Who to Hire: An Architect or a Builder?

Our home is the one place where we feel truly at peace. Naturally, when you’re building your dream home, you want everything to be as perfect as possible.

One of the problems first-time homebuyers face is hiring an architect or a builder. Both builders and architects differ in their roles. Both are often talked about when construction projects are involved.

So, who is the right professional who can help you get your dream home built?

What Does An Architect Do?

An architect is a professional who translates your vision of your dream home into an actionable floor plan. The architect is responsible for preparing what is known as the ‘blueprint’. i.e., the design drawings representing how the house is to be constructed.

When architects prepare the blueprints, they focus on architectural codes and regulations. This ensures the home is safe, built to code and designed to your specifications. Architects are responsible for ensuring your home has the right features. Features such as enough natural lighting, airflow and fire safety.

After considering all these factors, the architect prepares the drawing according to which the house will be built. Now, what’s left is the actual construction according to the plans drawn up.

And that’s where the builder comes in.

The Role Of The Builder

To cut a long story short, the builder is your project manager. Their primary role is to take the architect’s rendering of your vision and construct the project according to the plan. The builder is responsible for transforming all design elements into real-world existence.

The builder takes care of several aspects like getting permits, making sure of regulatory compliance, and above all, maintaining budgets. The builder is also the go-to person for sourcing all the necessary construction materials for the project.

Just as an architect plans for your house to be safe, the builder executes those plans to ensure its safety is not compromised. They look into all the construction details, from laying the foundations to applying the finishing touches.

So, now that you know who does what, which professional do you need to hire?

Deciding Who You’re Going To Call First

While it’s evident from the job descriptions of architects and builders that you'll need them both to complete construction. The dilemma lies in who you’re going to call first. On the face of it, it seems sensible to hire an architect first, as they will create the plans.

After all, without plans, construction can’t begin. But the decision isn’t as easy as it seems. Architects are planners, and they usually don’t have the required knowledge about building materials, costs, and timelines involved in completing the project.

This means that an architect can quickly draw up a stunning design that you love. But it might just be a bit too much on your budget. Also, the kind of design that the architect draws up might take too long to implement and bring to life.

Considering these factors, it’s better to call in a builder first. Builders will have all the necessary know-how regarding construction costs and timelines. What’s more, builders might also have access to expert architects who can draw up the required plans as per your budget.

This is not to say that architects can’t consider budgetary requirements in their plans. But seeing as you will have to hire a builder to get the job done anyway, it makes sense to go to them first.

The Advantage Of Involving A Builder

Apart from the points above, there are several other advantages of hiring a builder. We’ve already discussed how a builder can help lay down a budget and even source architects to draw up the plans.

A builder also takes care of the entire construction process. Right from helping you choose the location and neighbourhood to suggest customizations that you never thought to include. Contacting a builder first is the obvious choice for getting a custom home built.

What’s more, when you hire a reputed builder, you save time and money and ensure that you’re not compromising on the building materials.

At the same time, a builder acts as the perfect supervisor for the entire duration of the construction. They ensure that your project is completed within the required deadlines and according to the plans.

Can You Do Without An Architect?

Suppose you have a clear vision of your dream home and the features you’d like to incorporate. You might be able to save on the cost of hiring an architect and go straight to the builder.

The builder might have the required architectural know-how for drawing up plans for your home. But often, a builder has a go-to architect for helping you draw your plans up.

Final Words

The question of whether to hire an architect or a builder boils down to a simple answer: you need both to get the job done. Just as an architect can help hire builders, builders can also offer an architect’s services.

That’s why it’s best to go with reputed, experienced builders so that you can get all the required services from one trusted source. Here at Buildrite, we offer the best of both worlds so that you can get your dream home built without any hassle.

Just contact us today, and we’ll make your dreams a reality.