Do I Need An Architect For An Addition?
Most home addition projects are small that many homeowners ask themselves, do I need an architect for an addition? The answer to this question is a resounding yes. Regardless of the size of your project, you should have home remodeling architects that will help you bring your dream to life. The architects you hire will be responsible for a variety of duties, including: Designing the house Regardless of the type of addition you are having, you should have a design for it. The architect will help you plan how you will execute the project and how the entire project will look once complete. Besides the architect helping you come up with the project design, he/she will also help you come up with pull permits and design changes to the house’s structure. Serve as a contract writer. If your home addition is going to be big, the architect can serve as a contract writer to pull all the pieces of the project together. This includes: The estimate House specs The scope of the job Hiring the subcontractors Hiring a contractor Since the architect always comes before the contractor, if you don’t have a contractor in mind or don’t want to get involved with the hiring process, your architect should help you identify a good contractor for your project and even hire them. The architect should also supervise the contractor and ensure that they are doing a good job. Advice on fixture and finishes The architect should also advise you on the best fixtures and finishes to install in your house. Some of the areas the contractor should advise on include: Painting and color pairing Drawers and cabinets Lighting Kitchen and countertop works Outdoor landscaping Knobs and metal accents Tiling and flooring Hiring the right architect Since we have seen the vital roles served by an architect, you should be cautious of the contractor you hire and ensure that you are hiring the right one. The cool thing is it’s easy to identify an experienced architect as all you need to do is to ask them questions. Some of the questions to ask during the hiring include: What roles and responsibilities do they think they will be handling? What is their role in choosing and handing fixtures? What strategy will they use to see through the project? Are there challenges they expect in the project? How will they go around them? How will they deal with conflicts in the project? What are their references? When it comes to references, many homeowners collect them, but they rarely follow up. You don’t want to be this way. After the architect gives you a list of customers they have worked with, take it as your initiative to get in touch with the mentioned people and ask them about their experience with the architect. Of course, you should work with an architect with a stellar record—the clients should be happy and proud to have worked with the said architect. What other things should you consider when hiring the architect? Besides asking the architect as many questions as possible that will help you nail down their experience […]
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