. Every decade of origin has unique challenges and capabilities. Because of fabulous leaps in technology, we now have capabilities through engineered lumber products previously unimaginable. You need to seek a designer that presents their range of expertise. Generally speaking, a “new construction” designer does not necessarily have the background needed for comprehensive renovation design. Conversely, a renovation designer often has more than sufficient skills for new construction design. Once you determine what type of designer you’re looking for, it is incumbent upon you to “pre-vet” the available players in a search. Check their website for projects that reflect what you envision. Read what they offer on the website. A good review is not 3 minutes and scrolling through pages. This project will be a major investment. Treat the search like it matters because it does. Look for reviews. This includes testimonials. 5 star reviews are good but they can be deceiving. Do other searches for complaints, etc. Read 1-star reviews. Often, they don’t hold water. Sometimes they’re quite enlightening. Remember, sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) are membership driven. Not necessarily unbiased. Also, look for affiliations with trade associations. I highly recommend reviewing the website for the AIBD at https://aibd.org. This is the American Institute of Building Design. Full disclosure, I am a member and quite biased. This is an excellent organization dedicated to the residential design industry since 1950. They are dedicated to the design industry and to building and exposing a network of qualified professionals nationwide. They also sponsor an annual event called the ARDA. This is the American Residential Design Awards. The wonderful thing about the ARDA is that non-members are welcome to submit projects. The projects, actually built or still in concept (unbuilt), are reviewed by other design professionals around the country. These are peer reviews and not purchased or incentivized reviews. In matters when people in the know review a peer.
At some point you will determine a few candidates for your project design. As with builders, choose 3 if possible. That is sufficient to go to part two. The former was “pre-vetting” to narrow the field. Now you need to narrow the field to one. As should occur with your builder selection process, price is not good as a sole criterion. VALUE is what matters. Talk to the designer. Ask them about their process. Ask them about projects similar to yours that perhaps you might drive-by and see. Have they designed projects permitted and built in your jurisdiction? Question them on pricing and how their design agreement is structured. Ask about their service offerings overall. Do they help seek and/or vet builder candidates when ready. Do they assist in evaluating bids? Do they offer any consultation during construction? What elements in the project do they specify in the plans? How much is generic? Do they assist with final finish selections? Are they turnkey? In other words, are all design components needed for permitting covered? This may include structural or mechanical engineering or certain elements of the site design or energy efficiency. We’ll be offering some tools for organizing your interviews in the future but for now, ask questions. Above all, you need to be comfortable with the designer you choose. They are determining the path to a desired outcome for your project. Your investment. They need to get to know you and you need to be comfortable and honest in your exchanges. This person is your advocate. Choose wisely. Take charge by spending the time and energy appropriate for such an investment. Remember, there’s never time to do it right but always time to do it over. Planning is where you set expectations and project costs. Moreover, this is the “playbook” that everyone works from. This is the only realistic path to true apples-to-apples comparison. Well prepared plans are not an elective. They are critical to the anticipated outcome and generally required for permitting in any major metro. This is where you establish control. This is definitely not where you cut corners or accept design as an “included service”. Your permittable plans are the cornerstone of the project. Treat the process accordingly.
Until next time….
