What Does an Architect Do During Construction?

When you are having a home custom designed and built, the first step is typically a consultation with an architect, perhaps more than one, to discuss your vision for your home and begin to get to know the architect.

Once you have decided on the architect that best suits your needs and seems to have the clearest understanding of what you want your home to be, you can expect to meet with them at certain intervals throughout the design process, and communicate via phone and email regularly.

With design completed and approved plans in hand, the architect’s role in the design-build process is completed.

Or is it?

At ERT Architects, it is the norm rather than the exception that clients ask us to take an ongoing role throughout the building process by acting as their construction administrator and representative at the job site, playing a valuable role for any client, especially those who do not reside on Cape Cod year-round.

When the time comes to break ground on your new home, no one has a more in-depth understanding of its intricate plans than the person who created them: your architect. By this time your architect also has really gotten to know you, so who better to serve as your point person on your construction site when issues arise?

And issues will arise.

Custom home plans are complex. They provide a builder with all of the information needed to construct your home exactly the way you want it. With so much information, it is understandable that certain aspects may need clarification. Providing this clarity quickly is just one thing an architect will do during construction.

An architect acting as your construction administrator also understands that what looks like an inconsequential detail on paper – something that might be easily overlooked or ignored – is in fact crucial to your home. Should a builder wonder if that “inconsequential detail” can be skipped because of time constraints or supply chain issues, an onsite architect can make sure every single thing is done to the exact specifications of your plans.

Supply chain issues do continue to be a problem. If the wide-plank hardwood flooring you selected is going to take four months to arrive, an architect acting as your construction administrator can work with you, your builder, and local vendors to quickly find an acceptable replacement.

Not only can an architect save you time during construction, they may end up saving you money by ensuring that you’re getting what you pay for.

As we said, custom home plans are complex. They address layer after layer of information and can include thousands of details. Having the person who created the plans, your architect, involved throughout building process can help the builder understand the intricate details of each layer of your home — from the foundation to the framework, electrical and plumbing, and finish work — is done according to the plans.

Having a home custom designed and built is a lengthy, multi-faceted endeavor. Allowing your architect to act as your representative during construction can save you time, money and, perhaps most importantly, peace of mind.