Expert: Josiah Wiener - 5/2/2004

Question
I am thinking about being my owm general contractor to build my dream house in Palm Coast Fl. I am in the process of buying a lot... When it come to the drawings that need to be developed what is the different in using an Architect vs Draftsman?

Thanks for your advice.

danny

Answer
Danny,

The simple answer to your question is that all Architects are (or at least should be) draftsmen, however all draftsmen are not necessarily architects. In other words drafting is only one of the skills that an Architect should posess, whereas a draftsman may only know how to draft.

Architects are specifically trained to design buildings and thus are most likely to have the skills required to do the best possible job of designing and guiding the construction of a building.

This boils down to a question of money and skill. If you are confident that you can design a house on your own that you will be satisfied, then by all means find a draftsman to draw it up for you. If however, you are unsure of your skill as a designer, then I recommend that you seek the help of an architect. Keep in mind that the construction of a house is a considerable investment and as such should not be taken lightly. You owe it to yourself to feel satisfied with the final product especially since this is your dream house.

Finally you should check with the local building department to verify that the seal of an architect is not required when filing the house plans.

Josiah