What Questions to ASK an Architect before Hiring?
Many questions may arise on What Questions to ASK an Architect before building a house. A house construction requires a team of experts or professionals like Architects, Civil engineers, Structural consultants, PMC, etc., who assist a project from design to execution.
An Architect is a professional who takes responsibility for the entire house construction work.
As you begin your discussion with the Architect about building your Dream House, you will understand that the house construction process is complex.
Before starting the construction work, it needs to be taken care of, like Floors plans, Interior layout, 3D Elevation, Plumbing, etc. An Architect will be your one-point contact during the whole process of building a house.
He is the brain behind the project that will use his professional experience, ability to solve the problem and find a way to improve the quality of the construction while focusing on the budget. The Architect is going to transform your dream into reality.
Hence, choosing a good Architect is essential, and you should not take the decision lightly.
List of questions to ASK an Architect when hiring for a House construction project:
Question 1: Can you provide the references of your previous client?
When you meet the Architect for the first time, ASK the Architect to share the reference of the previous client.
Get the contact number. You can reach the client on call and take feedback about the experience they had with the Architect.
Generally, Architects will not share past experiences like discussing in detail the previous works as it would take them more time to explain those details. Hence, the client feedback will add more clarity to the quality of the service.
Question 2: What are your fees for the residential projects?
The fees that an Architect or an Architectural firm charge depends on what kind of on The majority of the time, the decision is shaped by the tentative cost of the project.
Architects fees in Bangalore vary from 2.5 to 7% on the project cost depending on the site dimensions, requirements, project timeframes, etc.
If the price share by the Architect is too high compared to your expectation, you may immediately reject the Architect without any further discussion.
So asking the fees would give you scope to filter the expensive Architect and list down only those Architects who suit your budget.
Question 3: Is your company insured to claim against any damage to the client project?
The house construction project goes through various phases like Design, Estimation, Execution, and Completion. There is always a tiny chance where something will go wrong during the project. The cost of the damage should be deal with before you continue the work.
If the Architect or Architectural firm is insured for unexpected events, they can claim the damage to the insurance company and get the claim settlement.
Your architect’s solvency is vital for your project. If they fail to recover the expense, your project will get delay.
Question 4: How long does the House construction process take?
When you are building your home, you will be anxious to get your place ready to live. The realistic timetable will ensure that the project gets completed in the set duration.
Ensure that an Architect you have hired for designing your House will create project schedules required for various contractors to execute the home construction.
An Architect should also coordinate various construction works on-site and ensure the project completes on time as per the planned schedule. ASK the question, how the entire House construction process will work? Get project timeframes well in advance.
House Construction Schedule:
- Site purchase and Registration.
- Hiring Architects for designing.
- Time schedules for various construction work.
- Plan sanction from concerned authority.
- Selection of the Building contractors.
- Water connection from concerned authority.
- Borewell or water solution for construction work.
- Structural working drawings.
- Foundation work.
- Roofing work.
- Lintel work.
- Internal and External plastering.
- Plumbing and Sanitary work.
- Electrical work.
- Woodwork Doors and Windows.
- Flooring work.
- Bath ware, Electrical fittings, and Painting.
- Water storage, Final works.
- Bill checks and final settlement.
- Project completion and handover.
When will your project get completed? From the design to the final brick laid to the building, everything has to be planned. The professional architect would give a distinct deadline.
Question 5: What will be included in the services?
Architect offers multiple services to the client for building the house. It would be best if you get clarity on what is included in the service.
Asking the Right question to your Architect would give clarity on many important aspects of his services.
- Managing the project from beginning to end.
- Hiring a contractor for the construction.
- Monitoring the work of the contractor daily.
- Changing the design as the work progress.
- Keeping an eye on the expenses and ensuring the invoice do not go ahead of the set budget.
- Taking the required lien waivers from all the contractors.
Hence, Questions you ASK Architects or Selecting Architects who understand your need and ensures the projects get completed on deadline is vital for any construction project. Follow the given instruction and ask the right questions to architects while hiring them.
