ᐅ Comparing Prefabricated House Providers Using a Custom Floor Plan

Hello,

In the podcast "10 Steps to Building a House," Flo recommends working with an architect to create a floor plan.

We now want to compare architects based on price for exactly this. First: a building inquiry + permit (building permit / planning permission), and second: a floor plan for the prefab house suppliers.

Which specific services do we need to request from the architect in order to compare them properly? Is a "design and permit planning" enough, or do we also need to commission execution planning to ensure the structural engineering fits with the floor plan?

Do you happen to know any good architectural firms to follow Flo’s recommendation?

Thank you!

Maybe you should discuss this with Flo, since the recommendation comes from him... or is this now self-promotion Otto -> Flo?

Otto_1987 schrieb:

What services do we need to specify exactly when dealing with architects in order to compare them?

It is important that you request the same information from all architects ;-)

By the way, architects are usually paid according to HOAI. This means that the fees are generally the same for the same construction volume. Individual offers can, of course, be made.
I recommend first using an online HOAI calculator. This is the standard — anything less is a concession from the architect.

Otto_1987 schrieb:

We now wanted to compare architects specifically for pricing: 1) a preliminary building inquiry plus approval and 2) a floor plan for the prefabricated house providers.

What motivates you to combine an architect with a prefabricated house? Not that it can’t work, but this approach somewhat undermines the advantages that come with many prefab house projects. Most prefab house providers work with highly standardized model homes and, accordingly, structural engineering, details, factory and execution plans... All these construction-related, time-saving, and procedural synergies common with typical prefab providers are lost if you come in with a highly customized architectural design.

nordanney schrieb:

By the way, architects are usually paid according to HOAI.

Quite a few calculate their fees based on HOAI, then offer a proposal with whatever xx% discounted rates. By doing so, they are effectively undermining what HOAI aims to prevent.

Otto_1987 schrieb:

In the podcast "10 Steps to Building a House," Flo recommends working with an architect to create a floor plan.

The guy talks in a friendly way but totally without any clear concept. I stopped listening after ten minutes of the 44-minute podcast because there was no idea at all where this was supposed to lead. Maybe you could summarize what you mean?

Otto_1987 schrieb:

We now wanted to compare architects’ prices specifically for this. First: a preliminary building inquiry + approval, and second: a floor plan for the prefab home providers.

And you want to build the house based on the price comparison floor plan, or how?

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