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November 9, 2007
Do architects offer free consult?
I own a small lot in Brooklyn (20’x40’) in a R6 area with a C4-3 overlay. I’d like to build a simple commercial loft building on it. Do architects offer free consultations on what can be built on a particular lot and what the architect fee’s would be? I’ll have a dedicated project manager and have my own contractor so I would only need them to design and have the plans approved by the city.
Comments
They should. It's the same as getting an estimate.
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 12:55 PM
maybe we should run a little sketch pad design competition on Brownstoner...
Posted by: brownstoner at November 9, 2007 1:00 PM
As an architect, I know that I can do a feasibility study for something like this in five minutes. On the other hand, I went to school for many years, have accrued many years of experience on top of that, have a family to support and bills to pay just like you, so why shouldn't I be paid for my services? There are certainly many architects out there who need the work and are willing to put in some free time in order to get the job. I know because I have been one of them. But not any more. Architects, let's not be conned by cheap clients into offering our knowledge and experience for free.
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 5:14 PM
As another architect I totally agree - once I get the vibe from a home owner that they want to get as much as possible including free work up front and pay as little as possible I write them off. They will wind up with an incompetent, bottom feeder architect who is little more than a draftsman. You get what you pay for.
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 5:34 PM
i just bought a house that needs major renovation work, and in the process of finding the right architect I interviewed several. My wife and I showed them the space and discussed some ideas and asked about options... we ended up choosing one of them, we didn't pay a penny to any of the others but I wouldn't call myself cheap. I think it all is part of the way they do business, inital consultation is free. Many other professionals work this way too.
Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 7:44 PM
The consult is the architects chance to put on a sales pitch. To tell you why you should choose him/her and not the other guy down the street. Asking what they can do for you (within the zoning requirements) is pretty common and included in a free consultation.
Posted by: guest at November 10, 2007 9:03 AM
Depends on time. You should be able to have a conversation on the phone or in person with someone. However it seems that more than 30min to 1hr of someone's time is understandably going to result in a consultation fee. If you really want legitimate info that is not just a sales pitch, why not fork over a couple bills to get it from a qualified practitioner?
Posted by: Espresso at November 10, 2007 12:27 PM
Doing a feasibility study is NOT the same as giving an estimate. An estimate is the normal course of trying to procure a job. A feasibility study is what you do once you have the job. That being said, I will typically do a little research while I'm on the phone with a potential client anyway, and if the site is simple, the beginnings of the feasibility study can be done on that phone call. Anything beyond that I would typically do as an hourly fee until the client decides they would like to go forward with the project and we would negotiate a real fee (% or fixed).
Posted by: guest at November 10, 2007 12:48 PM
btw, nothing is ever "simple" in New York City...
Posted by: guest at November 10, 2007 12:51 PM
I will meet with a potential client twice for free before I make them decide yes or no - I will go take a look at their building/site and I will also take them to see one of my projects if they want to see an example of my work. At that point I give them a proposal/contract and they have to sign on the dotted line. I do this because when I was younger I went through several instances where potential clients had me meet with them 5-6 times only to bail out. I realize now that they were using me to get as much information as possible, never intending to hire me.
I will not start in on zoning calculations, floor plans or feasibility studies before I have a signed contract. Just like I won't ask my lawyer or my doctor or my dentist to give me 2-3 hours of free service before I decide whether to use them or not.
I also get lots of clients saying to me - We just need you to get the permits and then we will take care of the rest. This does not work because when the architect submits the work to the DOB he/she among other things is saying that he/she will sign the job off at the end of the process verifying that the work was done according to the submitted plans. I can not take it on faith that the work I have drawn has been done properly, I have to see that it was done properly. Am I going to risk my license so the client can save a nominal amount of money? no. How does a client know if the structural work, fire stopping or shoring has been done properly? In reality, unless they have a construction background, they don't. Therefore the architect has to visit the job during construction.
Posted by: guest at November 10, 2007 3:16 PM
well put 3:16.
But trying to get most owners or developers to understand and agree to that is a big part of the problem.
Posted by: guest at November 10, 2007 6:19 PM
perfectly stated 3:16. architects are the only professionals with no real power in this country. a building cannot be built without an architect in the UK.
Posted by: guest at November 11, 2007 4:27 PM
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