Homeowner’s Checklist for Hiring an Architect

Have a project in mind in which you need an architect? PAUSE! Here are a few major tasks that you will need to complete before picking up the phone or typing out that email.

Regardless of the project size or scope of work, it is important for you to get your ducks in a row before pulling in the professionals. Going through this checklist will better help both the architect and you understand what is needed to get your project going. Skipping these steps can result in a rocky start to your project and, worse, unnecessary architectural fees.

See our other post on “Starting a Project” for additional thoughts for consideration.

CHECKLIST: ACTION ITEMS BEFORE HIRING AN ARCHITECT

• Complete your Scope of Work document.

  • This should be a thorough description of the project. If you have any consultants (such as an interior designer) or a contractor, make sure their information is included. Define your budget and schedule. See our other post on Construction Budgeting.

• Gather all site and project documents

  • Very important: gather any drawings and documents related to the project site, especially if you are planning a remodel. Your architect will need dimensioned floor plans of the project site to base their initial design off of. If you were not given a copy of the drawings when you purchased the property, try asking the local city’s building department for any documents related to the project site - it is likely they will have at least a site plan that can be emailed to you.

• Easy permit calculation you can do yourself

  • Floor Area Ratio (FAR): Most building departments have a limit on the amount of interior square footage you are allowed to build on your lot. If the Floor Area Ratio is 0.5 and you have a 1,000sf lot, that means you are allowed to build a 500sf home. This could be a two story home of 250sf per story OR a five story home of 100sf per story. If you are looking to do an addition, this calculation is very important and could limit the amount of square footage you are able to add. Knowing, generally, what the current FAR is will help with your initial phone call with the Architect.

  • Lot Coverage: Lot Coverage and FAR can sometimes be confused for one another. An easy way to remember is that the Lot Coverage is calculated from an aerial view of your project site and does not take into account the amount of stories the home has. Most building departments limit the lot coverage on the project site and, especially for an addition, it is important to know what your current coverage is. The easiest way to go about this is look up your address on the GIS map and use the “area measure” tool on the outline of the building.