Thursday, February 17, 2011

Working With an Architect: What to Expect - Phase 5 of 6

Phase 5: Bidding and Permitting 
 

 


Goals of this phase: Assist the owner in selecting a contractor and secure a building permit. 

There are two primary ways that an owner can select a contractor:
1. Bidding – getting competitive pricing from more than one contractor.  The bid process may be open to the public or private between invited contractors
2. Qualification Based– the owner selects a contractor based on experience and/ or referrals.  If this method is chosen, the involvement of the architect is minimal
Some building departments will not issue a building permit until a contractor has been selected.

Building departments often hire third-party plan reviewers to look over the construction documents and verify that what is to be built complies with all building and zoning codes.  Often times, they will want clarifications and/ or additional information from the architect, which we will provide at no additional charge.  Depending on the building department, it may take them just a few days to review the drawings and issue a permit, or as long as several months if they are really backed up.  Call your local building department to see what is required for a building permit, how long you can expect to wait for the review, and the associated fees.

Fee breakdown:  2-10% of total fee

Services May Include:
· Assist Owner in selecting the Contractor based on qualifications
· Prepare Bid Documents
· Assist in making the Construction Documents available to Bidders
· Issue Addenda and/ or Clarifications
· Attend Pre-Bid Meeting
· Assist in Bid Opening
· Assist in Contractor selection
· Assist in implementing Owner/ Contractor agreement
· Issue Revisions and/ or Clarifications for Permitting

Phase Is Typically Completed When:
The owner has selected a contractor, signed a contract with him/ her and secured a building permit.

Missed phase four?  Read last week's post HERE to catch yourself up!  Check back next week for information on Phase 6:  Construction Administration!

Questions?
Please feel free to contact us at (815)806-0146 or e-mail Nicole at n.corbett@rjaarchitects.com

No comments:

Post a Comment