Up until 150 years or so ago, anyone could draw up house plans and call themselves an architect; they could even go ahead and have the house constructed in accordance with their plans. They might be doing this for themselves or they might have been acting for another party. This concept dates back millennia to times when skilled craftsmen like carpenters and stone masons had sufficient skills to call themselves master builders and take complete charge of constructions ranging from private homes to cathedrals or palaces.
Rules, Regulations, Licenses & Permits
Populations grew, new towns sprung up and we all became more organized (for our own good – we hope). Part and parcel of this saw something of a demise in master builders throughout the country. Once a group of 13 people in New York City founded The American Institute of Architects in 1857, architects started to take control of the design work associated with building just about anything. However, they organized their profession in such a way that they would carry out the design work and then arrange for the construction itself to be carried out by another party. This has become known as the design; bid out and then construct method. This usually means that the architect hands over responsibility for all projects once the designs have been fully approved by the client and all other concerned parties. Some clients on extremely large prestigious projects may like this method but those with more modest aims (such as a domestic home in St. Augustine) might prefer a more “one stop shop” approach.
The One Stop Approach
This is where the custom home builder for St. Augustine area comes into the picture. Such firms effectively turn the clock back to the days of the master builders. Within such firms, there will be the architectural skills capable of designing anything from simple homes to quite complex projects. But, unlike many architectural firms, there will be people like civil and structural engineers plus surveyors, landscapers, etc employed within a custom builders’ firm. This means that they can confidently see a project through all the way from an initial consultation with a prospective client to final completion of construction and hand over. This is known as design-build contracting and it can be an ideal way to acquire your architect designed home through the services of a custom home builder In St. Augustine.
