Architect to Build a House

Do You Need an Architect to Build a House or Renovation?

Last Updated: 2022-02-16By

There is no requirement to have an architect to build a new custom home or renovate existing house. Local bylaws do not mandate architects to be involved in single family home construction.

It is broadly thought that architects provide documents and submit them for permits. It is a mistake but widely accepted as a norm.

Dissecting bylaws and building codes we can see that in order to build new houses it is necessary to submit documents and obtain building permit. Right now there are 8 states that are exempt from this rule. Building codes still do not exist in Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Arkansas.

Even without building code regulations, there are some rules that contractors and builders. It involves septic tanks and connections of main services like gas, sewer, water and electricity.

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Options to Complete Drawings without Architect

We just mentioned that architect doesn’t have to be involved in overall process to create and submit drawings for residential home construction. In fact many designers and engineers sometimes call themselves architects and it confuses entire industry.

Four options of completing drawings without architect:

  • Purchased Drawings
  • Designer and Engineer
  • Preapproved Builder
  • No Legal Obligation

To answer do you need an architect to build a house or someone else can be hired for drawings we explored few possibilities. Besides architect there are other options for obeying local laws and provide necessary documents. Here is a list of options for new obtaining necessary documents:

Purchased Drawings – There are literally thousands of premade plans that are available online. Companies make them every day and sell on different platforms. Something very simple can cost as low as $100 per plan or as high as $5000. It all depends what is included in package and how big is the house.

Once again we recommend getting familiar with local building code before ordering anything. Online premade drawing may have floor plan, exterior (elevation) drawing, 3d rendering, detailed architectural details, engineering details and even breakdown of all materials or this specific project.

Popular concept of selling these type of drawings is to offer initial floor plan and rendering for low price to attract clients and upsell engineering details additional documents required for permit. Reputable companies can even adjust selected drawing and slightly change floor plan as per request.

Designer and Engineer – Majority of drawings made for new home construction where building codes exists are made by designers. Courses and simple education allows you to get certificate of designer that can create simple drawings for small residential homes.

However the job does not stop here. Someone has to confirm structural integrity for major renovation and be liable for loadbearing walls. In this case often it will be structural engineer. He or she carefully examines all notes and details wrote by designer and confirm drawing with engineering stamp.

Custom design for not complex 2000 sq ft home can cost around $3000 – $5000. Engineering work can add another $1000 or so for approving everything.

Preapproved Builder – Subdivision or massive home construction process is different from unique custom home projects. Area is preapproved for development with samples of houses that are to be built. It can be exactly the same layout for each home or can vary significantly.

Custom changes may also be available if contract is signed before renovation of your home is started. This would require engineer to change few details submit for revision. Procedure of floor plan change with several notes from engineer is quick and cost effective.

Expect to spend $500 – $1000 for such changes and the process to last up to a month. In other words, it’s very insignificant comparing to other drawing options.

No Drawings Needed – As mentioned above there are 8 states in America that do not require building permits at all for building new home. Therefore architect, designer or engineer doesn’t need to participate in drafting plans.

You may think that living and building homes in states without building code is awesome, but expectation is far from reality. Most incidents happen in these 8 states and you have to be careful who you hire.

In every stated option for home construction we insist on at least consulting and getting structural engineer to confirm beams, joists with load bearing walls. You do not want your house to lean or even fall after 10 years.

Before spending thousands of dollars and signing a contract for design of your new house project get familiar with local requirement. Home owners may be able to get everything approved without professional help of engineers, designers and architects. This would save tons of money and time.

Benefits of Working with Architect When Building Home

Although it is absolutely not necessary to work specially with architect on design and architectural drawings for new home there are known benefits associated our team wanted to share.

Main 5 Benefits of Working with Architect:

  • More Technical Education and Knowledge
  • One Man Show
  • Easy to Make Revisions
  • Discount Prices
  • Save Time

More Technical Education and Knowledge – To become licensed architect it may take 5 plus years. Collage degree or similar credentials program has to be completed before examination is provided for licensing. Additional professional experience can also be one of credentials for certification. Throughout this long process, future architects learn all aspects of building codes, designs and how entire construction industry operates.

One Man Show – With Architect working on home design no one else is needed. Licensed professional can draft the plan, approve it on his own and submit for city review.

Easy to Make Revisions – The worst nightmare of builder is to have revised drawings after the project started. It could be due to mistake in original drawings or because client is stubborn and really wants that change. Architects can easily review request and send letter that approves revision and provides details for structural change.

Discount Prices – Simply because you are dealing with one person, the cost may be lower. Why should you pay designer, find structural engineer, pay him for stamp and submit it. Cutting middleman and unnecessary steps in process can definitely save money.

Save Time – Identical to our point with prices, the time is shortened because documents stay at one persons’ desk all the time until finalized. By using only architect instead of long chain of professionals the time can be shortened in half.

Remodel On Point has list of best rated architects in every state and every major city throughout America. Home owners should themselves – do you need an architect to build a house or take a risk without professional? Reach out by email if you are looking for an architect for specific project and we can surely help out with contact information.

What is the Job of Architect in Construction or Renovation?

Saying that architect cannot submit documents for permits is incorrect as well. Professional and licensed architect has the power to draft and stamp drawings for renovation of small homes. What we are forgetting is that architects are largely involved in commercial construction and even high-rises.

Single family residential home construction is just one branch of architects to direct their career. They can be working in a team on sky scrapers with creative designs for years, building roads and bridges according to standards and local requirements, drafting plans for factories, plants and other commercial buildings.

Architect’s primary responsibility is to design or draft a plan for new construction or major change of building according to building codes and standards. They are responsible for confirming that overall design, size, and structural details work together.

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Each building has some sort of driveway or at least should have. The main reason is for vehicles to come closer without need to walk all the way. Some homes are residential with small driveway for their car to come in and park before garage or front entrance, and others can be large commercial buildings with loading docks, delivery entrances and casual parking entrances. On Point Remodeling was asked for suggestions on residential driveway for new home construction, and we decided to write detailed article for all our readers. Using this guide you can select the material for your driveway and see what works for your budget. Here are the materials for driveway we will be discussing in our guide:
  • Asphalt
  • Concrete
  • Paver Stone
  • Crushed stone
  • Brick
  • Seashell
  • Gravel
To find good contractor for your driveway, you can either ask our team by email or try to find someone local that worked with neighbors or nearby buildings.

Installation process of any material surface on your driveway

a) Demolition and Excavation – Before anything is done, your contractor will get heavy machinery and scratch off old layer of driveway. They need to go down at least 5-6 inches to insure proper layering before your final layer of material is installed. b) Material Purchase and Delivery – At this point your contract is signed and you already know how the surface will look. Contracting company purchases necessary materials and delivers them to site. Double check if material is correct and not damaged. c) Preparation of Sublevel – Whatever you place as final material, it cannot just be installed directly on top soil. Gravel is the first choice of material that goes down at this stage. Other preferred material is screen sand that can go on top of gravel and works better with stone and bricks. d) Compaction of Ground – To prevent your driveway from moving and changing shapes, all the layers from bottom up have to be properly compacted. Do not leave any spot untouched while doing this or you can get small holes and cracks in driveway after installation. E) Final Installation – This is when all the magic happens. After all preparations and dirty work the final installation is made literally within hours and you can enjoy new driveway. Stone and brick is set up by hand, while other materials require some sort of machinery with manual labor to even out surface.

1. Asphalt

Probably the most used material for road top surfaces as well as driveways is asphalt. This is a mix of gravel and sand that is mixed in and combined by asphalt cement with crude oil. Pros of Asphalt Driveway
  • Very popular and easy to find materials/contractor
  • Completed in 1 day and you can drive on it after
  • Patches and small holes can be fixed fast
Cons of Asphalt Driveway
  • Easy to damage and cracks appear in few years
  • Almost everyone else has same surface
  • Oily surface and chemicals used in mix
Prepared for asphalt driveway will cost you around $5 per square foot to finish. The contractors that take care of entire process from taking out old driveway surface, install subsurface and compact the ground with new asphalt on top, will charge on average $5500 per regular size driveway at single home property.

2. Concrete

What we call concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, aggregate as well as sand with gravel. Suggested thickness of concrete for driveway is 6 inches. The mixture needs to cure without being touched or driven on top for several days. Pros of Concrete Driveway
  • Durable material for large weights
  • Long lifespan if installed properly
  • Winter and summer friendly
Cons of Concrete Driveway
  • Has marks and stains over time
  • Hard to repair without replacement
  • Super hard to DIY
To hire contractors for concrete driveway it will cost around $7-$9 per square foot. This will include site preparation with gravel spread and new concrete installation. They will order full truck of concrete (or several for larger driveways) to pour inside forming. Smoothening and curing is required after installation.

3. Paver Stone

The most luxurious material that you can use to create driveway path with is paver stone. It is made out of natural stone with uneven rough shapes that have different line patterns. Paver stones are very heavy and are perfect for weights on top of them. Almost every city in Europe has roads and walks made out of stone that were installed centuries ago. Pros of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Creative designs can be done
  • Personal looks, can match the house
  • Can replace single stone in minutes
Cons of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Weeds growing through
  • Stone can move over time
  • Most expensive material
There is wide selection of stone that can be purchased for your driveway. On average we recommend settling with $17-$20 per square foot for stone with installation included. Working with this material is very intense labor and we recommend hiring professionals that do this type of work every day.

4. Crushed Stone

Our readers sometimes mistake crushed stone with gravel, but this is not the same material. Crushed stone material is achieved when machine is mechanically crushing larger pieces of unused stone for this specific purpose. It is larger than gravel and can have smooth finish. Crushed stone can also have a mix of colors, which is much pleasant to eyes than gravel. Pros of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Low maintenance required
  • Fits rural area style
  • Can be reused for other purposes
Cons of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Gets very hot during summer
  • Can be messy after many drives
  • Hard to remove snow and ice
Buying crushed stone and installing it on your driveway is as easy as it gets. Similar to other rough materials discussed in this post, only small tools like shovels, dolly and buckets are required to spread it on the road. The cost of crushed stone driveway is between $4 and $6 per square foot from professional local contractors that can finish the job in several days.

5. Brick

The same brick we see being used in wall construction can be installed as top driveway surface. Brick is manufactured by compressing clay with plastic mass. It is heated to extreme temperature and dried up to become as solid as you know it. Pros of Brick Driveway
  • Variety of selections in shapes and shades
  • Bricks are recyclable
  • Slip resistant with rough top part
Cons of Brick Driveway
  • Needs regular maintenance
  • Change color over time
  • Old fashion looking
Installing brick on driveway costs $10 per square foot, which is not too far from masonry brick laying as part of the wall. To save money you can use or purchase old brick, that was part of a wall before. Do not mix these two jobs and contact landscaping professionals instead of masonry contractors that work with bricks.

6. Seashell

This material is popular on the coast line where shells can be found near the water. Construction companies use seashells to add in other materials as well as spread them on driveway in rough condition, without adding anything else. It usually comes in white or pearl color and darkens within year because of mixing with sand and dirt. Pros of Seashell Driveway
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Has natural drainage
  • Creates worm vibe of beach house
Cons of Seashell Driveway
  • Break and crack under light weight
  • Sharp and very hard to walk on
  • Gets stuck in shoes and tires
To deliver and spread seashells on driveways costs below $4, which is only slightly more expensive than rough gravel. As you go further from coast line, cost of material increases due to delivery. This material is elegant and very soft. We recommend adding edge lines with darker color landscape material to create visual path.

7. Gravel

This material is used in other construction mixes and underlayment systems. It’s literally fragments and small crushed stones that are put on top of soil. It is easily spread out by hands and anyone can do it. Pros of Gravel Driveway
  • Cheapest of them all
  • Easy DIY Job
  • Can install another material on top
Cons of Gravel Driveway
  • Needs to be graded very often
  • Will mix with dirt and leaves
  • Washes up with heavy rains
It is rough material and can be purchased in bulk (by metric tons or cubic meters). The cost of driveway with gravel should not exceed $3 per square foot, but you can save tons of money by purchasing materials and doings installation by yourself. You do not require specific tools or heavy equipment for the job and delivery of gravel can be arranged directly to your project.

Conclusion

To properly finish any and all of these driveways requires skills and experience. There is no way you can complete any of these projects without heavy equipment and tools that regular home owner’s just store in their garages. Most of those who will read this post will prefer to install asphalt driveway, because of its popularity and low costs. We want to encourage home owners to go for personal preference and what matches your house, rather than getting the most affordable and popular items. Driveway jobs have to be completed fast; otherwise you will need to park elsewhere while the project is running. To not overpay, ask us for quotation sample on material you prefer in specific region where the work need to be done and our team can provide some numbers.

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