Who are you going to call?
Design-build firms and architects offer different types of services for your home-renovation project..
By Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, D.O., M.A., with James Calderwood Jr. 

Planning and design are important parts of any home-improvement project. Good planning facilitates a smooth construction process, and careful design helps assure long-term satisfaction when the project is completed. Though some talented do-it-yourselfers can plan and design a project without professional help, most people obtain outside advice. However, choosing among the various types of professionals can be difficult, especially considering the overlap in services provided.

Designers include an ever-growing range of experts, who may focus on a particular area, such as the kitchen, bath, or closet. Interior decorators focus on furniture and other accessories that go into a room, along with floor, wall, and window treatments. Color consultants help select and coordinate interior and exterior colors. Training, certification, and licensing vary among designers in different geographic locations.

For a large renovation project, a design-build firm is a relatively new approach. The client works most closely with the designer, who conceptualizes the project, serves as the general contractor, and oversees construction. The designer subcontracts with an architect, who develops the construction documents. 

The traditional approach is for the client to contract directly with an architect. The architect’s services include designing and developing the plans, assisting the client with choosing a builder (often by managing a competitive bidding process), and helping the client to assure that the construction follows the plans. 

Michael Fox, an architect in Bethesda, Md., says the client-architect approach allows the client to spend more time with the architect to develop the design. “The level of planning brings together the plans, elevations, and construction details into a cohesive statement, which is especially important when improving an existing home. There have been many projects built that do not work with the existing home and read as an appendage, both to the interior and exterior,” Fox says. “When this happens, the home owner may not be improving the structure’s long-term value.”

Advocates of the design-build approach say it can be less expensive than using an architect because the architectural fees are less and costs can be better managed during the construction phase. Also, the project often can be completed faster because the planning steps can be condensed and a competitive-bid process is not needed. 

To decide between a design-build firm and an architect, ask friends and others for references and interview several of each. You should base your decision on not only projected costs, but also past work (make site visits and talk to other clients), how well your tastes and personalities match, and how well you think you will work together. 

Design-build firms, architects, and contractor-builders should be familiar with local zoning and building requirements and should secure the proper permits and any other governmental approvals. Historic districts and some local communities have specific requirements that also must be followed. 
Whatever your home-improvement project, it is important to take time initially to assess the general scope of the work and which professionals will best help you to transform your vision into a finished project.