Everything you need to know before hiring an Architect or Draftsman

Hello There! Welcome to the next step of your dream home journey, where your ideas need to be executed on paper. Aren’t you excited!? My husband and I definitely were at this stage. So today, I examine everything you need to know before hiring your architect or draftsman.

Right now you may be wondering:

1. What exactly should I expect from my architect/draftsman upon hiring them?
2. What are the usual terms of service?
3. After I have received my house plans from my architect/draftsman, what is the next step?

These are all understandable and relatable queries to have, we have all been there. Let is dive into today’s post!

Architect or Draftsman – Which One?

‘Who should I hire to draw plans for my home?”

You will find yourself repeating this burning question, after all a decision like this cannot be taken lightly.

There are a number of professions in Barbados who can execute “building plans” for you. Although this blog mainly caters to persons building residential-classed properties, I thought it was important to share with you the different professions within the Architectural landscape.

Tell Me More

It was my belief, that only draftsmen or architects developed residential plans in Barbados. However, a number of professions exist between these two extremes:

1. Draftsman – This individual has no formal tertiary training or certificate, but they have a wealth of expertise and experience in executing plans for buildings.
2. Architectural Technician – This individual has a tertiary education which is either a Diploma in Architecture or an Associate’s Degree in Architectural studies. He/she achieves formal training by working under a Registered Architect.
3. Architectural Assistant – This individual has received formal training in design at the Bachelor’s or Master’s level, but is not a registered Architect in Barbados.
4. Architect – This individual has a Bachelor’s of Architecture and Masters’ of Architecture or Post Grad Diploma in Architecture. This individual is a Registered Architect in Barbados and registered and regulated under The Architect’s Registration Act. Here is a link to the Act for reference. http://104.238.85.55/en/ShowPdf/366.pdf

As you can see, the major differences are in the levels of education and the Board which each professional is registered/associated with.

Draftsmen, Architectural Technicians and Architectural Technologists are registered with The Barbados Association of Architectural Technologist (BAAT). Architectural Assistants and Architects are registered with The Barbados Institute of Architects (BIA).

Okay, so who does what?

I was shocked to learn that ALL the above professions can execute residential plans and certainly plans for your dream home, which can be submitted to Town and Country Planning.

In the case of commercial buildings, Draftsmen, Technicians, Technologists and Assistants are all restricted to developing plans for commercially-classed buildings which do not exceed 5,000 square feet. However, architects are free to plans for any sized building.

There are differences and similarities between the two extreme professions. Ultimately, knowing the differences will guide you in the decision of which one you should hire based on your vision.

Hiring your Architect or Draftsman

So, we hired a draftsman to do our drawings. The process will have similarities if you have hired an architect.

We contacted the draftsman in August 2018 to request his professional services. He visited our plot of land, and requested the PLOT PLAN FOR THE LAND from us, which we obtained from the seller. If you recall, the plot plan was needed for the lending agency.

At the site visit, we communicated what we wanted to our draftsman. We told him what we wanted our home to look like and what we wanted in it. This is the stage where you communicate what you envision your dream house to be. A bay window in your living room, a powder room in the front for guests, your must-have spacious kitchen. Take this opportunity to discuss all the possibilities!! Dream big but be realistic of course!! Your architect/draftsman will guide you accordingly.

PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

Our draftsman listened to what we wanted/needed and advised us on a couple of things, namely:

1. The Fit- We were advised on the percentage of land which can actually be used to build our home. This is done to comply with the current building codes.
2. Necessities– Based on the location of the property, there are zoning laws which you are expected to comply with. Don’t worry, the professional which you hire would be knowledgeable about these requirements. These necessities should be accounted for in your building budget.
3. Affordability – He advised us what we would be able to afford based on our budget. Your Draftsman/Architect would have an idea of the current rate of construction and as such would be able to design a home to fit your building budget. At the time of writing this article, the rate of construction ranged between 250BDS and 280BDS.

We Met, Now What?

About three weeks after our initial meeting, our drafts were ready, around mid-September. We met with the architect and viewed the drawings. He explained the drawings to us and answered any questions we had. The timeline may differ in your situation, it all depends on the project being executed.

This is the stage where we made additional suggestions or changes to the drawings, so feel free to do the same.

Remember communication is key. Who you hire should be able to advise you and answer your questions in a kind manner! They should have the heart of a teacher.

Your Architect & Town & Country Planning

The architect or draftsman is responsible for submitting your drawings to the Town and Country Planning Department for approval on YOUR BEHALF. He is required to submit four (4) copies of each page drawn to Town and Country Planning. One less thing for you to do right!

Town and Country Planning then distributes the copies as necessary to the relevant government departments. See the link in our T&CP post which gives further details. https://thought2realty.com/town-country-planning-and-your-plans/

The plans should be submitted electronically to Town and Country Planning along with the relevant form and with the required fees. Your architect handles all of this for you, the submission and the payment of the fees, but the required fee is borne by you. See the link in our T&CP post which gives more insight on the fees due. https://thought2realty.com/town-country-planning-and-your-plans/

You can either write a cheque or give this as cash to your architect/draftsman.

Costs of Hiring Your Architect or Draftsman

Draftsmen Fee

The fees required for Town and Country planning do not include payment for the draftsman. The fee range is usually between $1.00 to $1.50 dollars per square foot of the building drawn. (All prices in Barbados dollars).

Using the rates above and an example of a building covering 1053 square feet. The draftsman’s fee would be $1053.00 at a rate of $1.00 per square foot or $1,560.00 at a rate of $1.50 per square foot. This will give you a benchmark for your budget.

Architect Fee

The pricing structure is different in both professions. A draftsman usually charges a fee after the drawings are completed, while an architect is paid at different stages of the overall process.

Remember although the two professions have similarities, there are differences. Another difference worth mentioning is the fee. An Architect’s fees will generally be more than a draftsman’s. This is due largely to the higher level of education and training, the legal structure which they operate under and their expert knowledge of design.

In your initial discussions, we advise you to ask your architect what the range of fees would be like, based on the discussions had. In most instances, this will be done in the form of a proposal.

We included a link for you to gain a deeper understanding of the services provided by Architects in Barbados and the process which you will go through if you decided to hire the services of an Architect.  https://www.bia.bb/Architects_Services.pdf

Summary of today’s post

These are the key takeaways of everything you need to know before hiring an architect/draftsman to design and execute residential plans for your home:

1. You should have a general idea of the design and the layout of your dream home.
2. Before hiring ANYONE, you should have a construction budget in mind. A range would be helpful, knowing the minimum and the maximum amount you want to spend.
3. A site visit should be done by the professional you hire.
4. Your draftsman/architect should request a plot plan from you.
5. He should offer his professional advice based on a number of factors such as, but not limited to, your budget, the size of the land plot and the surrounding environment where your land is situated.
6. He should outline his terms of services and communicate to you an estimated completion time and estimated fees.
7. Both parties should come to an agreement on payment terms and how payments will be made.
8. You should receive a draft the drawings to review and to give your feedback on.
9. Your professional should submit the drawn plans to Town and Country Planning.

We hope this gave you a clear picture of everything you need to know before and after hiring your architect/draftsman on your thought2realty journey.

Special thanks extended to Mr Bradley Thompson [BA.AS Hons} and Mr Gordon Alleyne for his contribution to this post.