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Custom Design, Off-the-Shelf Budget
Johannes Zutt, in the kitchen with Lucas, chose an architect for the 3,000-square-foot house by looking at portfolios at the offices of the American Institute of Architects, then talking with a half-dozen prospects.
(Photos By Sarah L. Voisin -- The Washington Post)
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He said that as a partner in the firm, if he calculates by the hour, he charges $190, whereas someone with less experience might charge $60 an hour.
"You're going to find that there are younger architects who are extremely talented who have a lesser billing rate," he said.
Another option: Find a solo practitioner who works from home and charges lower fees because of lower overhead.
Without question, most architecturally designed homes are aesthetically more distinctive than cookie-cutter tract homes. They also have more value, say architects such as Suzane Reatig of Suzane Reatig Architecture in Washington.
Without an architect, Reatig said, people can buy a $500,000 home but may end up with "something only worth $300,000."
"Someone who used an architect for a $500,000 house gets something that's worth that," she said. "It's expensive to be cheap."
There are also ways to save on construction costs while using an architect.
One way is to hire an architect-led design-build firm, which includes both the architect and builder. Some argue that the architect can save more on building costs because he or she has total control over the construction.
Conversely, some argue that an architect with no financial interest in the contracting may be more vigilant about keeping costs down.
Francisca Alonso, who runs AV Architects, an architect-led design-build firm in Vienna, insisted that she can deliver a quality custom home and still save clients money because she also owns the building company, AV Builders.
She said she charges clients $140 an hour for the architectural work. Then she hammers out an agreement on the price of the home. The design fees usually turn out to be about 10 to 12 percent of the cost.
Because her architectural firm and the building company are one and the same, "we get a better price all the time," she said. "They're dealing with the same group for the design and construction. It's me both times."
