Choosing the Right Builder and Architect
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eterans of Central South Carolina’s residential construction industry agree that experience is vitally important when you choose the architect, designer or builder who is going to help you realize the home of your dreams – but they also point out that there are several other factors to consider as well.
Finding professionals with the experience to understand exactly what you are looking for in a home and the knowledge to match their talents and skills with your vision for what your new home should look like when its finished is critical, according to Mark Bostic, the owner of Square One Design in Columbia. “You want someone who can take your vision and prepare drawings so you and your contractor know what you’re going to get,” said Bostic, who has been in the building business for 35 years. “The biggest stumbling block is that people go too far and too fast. You really want to build your house on a piece of paper before you start.” Stan O’Brien, president and chief executive officer of Paradime Construction in Columbia, said experience is important whether you are looking for an architect 6
or a builder, but he added that knowledge of the local building industry is critical as well. During his two decades designing and building homes in the Midlands, he has encountered a few issues while working with architects from outside the Palmetto State. “They need to understand the codes. I probably would pick someone local,” he commented. “You want them to come and visit the building site. They need to see and walk on the site.” One issue he’s seen from architects who haven’t put their own eyes on the lot where a house will be built is that the garage is designed for the low side rather than the high side of the home. In other cases, a side door has been placed in a spot “where you need a set of stairs because the ground is eight feet below the door.”
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“If you know the site, you wouldn’t put the door there,” he said. Wayne Rogers, with Catalyst Architects in Lexington, agreed that talent, expertise and knowledge all are important characteristics of a good architect. He added, however, that humility also is critical. After all, your house is not about the architect. “You want someone who is humble enough to guide you through the process,” Rogers said. “The story is about you. It’s not a monument to the architect. We have a wonderful field of professionals in the business, but, at times, they have huge egos. You have to have an enjoyable relationship with your architect.” “Communication skills are huge,” Rogers added. “Your architect has to listen to you, get your ideas on paper and make a house for you.” According to Rogers, besides going online to take a look at the work your potential architect and builder have completed, you should also ask about how your contractor will manage the job site. He said it’s best to hire a builder who plans to spend a lot of time supervising the work being completed on your house. “There are lots of trades involved, from carpentry to masonry and plumbing, and there can be confusion among the trades,” he said. “There needs to be constant management. The complexity is just huge. If you get a project without much on-site supervision, it’s not going to be a good project.” He went on to say that you should ask if the builder and his subcontractors have worked together as a team before. Do you have to like your builder and architect? Maybe not, but your personalities at least have to match and not clash, according to O’Brien. After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time with both of them, before your house is built and during the construction process. “Issues will come up in construction that the owner and builder will need to work through,” he said. u
