The Ultimate Guide to Hiring for a New Build
Many homeowners assume that it only takes an architect and a contractor to design and build their home. However, many other roles come into play! The saying “it takes a village” is true when it comes to building a dream home.
In a previous blog post, we discussed the process of building a new home in the Bay Area and how great planning is the key to a successful project. So, it only made sense to follow up those FAQs with a guide to who to hire on to your design and build team and when.
If you’re about to embark on the great adventure that is building your dream home, then this one's for you...
Contemporary home with stone exterior. Credit: McCollum Studio Architects
Phase 1: Bring the Designers on Board
You have secured the land, have been madly Pinning and saving inspiration images, and now you’re ready to get started. The first phase is to assemble the team responsible for designing the look, feel, and function of your future home. This includes the architect, the interior designer, and the landscape architect. Here’s what each of these roles bring to the table:
Architect
The architect is the one who designs your home, mainly the exterior and the floor plan or layout. S/He also facilitates the city approval process for the house plans. It is important to find an architect that fits your design goals and aesthetic. Their style will translate into how the home looks and feels. See that you like their portfolio of projects designed.
Interior Designer
The interior designer should be involved alongside the architect, because they will design the interior — which may impact the exterior. In some cases, your interior designer can also assist with decisions for the house itself, such as selecting the style or color of windows or the exterior color palette.
Project results are most cohesive when architects and interior designers collaborate. So at this stage of the process, we would be scheduling your consultation call.
Landscape Architect
The landscape architect specializes in designing the landscaping in the front, back, and sides of the house. This can include hardscaping design such as pergolas, decks, water features, pools, etc. and plans for botanicals and plantings.
Cities often require a landscaping plan for the front of the house when reviewing the project. It needs to include water calculations and meet requirements for the ratio of permeable to non-permeable landscaping. Your landscape architect will be able to provide this, along with the appropriate drawings, to be submitted in conjunction with your house plans.
Traditional home with stone exterior and landscaping. Credit: Arrow. Land + Structures
Phase 2: Laying the Groundwork
Designing and building a new home isn’t just about the structure itself. You also have to take the surrounding land into account, including trees and landscaping, hardscaping, city regulations related to curb elevations, driveways, sidewalks etc. Here’s who you will need:
Arborist
The role of the arborist is to assess existing trees for protected species. Your city may require you to have the trees assessed to determine what can be removed and which need to be protected. This will, of course, influence how the construction can take shape around them.
Civil Engineer
The civil engineer is the one who designs, builds, supervises, operates, constructs, and maintains infrastructure projects. In the context of a residential home, they will evaluate the property and the land topography and will provide a soil report. They also lay out things like the curb, gutter, driveway, and sidewalk.
Fortunately, hiring a civil engineer is not something you need to be very particular about. With architects and interior designers, you will want someone whose aesthetics match well with what you want to achieve. With a civil engineer, aesthetics are less important. For ease, ask your architect to refer you to a trusted civil engineer.
Structural Engineer
Once your set of house plans is ready and your floor plans are pretty much final, it’s time to hire a structural engineer. Their role is to ensure your home is structurally designed and built to withstand its own weight and endure earthquakes and other natural elements. Once the architect has the layout solidified, the structural engineer is the one who determines whether or not your house needs major structural elements like steel beams and shear walls. Again, your architect can often refer engineers s/he has worked with before.
Contemporary home exterior with wood siding and metal roof. Credit: Coats Homes
Phase 3: Adding the Build Team
Builder / General Contractor
Last, but not least, the builder or general contractor (GC). I’m using these terms interchangeably. Generally, you can bring on a GC later in the process because the GC can’t provide an accurate estimate for your project until you have close to final plans. That said, it is beneficial to have a GC look at your plans before you submit them to the city for approval so they have an opportunity to catch any major challenges that could come up during construction while it’s still on paper.
Most architects and interior designers have builders in their network whom they can refer, so that is a good starting point. However, you should still do your own due diligence and hire someone that you think you can have a good working relationship with. If you have a dream builder in mind, it’s worth contacting them early. They can be quite busy and will likely need to work your project into their calendars.
Now that we’ve established the order in which your team should get involved, how should you approach the search? Should you call all these people individually and ask about their services? Or start with one or two and use their network?
Modern traditional home with stone exterior and arched black windows. Credit: Brooks and Falotico Associates
Where to Find Your Design & Build Team
If you want to do the research on your own, you have some options. Here are a few ideas:
Start with a Google search or use other platforms like Houzz and Yelp. Search for local pros whose styles you love.
Nowadays, Instagram and other social media platforms are a common way to find home industry professionals. Again, since aesthetics matter when it comes to the architect and interior designer you choose, I suggest looking for someone whose style you admire.
Look up your local design center or professional organizations in the industry to browse their members for a list of local professionals.
Drive around to new construction sites you like and take note of who the designers and builders are. You will often see signs posted for the architect, designer, and builder, so it is easy information to find.
Ask family and friends for referrals.
Once you do a preliminary search, you will just need to be mindful of a few elements before you make a decision. With any design-oriented profession, it is important to review their portfolio and ensure you like what you see. Design is emotional and subjective, and you want to make sure you are on the same page as the designer, architect, and landscape designer.
Then… talk to them! Designing and building a home is a big project and it’s important to have a good working relationship and be able to trust the team you hire. Someone you genuinely connect and jive with will make your project a lot more enjoyable.
Contemporary classic home with stone exterior and black windows. Credit: Lori Caldwell Designs
Final Thoughts
My opinion might be biased, but I think the best way to proceed is by hiring design professionals first then using their network for the rest. The most successful projects — in style and how they function for your family — start with the design. Your architect, designer, and landscape designer need to collaborate in the early stages of your project.
By nature of the trade, they have access to other professionals and can refer you to other people they’ve worked with. Plus, they already know your aesthetic and design goals, so they are in a better position to recommend other professionals who are likely to be a good fit for you. The builder is a close second. You can also hire them in the early stages and get referrals from them as well.
Do you have any questions? Anything you were curious about that I haven’t answered yet? Leave me a comment below, click here to learn more about how I can help you with your home, or schedule a call to talk about your project here.
Happy Designing!
Rosanna
