Have you heard about you get what you pay for? In many ways it is true. Which Doctor or Lawyer should you hire? There is a time and place for this selection. Who do you trust to make you well or defend your interests? This applies toward all requested services of others whether and professional, a high-end athlete, or a laborer.
This is true for Architects as well! Fees are calculated by the energy needed to services a certain request. The more emotion, dramatics, hand-holding, education, number of team members, government restrictions, the bigger or more complex the project the hirer the service fees will be. Keeping the rhythm, and the momentum of the project moving keeps all issues in one’s mind keeping costs under better control. A defined scope that does not change, or even look at changing scope, keeps a project more controlled causing less scope creep. Scope creep is one of the insidious service issues one must keep track of and keep advising the client on. It can be non-stop if the client has not vetted all their issues prior to design. The design process can be used to do the vetting but that will cost more time in professional services. That is just like getting multiple medical interpretations before embarking on a healing path. You end up paying multiple doctors for their opinions.
Teachable moments are at each review of the design. If you can absorb all the information, make determinations, and then give the ‘Ok’ to proceed to the next step, all efforts and costs can be more controlled. Stay persistent on your path. We suggest seizing control, plan ahead, stay on track, and meet your goals efficiently. Remember, each job is like designing a custom car. There will always be some effort and fee-related changes. That is part of the process. Respond to communication timely, know your decision points, and complete your homework ahead of time. Endure the uncomfortable. All projects nowadays have complications, un-knowns, changes of interpretations, setbacks, and can just be a headache. Be prepared to weather the storm. It does take bravery. Architects are warriors. Trust the professional, give them space to do their job the best way they know-how. Remember, no Architect does the entire job without a team of other design consultants and the client. We are all interdependent on each other. Always express yourself so the professional knows your expectations and thoughts. Be flexible, learn to compromise so we can meet your demands. Many obstacles open up new opportunities. There is always a cost to each choice and that is where construction costs just climb higher and higher. We can respond from different perspectives based on our training and experience.
As Architects, we want to make your life, community, and the greater world a better place. Vision, determination, and energy is the key to the team’s success. We gather strength as we go on each project. We follow our own process for each project. Our perspective comes with more schooling than other professionals. We have government-mandated Health, Safety, and welfare of all users governing our actions. We take pride, responsibility, and ownership in what we do. We want to work with you with a shared purpose and a shared mission. The goal is to determine our fees ahead of time without knowing any of the issues talked about above and stay with it. That is an art. It is getting harder to stay with fixed fees because of all the interconnected issues that need to be defined as projects unfold. Our Clients have control of many of these issues. Make sure you are clear so we can direct the team as the Leader to accomplish your goals.
