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June 15, 2009
Architect/Contractor Overlap
I have to re-do 2 bathrooms and a kitchen in a house I intend to (hopefully) buy. It would be my first house and my first renovation experience.
If all I have to do is replace the bathrooms and the kitchen, and NO reconfiguration is required at all, I assume I do not need an architect, right? Will a simple contractor do? Or do I call bathroom/kitchen specialists? I have no idea what kind of professional (architect v. contractor) I am supposed to start with!
My very rudimentary understanding is that folks who are gutting or re-designing a place will usually call an architect who handles the whole thing--design and construction work. But my project is relatively simple and involves replacing bathrooms and a kitchen that are already in place. So I assume I do not need to waste money on a design professional--is this about right? Thanks in advance.
Comments
If you are comfortable designing your own spaces, by all means do so. You will probably need the help of a kitchen and bath place to size the cabinets etc.
Nevertheless the fact that you have never been involved in a renovation of any kind makes me feel uncomfortable. You may want to hire a kitchen/bath designer (who is not an arch).
You seem to indicate no plumbing will be moved. Are you sure about that? If not you probably will not need permits. Some depends on the nabe.
Posted by: denton at June 15, 2009 7:09 PM
Thanks Denton. I basically want to put a new toilet, sink, tub, floor in the exact same location where they are now (in both bathrooms). And I want to put in a new kitchen in the garden rental (in the exact same place where it is now). Nothing else. My understanding is that no plumbing will need to be moved. I don't need design help for the bathrooms and kitchen since I know exactly what I want and where. I am just wondering if I call a contractor to do this, and tell him/her exactly what I want? Or if I call an architect (and incur the extra expense) to manage the whole thing?
I guess I'm basically wondering: if I know exactly what I want, where I want it, and no reconfiguration is needed or wanted (i.e., I don't need any design input), then should I just call a contractor to do the work? Or do I need to have an architect manage the whole project? (
Posted by: frances at June 15, 2009 7:29 PM
Frances,
I'm an architect. You certainly do not need to hire an architect for this work. If everything is as you say, and all plumbing appliances and fixtures are being placed on existing roughing and no partitions are moving or being demolished, then you do not need a licensed architect or engineer to file the job. You could get away with hiring the contractor on your own and managing the construction yourself. As an architect, I don't recommend that unless you've done renovations in the past, but people sometimes do it successfully...And other times you hear horror stories about the renovation experience and how it ended up costing 3x the original price and executed poorly. It all depends on the contractor selected and the familiarity you have with the construction process. Conversely, it's the architect's job to ensure the contractor executes the job according to spec and identify construction issues that otherwise could be overseen by an inexperienced eye.
In your case, this is a personal decision that can go wither way. If you have the energy and desire to take on this challenge yourself, then by all means you should do it yourself. If not, it's best to hire an architect to help you through the renovation. Just do yourself a favor if you do it yourself: Hire a contractor with a solid reputation who is trustworthy and highly recommended by former clients. Otherwise you are looking for trouble.
I hope this helps. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
60designers@gmail.com
Posted by: 60designers at June 15, 2009 7:52 PM
im a contractor and i think that working directly with a contractor is probably not in your best interest...you have no experience, and will make endless mistakes that will cost you money or result in inferior quality product...at least hire a designer or architect as a consultant, or you can get hosed big time by an unscrupulous contractor
Posted by: eman1234 at June 15, 2009 8:46 PM
Hey, this is good, the architect says to hire a contractor, and the contractor says to hire an architect!
But seriously, good points all. If you are determined to make this your first reno project, by all means go for it. I'm on the side of hiring a contractor, but if you go that route, you will need to source the material, imho. You'll want to buy the tile, appliances, cabinets, etc., and get the contractor to give you a price to install, with the contractor furnishing raw plumbing, sheetrock, tile grout, etc.
Posted by: denton at June 15, 2009 9:13 PM
denton
i think that the 20% that you save by sourcing the material is lost by the aggravation of damaged goods, untimely shipments, incorrect specs..you are penny wise and pound foolish when you take that route
Posted by: eman1234 at June 15, 2009 10:23 PM
Yeah Frances. You got it rught.
Posted by: Ysabelle at June 15, 2009 11:48 PM
hey eman, not trying to get the OP to save any money by buying himself, only to make sure he gets exactly what he wants. He may want 'white marble' somewhere and the contractor might have a different idea of what it is from the homeowner.
Posted by: denton at June 16, 2009 3:31 AM
Frances, I agree that working with a contractor only would be very difficult because most contractors rely on the information provided by the architect or designer to build their work. They usually do not want to take responsibility for interpreting what the owner wants. My husband and I run a design/build business in Brooklyn-we are both architects/designers and my husband is a licensed contractor. A design/build business might be the way to go because you get both services under one roof to save time and money.
Email if you are interested in discussing your project further-christine@harperdb.com
Posted by: HDB at June 16, 2009 8:46 AM
Frances, if you've described your needs correctly, you could practically get a handyman to do the work. An architect is not unnecessary (as even an architect says.)
As for ordering, I've even ordered stuff over the net (tiles, bathroom fixtures, toilet) and not had a problem (or any more problems than with any delivery).
It also depends on how picky you are, and I know I'm much less so than the majority of renovators. So if you want perfection, you'll have to pay for it.
Posted by: cmu at June 16, 2009 10:28 AM
I think this is a job you can manage yourself if you're careful and do your homework. I'd start with the simplest job, like the smallest bathroom, and take a crack at it. If you find the process overwhelming, change course for the other bath and the kitchen.
I did a lot of research online for bath fixtures, but then had my plumber (John Hlad) order and install them. He let me know if he thought a fixture was good or bad from a quality standpoint, and it eliminated delivery problems on my end. This was totally worth the few extra bucks to have him handle it. Once he got the walls open, it turned out we had to replace some old pipes, but there's always that kind of unexpected stuff when you renovate.
I used a small contractor for the rest of the work--he did the tiling, painting, towel bars, etc. The end result was really good.
For kitchens, any decent cabinet shop, and even Ikea, will come and measure and give you plans--generally for free if you end up ordering from them. It can be a good starting point.
Posted by: tinarina at June 16, 2009 11:56 AM
I agree you can do this yourself, if you know exactly what you want and can source all the materials on your own. It will require a fair amount of time and close attention to detail, but I did it myself with no major issues. The key is definitely a highly competent and trustworthy contractor.
Posted by: geekspice at June 16, 2009 2:29 PM
We are a contractor with experience in both public and private work. If you would like know about some of the project we have completed please email randsconstruct@aol.com
Yes you can manage your own project yourself, but if you want you can have an architect for consultancy but it is not really necessary. I have a architect that does small jobs who is also professional engineer (Certified PE). So please contact me if you are interested.
Thanks,
R&S Construction
Posted by: rationalpc at June 16, 2009 3:19 PM
Hi!
As many of the comments above suggest - there are many routes for you to take. My husband and I are a design/build company in Brooklyn and could give you a price for a package deal that could save you money on hiring an architect / contractor separately.
Feel free to contact us at the information below:
Tricia Martin
347-236-0142
tmartin@wedesign-nyc.com
www.wedesign-nyc.com
Posted by: triciaely at June 22, 2009 9:37 AM
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