Architect or residential designer: which does your home need?

Homeowners planning a custom home, an addition, or a renovation often ask the same question: do I need an architect, or can a residential designer draw my plans? The answer depends on your state, your local building department, and the type of building. This article gives general information to help you ask the right questions. It is not legal advice.

What an architect is

An architect is a person licensed by a state board. In Florida and Ohio, state law protects the title “architect.” A person who does not hold an architect license may not use it. Other states have their own rules.

Licensing normally rests on education, supervised experience, and an exam. An architect can design many building types, including large and complex ones, and can seal drawings where the law requires it.

What a residential designer does

A residential designer designs houses. The work usually covers:

• Site analysis: lot shape, setbacks, slope, orientation, access, and views.
• Floor plans and elevations.
• 3D views, so you can see the home before it is built.
• Material and finish selections.
• Construction drawings: the set a builder uses to price and build the project.

A residential designer is not an architect and does not use that title. A residential designer has no professional seal and does not seal drawings.

What the law says about house plans

Some states, including Florida and Ohio, do not require an architect to prepare the plans for certain one- and two-family homes. The rules differ from state to state. They can depend on the type of building and the number of units, and engineering rules are separate.

Two examples:

• Florida Statutes, section 481.229(1)(b), addresses one-family and two-family residences and townhouses.
• Ohio Revised Code, section 4703.18(C), addresses one-, two-, and three-family dwellings as defined in section 3781.06.

Each state also has separate engineering laws, including Florida Statutes chapter 471 and Ohio Revised Code section 4733.18. An exemption from the architecture law does not remove engineering requirements. In Florida, whether a house needs engineered drawings depends on the Florida Building Code and your local building official.

Do not rely on this article for your own project. Confirm the rules for your state and your local building department. In some states, cities and counties can add requirements of their own within limits set by state law.

Who seals the drawings

Where a seal is required, the architect or engineer who seals must have prepared the drawings or supervised their preparation. A seal is not an approval stamp on someone else’s work. The person who seals takes professional responsibility for the sealed work.

On some residential projects, a licensed engineer prepares and seals the structural part of the drawings: foundation, framing, and resistance to wind and other lateral loads. Other systems may be designed by other professionals or contractors, depending on the project and the state. The owner can hire the engineer directly, under a separate contract.

This is why you should never assume that a sealed set means one person checked everything. Ask what the seal covers.

A short checklist to decide

Use these four steps before you sign a contract with anyone.

1. Ask the building department what it requires. Ask whether your project needs drawings sealed by an architect, an engineer, or both. Ask for the answer in writing if you can.
2. Ask who the professional of record is and what they review. Get the scope in plain terms. Find out what the seal covers and what it does not.
3. Ask who coordinates the engineer and the drawings. Someone has to keep the design, the structural drawings, and the permit set consistent. Know who that person is before work starts.
4. Ask to see finished work and understand the process. Look at completed projects similar to yours. Ask how the work moves from first sketch to permit set, and what you will receive at each stage.

One practical point: whether your project needs an architect, an engineer, or both depends on state law and on your building department. Find out early, before the design is finished. A change at permit submission costs time and money.

Where MDS fits

Maneda Design Studios is a residential design studio based in Orlando, Florida. The studio takes on projects in states where state law allows a residential designer to prepare the plans. MDS designs the home, prepares the construction drawings, and coordinates with the architect or engineer who seals the drawings where a seal is required. MDS does not seal drawings and does not provide architecture or engineering services.

This article gives general information only. It is not legal advice. Rules differ by state and by jurisdiction, and they change. Confirm permit requirements and licensed professional requirements with your local building department, the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), before you start design or hire anyone.