Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 3/19/2004

Question
I have two small bathrooms in my one story ranch style home.  The guest bath is next to a small laundry room which has an outside door.  We want to remodel the bath and put a door in the wall between the bath and laundry room so we can go directly into the bathroom from the outside without going into the common hallway first. They would need to move/relocate the interwall separating the bathroom from the laundryroom.  As best as I can tell it is a non bearing wall. In the master bath we want to remove the tub, relocate the toilet and install a "walk in" shower.  It will involve relocating some plumbing but no wall removal or relocation.  A "bathroom" architect has quoted us $2500. to draw up the plans for submission to the City.  

I have no experience with any of this.  Does his price sound within the ballpark or is it out of line?  Will a master bathroom with no tub necessarily lower the value of the house?

Thank you.

Answer
Mr. March:

Thanks for your question!

It's tough to get in the middle of a situation like this, since I don't really know what the scope of work and services is.  I don't know what the architect has offered to do for his fee, nor do I know what the building authorities require for a drawing set to get a permit.

I can, however, give you some general guidelines about what's typical in remodeling projects.

Architects offer different levels of service.  A "full service" project involves the architectural design, specification of fixtures, finishes, and colors, and administration of the actual construction.  The Architect oversees the whole project start to finish, and fees are usually based on a percentage of construction cost - somewhere between 10-15%.

At the other end of the scale, the Architect may only do the minimum amount of drawings necessary to get building permits.  In that case, you'll do your own legwork making finish and fixture selections (or maybe use an interior designer) and will rely on the contractor to assure the quality of the construction.  That's a pretty common arrangement - the key is careful selection of your contractor.  In such cases, you'll probably pay the Architect by the hour.

Another factor affecting the cost of professional services is the reputation of the Architect.  Top Architects command higher fees.

So what you need to do first is to establish exactly what services you're getting for the fee, then compare that fee to other Architects.  Visit the Architect's office and jobsites, and talk to his references.  Find out what his clients got for their fees.

You can get more information from the AIA at AIA.org; they publish an article about selecting an architect that is very informative.

Finally, regarding the bathtub, the answer varies by region, city, and neighborhood.  Ultimately, it depends upon what is typical in your area.  I've done it both ways.  Most people use the shower every day and the bathtub rarely, so a big shower with no tub makes the most practical sense.  But because real estate agents are looking to make a house appeal to the widest possible audience, homeowners are often convinced to include the big tub and all the trimmings whether they want it or not.  Check out what's done in your area, and then do what you want to - you'll get the most enjoyment out of it that way!

Hope this helps!

Richard Taylor, AIA
Richard Taylor Architects, LLC
www.rtaylorarchitects.com