The construction documents serve as the primary means of communication between the design professional, plan reviewer, inspectors, and contractors. They consist of a series of drawings and text that describe in detail the work to be performed on your building. The drawing and text are composed on sheets of paper, usually 24" by 36" and bound into "sets" that can be distributed to the people involved in your project. For some types of projects and in some situations, the City of Des Moines requires construction documents to be prepared and stamped by a licensed architect.

In order to legally construct a deck, you have to get a building permit. As long as standard construction practices are adhered to and you aren't trying to do anything too "out of the ordinary," you will most likely be allowed to prepare your own permit drawings. You may find, however, that it pays to take advantage of the experience, design talent, and drawing skills of a professional to prepare your drawings.

If you intend on hiring a design professional to prepare drawings for your renovation project, you should hire this person as early in the process as possible. Some design professionals will be willing to assist in evaluating potential properties, but others prefer to wait until you have a property under contract before committing their time.

Not all renovation projects require professionally prepared drawings. However, a design professional provides more than just drafting skills. The design professinal’s job is to help you through the daunting and sometimes frustrating decision-making process by suggesting proposed solutions and providing insight into potential problems. This is why the one you select should be experienced in your type of renovation project - ask for references and a portfolio of similar projects. There are issues specific to renovation that an design professional who specializes in commercial construction will not necessarily be familiar with.

Design services are typically broken down into the following phases: predesign, schematic design, design development, and construction documents. These phases, while somewhat fluid, proceed in a relatively straight line. Larger decisions and issues that affect the project as a whole are dealt with in the initial phases and grow increasingly detailed as it progresses.

Predesign

In no particular order, here are some key things to look for as you select an architect for your renovation project. You should decide on the relative priority of these issues before interviewing architects.

• Experience with your project type – Architects that focus on new commercial development may not have the specific expertise to take on a gut rehab

• References/Portfolio – Get suggestions from people who have been through the process before. Most architects will have a “portfolio” of projects they have participated in – feel free to ask to see it.
  

Not every renovation project legally requires the participation of a registered design professional.

Why Hire a Design Professional?

Architects and design professionals can provide a broad range of services that increase the finished value and make the renovation process easier.