working cont

and may be charged separately. There are some costs the owner must always bear, whether it is passed through an architect's or contractor's bill or billed directly. This includes any survey work, whether a simple boundary survey or a more complex topographic and tree survey. The owner is also responsible for permit costs, impact fees, and any design review fees from subdivisions or any other body with jurisdiction over their project. If the site has an unusual soils condition, soils testing may be required - the cost of these tests and any related engineer's services are the responsibility of the owner. The list of costs noted here is not exhaustive - each specific project or site may have other expenses.

Design

The first phase of service is design. This phase usually begins with client and architect discussing needs, desires and constraints in detail. From these discussions, diagrams and/or ideas emerge which the architect then translates into schematic drawings and occasionally models. These drawings typically start small and increase in size as the project goes through successive rounds of design. The first set of designs is rarely "it", the perfectly designed house. The purpose of this phase is give and take between architect and client as ideas are discussed, changed, and refined. The design phase can be swift or lengthy, depending on the project, the client, and the timetable. As an architect, I cannot stress the importance of leaving adequate time for design too much. It's easy to change walls and move windows on paper; it is not easy while the house is under construction. You will not only have to live with the design, you will have to live in it.

Construction documents

This includes the set of working drawings and specifications for your project. The contractor will build according to this set of documents. That said, construction documents come in a variety of levels. The basic permit set is a "bare bones" set, usually containing only enough information to obtain a building permit. Details will be few. If you intend to work extremely closely with the builder, do details as the job progresses, or must save every penny you can on architectural fees, this may be the extent of your working drawings. A set with minimal information can mean surprises during the project, both in terms of construction cost and detail. For example, you may have wanted a SubZero refrigerator, but find that the builder only included enough money for a 24" Roper apartment unit because there was no appliance list. If this is the scope of services to which you restrict your working contract, you and your architect must be clear about the limitations of such a set both in terms of building and the architect's liability.

The other end of the spectrum is a detailed set which includes schedules for everything from cabinet pulls to plumbing fixtures. It may include tile pattern drawings. closet builtin details, kitchen elevations whatever specific and special information your project requires. This type of set is more expensive in terms of architectural fees, but means that the builder will be able to price specific choices and have details to guide the project to completion. This type of set means homework for you, too, since you will have to select all the finishes in the house.

Contract documents should always address building code and zoning code issues pertaining to your site, including special requirements such as for historic districts and covenants.