Subtitled: Plan Book vs. Draftsman vs. Contractor vs. Architect

There are very few of us who undertake any building project without some planning. We try and figure out what we need, how it’s going to be put together and how much it’s going to cost us. For some projects, we plan it out in our heads. For others, we take pencil to paper and draw it out. Then, there are the projects that we know we can’t do ourselves. For these, we need to hire a designer.

Designers come in many different varieties. There’s the contractor who designs it himself. There are designers who’ll draft up your plans. There’s your good friend down the street. And there are architects. What’s the difference? Does it matter? What is each one going to give you for your money? And why should you pick the Architect?

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There’s a lot of confusion about different styles. John Milnes Baker has put together a great book that describes the major styles. He takes a “standard” floor plan and adapts it to fit the style of the house. The plan is as much a part of the style as is what it looks like. Before you go to your designer, I highly recommend American House Styles: A Concise Guide.

The alt.architecture newsgroup (which can be found through Google Groups, if you really want to) is an interesting bunch. There are a few regulars who do their best to scare new posters away. For the most part, they mean well…it’s just that many of those who come along aren’t prepared for what they get.

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