Most people don’t know this, but an residential architects in Miami is allowed to perform the same tasks as a general contractor. They can actually replace the general contractors in most states. I would imagine that most architects are qualified to perform this task and would do an excellent job at it.
With that said, I would like to point something out and this affects general contractors and architects. Nothing can replace experience and if you have an experienced architect who has done plenty of general contracting, and has previous clients that are happy with his or her completed projects, I would recommend using the architect.
I wouldn’t recommend having a general contractor perform the architect’s task and design your house, but I would agree that most architects are extremely capable and should be able to perform the tasks that are involved by most general contractors.
Here’s the biggest problem that I have as a contractor, working under architects who have taken the general contract for a construction project. Most of them don’t seem to understand how important it is, to keep the job going and stay on schedule.
If you hired a general contractor, instead of an architect, the general contractor could push the architect, for plan changes and provide solutions to your problems on time and without excuses.
If the architect is the general contractor, guess what happens. You guessed it, they will drag certain changes that require their attention, for weeks, because no one is placing demands on them to perform.
This happens a lot in the construction business. If you’re thinking about using an architect to replace a general contractor, make sure that your architect understands that you need to stay on schedule and complete the building on time and you will not accept anything less.
If your architect refuses or seems wishy-washy, find someone else who is qualified to keep the job on schedule or you could find yourself with extensive construction time delays and these delays cost you money, most of the time, not the architect.
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Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished an incredible home inspection checklist to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.