Essential Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Architect
Hiring an architect is a big decision and will impact the process of building or renovating your dream projects. Thus working with collaborative architects who listen to you and understand your unique needs is going to impact your personality. He/she should possess the following characteristics- passionate about the work, creative, problem solver, visualization skills, a good listener, and most importantly one keeping your budget on track.
We are all familiar with the basic questions to ask while interviewing an Architect, such as for references and portfolio examples. In order to help you dig a little deeper, here are some questions to ask while selecting the best architect….
Can you confirm that you are a registered architect?
To maintain Professional Indemnity Insurance it is very important to check that your prospective architect is fully qualified and is registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) – to ensure health and safety concerns. The benefit of choosing a registered architect is that their ability to deliver the service that you require is guaranteed.
Do you have a signature style?
Most architects possess that one talent which allows them to style each house in their unique way. The best way to get a feeling of that is by going through the past projects in their portfolio. By talking about the architect’s signature style in the front, you can decide whether it’s the right fit for you.
What experience do you have working in my area? (City? County? Subdivision?)
An architect should have some experience about the place where he is going to work because each area can have their own design guidelines, permission process and the length of time needed to get permission can vary, new homes must be approved by a design review committee before being built. This should not be the deal breaker but it can be helpful if your architect already knows the ins and outs of working in your area.
What is your track record of successful planning applications?
In order to avoid planning permission issues, it is much needed to ask your architect for their track record in getting plans approved. A local architect who is familiar with his local authority’s planning policies and attributes, and having useful contacts in the planning department is considered to be the best because he might not experience hurdles in his way.
How do I know I can trust you to complete my project in time and on a budget?
It is very important to choose an architect for whom money is secondary, what matters is the completion of the project on time. You can ask for their previous records and can push them to explain their past issues. You can also visit the properties and speak to the past clients to find out how communicative the person was.
How do you charge?
Architect’s charges may vary from person to person, it is mostly dependent on how many years of experience he/ she has, type of project he is doing, time spent on that particular project, percentage of the cost of the work. While cost shouldn’t always be the primary factor in selecting an architect but it is very important to understand your architect’s fee structure before signing the contract.
Communicating the above will have a smooth and stress-free experience and the outcome will be always positive.
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