While this firm can’t stop you from squandering money on upgrades you may demand, they can help you save cash by allowing them to help you find FIXED PRICE General Contractors to bid your project.
There’s no guarantee that there will be contractors interested or available. But if there are, the Architect wants to try to find them and help you save money by requesting that they quote a Fixed Price on your project that the Architect designed.
This Architect has learned that the best way to obtain a fixed price quote is to have a licensed Architect prepare detailed and thorough Construction Documents (CDs). Because, Cost-Plus only Contractors have a mantra: “too many unknowns, so I have to go Cost Plus.” That’s code for: “I’m going to charge you up the whazoo, because you have skimpy construction documents and I have to protect myself.”
That’s perfectly legitimate when there are skimpy documents. But when your Architect has prepared detailed CDs, there is no reason any honest Contractor can’t price that. And that’s what you want.
Now then, this means you need to fairly compensate your Architect for them to produce those thorough documents. But what you pay your Architect is only about 8% to 10% of what you pay the Builder. In other words, your Architect’s fees are a bargain. They prepare you for the big costs of construction and the Architect will help you search for a reasonable (Fixed Price) Contractor.
tags: save money with your architect, Cashiers, Highlands, Asheville, Sapphire, Glenville, Sevierville, Lake Toxaway, timber frame, post and beam