When to Hire an Architect

Happy May to all! I posted this on our Instagram account but wanted to briefly mention this before jumping into the key topic of this blog…on April 26th Rooted Architecture Studio PLLC celebrated one year of being Incorporated. Though, I did not go live with the company until July 1^st this date still has a special place in my heart. It was the formalization of something great in my career and step forward to my journey as an Entrepreneur Architect and my overall career goals. 

With this great personal milestone celebration that has come to pass, I wanted to thank everyone in my personal life who has supported me and to all my past/current/future clients who have and will entrust me to work on their projects. I truly have enjoyed working on all my projects. Plus, learning and growing this past year on bringing Rooted to life and growing it as a company and brand. I look forward to see where I am at in a year and further on. For now, I am enjoying this journey and learning more as time goes by.

Now onto the meat and potatoes of this blog… I’ve spoken about what an Architect is and does and defining Architecture, but I wanted to provide more on when to hire an Architect, as many homeowners or even business owners do not know when or if to consult or hire one. The common knowledge is that one hires an Architect when a new building is designed or even when large extensions are created for all types of buildings. Yet, some ignore the fact that most construction projects projects need permits and therefore will require an Architect to do drawings and sign & seal them. Below I will be listing a list of projects that require an Architect and a list of projects who don’t, hope it provides a guideline for those who are thinking of proceeding with any of these projects. Also, know that you should feel free to call an Architect for a brief consultation. In most cases a call is free and sometime, like with my company, the first meeting before a proposal is free. 

Projects That Do Need an Architect:

• Construction of a new building
• Extensions of buildings
• Interior alterations of buildings, includes moving/removing/adding walls, doors, windows. Especially, when a structural component is being changed.
• Sunrooms/Seasonal Rooms
• Accessory Structures (Garages, Sheds, Pool Cabanas, etc)
• Adding Dormers to homes 
• Front Porches
• Adding Roof over existing porches
• Decks 
• New Exterior Stairs
• New or Changing Parking Lot (Note that a Civil Engineer can be hired for this instead if it’s solely site work)
• Feasibility Study to see if the plot of land is fit to build what the client wants or if the building can be converted to something else
• Sometimes Pools if they are in ground but in most cases the pool company should provide drawings and file the project
• If a new office or restaurant or similar commercial use moves into an already finished space, they still require to submit life safety plans which the Architect must complete and submit.
• When subdividing lots 

Projects That Don’t Need an Architect:

•  Painting
• Changing of moulding or other interior decoration
• Kitchens if changed in kind or no walls/doors/windows are affected (Do note that though it may only need a kitchen designer in some cases, this still needs permits for plumbing and electrical which your contractor must file)
• Changing plumbing fixtures in the same location
• Mechanical, Plumbing or Electrical work that does not affect walls/doors/windows (Do note that your contractor must file all these types of work with the Building Department)
• Fences (Do note that your contractor must file all these types of work with the Building Department)
•  Changing siding, unless you are adding stone which may require some structural components or if you live in a Town that has an Architectural Review Board
• Replacing roof, unless you are changing the pitch, or other components
•  Solar Panels
• Replacing existing driveway in kind
• Landscaping (Do note that most town’s require you to submit a permit to remove trees)

If you’re in Long Island or even New York State, please feel free to contact me with questions and/or information on the project you wish to conduct.  If you’re out of state, I am happy to answer questions. Learn more about our integrated architectural solutions.

  Also, comment below if you found this valuable and/or let me know what other information you would like to know about. I would love to hear back from you.

Keep growing,

Katherine Serrano Sosa

PS. In my upcoming monthly blogs,  I will discussing different codes that affect design and construction projects. So please stay tuned for those.