7 reasons why Architects are seen as expensive and an unnecessary cost in building projects

When embarking upon the endeavour of designing and constructing residential homes or commercial buildings, it is not uncommon to encounter individuals who suggest that engaging the services of an architect is an extraneous expenditure. These individuals may propose the alternative of employing a draughtsman, foreman, or civil engineer, or even assert their own capability (regardless of experience) to undertake the task without remuneration. They may entice you with the prospect of a "straight contract" arrangement, wherein they assume control over your financial resources and proffer a complimentary design. However, it is imperative to exercise caution, as such arrangements grant them unrestricted discretion over the allocated funds and the subsequent construction, affording them the latitude to act as they see fit.

A discerning and accountable buyer typically identifies warning signs in such a seemingly enticing arrangement, unless one places absolute trust in the individual making the offer with their entire life savings for most would-be home builders and bootstrapping business owners. The strategy employed is to provide complimentary services, such as design and other endeavours, in the initial stages, while presenting oneself as approachable and supportive, in order to cultivate a sense of confidence. This approach bears a resemblance to the deceptive scheme. Conversely, professionals levy appropriate remuneration for their services and the time invested, as legitimate enterprises entail expenses, straightforwardly speaking.
If you are very concerned with your budget these people can even give you an offer that is hard to refuse without the critical thinking skills necessary to detect deception. Architects do seem to cost much simply because they have a state license to offer their legitimate services and are bound to strict professional ethics and liabilities, much like legitimate doctors and lawyers who guard their reputations with honest services. While you might find great designs from magazines and the internet and that construction can be done by hiring anybody who has done construction before or first-timers, some relatives, or old construction workers that your network knows, these options would seem to be reasonable enough to cut cost and manage your budget from these possibilities in the Philippines, and that is how many building projects are done anyway and rationalize explanations for poor quality despite apparent high cost later. Below are some reasons why architects seem to be very expensive a first glance or it's already what you have been programmed to perceive of them unwittingly.

1. Architects are devalued by lesser substitutes in contempt for obvious reasons but always go unquestioned - it is almost an involuntary reflex to insecure (and rightly so) civil engineers, but only those who think they can practice architecture and construction, and they are everywhere. They have perpetuated the devaluation of architects for many decades by consistent normalization of many myths that demean the worth of what architects really do for society. Architects are even called "engineers" by many people who work in the construction industry and too many of the older generations, they aren't even aware of what architects really are, it is a shame because civil engineers assumed the architect's role or practiced architecture for the most part of philippine history which produced almost all of our buildings today, look around (if you're in the Philippines or any country where architects aren't popular), and if you've been to first world countries or in Singapore or Dubai for example, you'd understand the quality differences.
2. It seems so easy to come up with floor plans and get nice pictures from the internet nowadays - it is easy to draw and print photos indeed, I had clients bombarded me with Pinterest images, and was hoping that I could just redraw them for them for free, that is how people think of what architects are, just some free tool sadly. The education comparable to doctors and lawyers reduced to a mere tool with some "pretty please it's an easy task" tone of demand.
3. Other people I know (engineers, foremen, carpenters, handymen, or your uncle who didn't go to any school) can build houses and buildings without any architect whatsoever - seems so, that even with ants, termites, bugs and other animals do and can evidently build on their own, which is an unfortunate result of a seemingly intelligent buyer when it comes to very expensive items such as a home or a building for their business. If you think like this, you fall under our typical client list who deserves no benefit from architecture and what it offers. It is a squatter mindset and we are sorry that our society has failed you, Maybe your current building was made by a random person and you enjoy it, we understand that you want cheap things or best, free things.
4. Most of the people you know didn't get an architect to design and build their houses/buildings and when you asked them, it didn't cost them much or anything at all and it's OK, they can live with it. The question is, are their buildings well-designed and well-built in terms of quality and efficiency? Most likely their buildings are mediocre and problematic in their use and operations and cost more in unnecessary early renovations, repairs, higher operational costs, and other problems that owners don't want to admit.
5. You don't need an architect because you can now do the drawings on your own with mobile apps and easy tools on the internet and you can just print it and give it to an engineer who can sign it for permits. We can't argue with that since you can do that actually depending on your local building official's acceptability of that method, still, many municipalities grant legal permission to civil engineers to sign and seal architectural documents, or their staff (or outside connections) accepts doing it for cookie cutter drawings to expedite the processing of building permits, it's a corrupt practice but anything that can make your project move fast is better than paying architects to do it right is good right? Then we can't argue further and we wouldn't expect you in our offices anytime soon.
6. Because you seem to have a very limited budget even if you know you'll get better quality results with an architect, you'd rather reserve that extra cost to buy nicer fixtures or finishing materials for your home/building. Fair point, but there are many ways to lower cost without sacrificing professional help while hiring cheaper lesser substitutes will expect to get the right prices by sacrificing the quality of your building which they intend to hide anyway they can. Nobody works for free and architects tell you that upfront rather than hide it in obscure items in the construction, and who would you trust, the yes man who will tell you what you want to hear or the expensive professional who is upfront and transparent whether you like the reality or not?
7. You can't pay more than what the lowest bidders are offering because you don't yet understand the risk of building your home and you are trying to find clues and answers for your many questions, a far more serious question compared to shopping for phone prices and specs online to get the best purchase possible. Smart consumers nowadays with the internet know that price is what they pay for and value is what they get at the end of it all.

If you really are very concerned with your budget, you may not yet be ready to undertake a wise execution of your plan to build your house or building, but you can take small steps or expenses towards it by doing some preliminary assessment of your readiness by consulting an architect. Would you spend on an inexpensive diagnosis of your health before deciding to spend on a very expensive major operation for which you are unsure yet? In any case, at the end of the day, the aspiring home/business owner or the dreamer will be the ultimate decision-maker regarding what value he/she would want to get. He/she will decide whether to be insured or uninsured in owning a car, in paying extra for a more secure future for his/her family, if planning for the long haul has its value, for paying now for the better future, we all have a point of view, and for us, education and proper judgment in itself is an invaluable quality that we try to advise our clients, even if we never get to meet you in person. We hope that you get value from this with the time you spent reading it. If you want to know if you are ready to design and build your project, check my Project Planning Workshop to evaluate your readiness.

Read other articles:

• The Project Planning Workshop
• Five most essential things to know before deciding to design and build
• Best Way to have Better Control and Fast-Tract Your Project
• How Much Does Hiring an Architect Cost
• Why contracts are essential when engaging in services
• The Architect's Basic Design Service
• How to create a Design Brief for your architect
• Philippine architecture practice and P.R.C.'s position with Civil Engineers' encroachment in the architecture profession
• Architects and Architecture: Myths vs Reality