Do I Really Need An Architect To Design My House?
One of the biggest questions that most do-it-yourselfers
want to know, when it comes to building a house is whether they need an
architect or not. Can't they simply draw out the plans for themselves
and submit them to the city planning and building departments.
Most of the time, you don't need an architect. However, some states
require all homes or at least certain sized buildings to be designed by
a registered and licensed architect. You could probably call your local
building department to get all the information you need to get started
on your new home building project, including whether you need an
architect or not.
You wouldn't be the first homeowner to draw your own plans and this can
often be an exciting process. There are plenty of programs available on
the Internet and some can even be found in your local stores around your
community that sell house design software. I'm not going to recommend
any of these products, but there are plenty of them out there that
really get the creative mind thinking.
If you want to design your home and your community requires a licensed
architect to draw your plans and you still wish to do it yourself, meet
with a local architect and explain your situation to them. I'm sure that
most architects would love you to provide them with a floor plan and
exterior elevation of the home that you would like to have built.
It's simply a matter of asking the right questions to the right people.
Contact your local building and planning departments and explain your
situation to them. Most of the people who work for these departments are
extremely helpful to homeowners. Homeowners like you are often the
people that pay their wages.