If you’re looking to build your dream home, there’s a lot (and we mean A LOT) to consider before you can move to the building stage. From your initial house design & concept plans to council approvals, it can often be quite overwhelming for anyone who isn’t experienced in the field. One question we’re often asked by prospective clients is if an architect is essential to the design process. We’ve put together our top 3 differences between a building designer over an architect or drafter.

Price

Price, as we all know, is one of the most important factors to consider during the construction of your home and it’s no different during the design stage. On average, a Building Designer will typically charge between 3-5% of the build costs, whereas an Architect may charge anywhere between 7-10% - so a fairly significant price jump. It’s for this reason that many will turn to Building Designers for renovations, extensions or new home designs.

Designs & Insight

To put it simply, Building designers are more qualified (and often more experienced) than a draftsman but less qualified than an architect. In some cases, a Building designer actually has a very similar education to an architect but just has not been certified. Some building designers have more experience in the field, as you can begin designing and working in the industry after around 2 years of study; whereas an Architect must complete a minimum of 7 years in total before working as a registered Architect. Building designers can also be highly beneficial in the initial stages due to their insight on realistic budgets as a result of working very closely with many builders.

Connections

Reputation and connections are key to the building industry. Architects and Building designers both work extremely closely with builders, town planners, council, surveyors, quantity surveyors, engineers and many more specialty consultants. Having these connections again gives valuable insight into the overall design to ensure quality is met. Builders want to know that the floor plans and overall design of the home they’re building is clear and Building Designers want to know that the builders are effectively replicating their plans. So, these relationships take time and results. As we mentioned above, Building designers have often worked in the industry for a number of years and therefore have developed strong relationships with reliable builders and have a very good understanding of construction costs, which helps when meeting budgets. When you acquire the assistance of a Building designer, they will provide you with indispensable advice about the right builders for your project.

Get in touch with YHD!

If you’re looking to build a home, renovate, extend or develop, a building designer is the perfect option for you. Contact us to find out how we can help you today!