San Francisco Bay Area - Question about architect plans

by pamcamkell

Question about architect plans

In brief, our question is whether plans drawn up by an architect should have a standard so that they can be used by any reputable builder.
A reputable architect drew up plans for our house addition. Since then we've changed General Contractors and our new GC has some general questions about the plans (including the scale). The architect is claiming that he drew the plans up for our previous GC (whom he has worked with) and had he known we might not be using this person then he may have added other information/detail. He says we've put him in an uncomfortable position. This truly has come as a surprise to us as we'd assumed that his plans - which we've paid over $10K for - would be usable by anyone.
Can anyone shed any light on what we should - or should have - expected from the architect? Thanks!
Signed, Dazed and Confused...

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Ironwood Builders I must assume that the project and plans were submitted for permits? If they were, confusion about scale and questions of accuracy in the plans become a regulatory problem. Your new builder may not have a relationship with your architect that the issues he has raised would be status quo...but the inspectors definitely don't have that relationship. I have never heard of an architect doing shorthand plans for a specific builder, although there are always clarifications and questions when examining a bid set, as builders we want an even playing field.

Your architect needs to redraft the plans so that the build set is accurate and the historical copies filed with the building department match the actual construction. At no cost.

3 months ago · Like ·

Cancork Floor Inc. I'm with Ironwood here. It's like having one doctor order an MRI for his favourite clinic and then find out that the MRI clinic YOU chose could not understand what his short hand meant! Or a lawyer who wants to use one court room, only to find out his favourite judge isn't sitting and now he has to do everything PROPERLY! Hmmmmmmm.

A wee bit on the WTF side of things is my opinion. A professional's blue prints should be understandable to anyone within his/her trade. That would be the MINIMUM set of requirements for a professional....no matter what profession s/he is in!

Have a look at your states regulations on Architects...just to beef up on your knowledge so that you can go back into the meeting with your architect with some BASIC idea of your rights and his/her OBLIGATIONS to (A) their client; and (B) their profession.

It's a good place to start. You will feel more empowered with what you find.

3 months ago · Like