Do you have dreams of remodeling your Long Beach home, but fear the stress that goes along with it? Maybe you’ve heard horror stories about projects that left families in limbo for multiple years, or projects that went wildly over budget. It’s true that a lot can go wrong in a home remodel because there are so many variables involved in this type of project. One of the best ways to avoid some of the major issues that can accompany a home remodel is to start the process by hiring one of the architecture firms in Long Beach that will be your advocate.
When most people think of architecture firms in Long Beach, they think of the companies that design and draw up the blueprints for a residential or commercial project. Yes, that’s what architecture firms do, but they can do so much more than that.
Architecture Firms in Long Beach That Help with the Approval Process
Before you can start building, your building plans need to be approved.
A good architecture firm in Long Beach will take your plans through the entire permitting and approval process. They will make sure your submission to the city’s Community Development includes all of the necessary documents that city officials will want to see in order to approve your project to start construction.
An experienced architecture firm will know when it’s necessary to include things like a Title 24 report, a soils report, structural calculations from a licensed structural engineer, as well as any other documents that might apply to your specific project. When an architect takes the time to make sure the initial submission is complete, there is much less back and forth that needs to happen, and the plans get through the Community Development Department much faster.
An architecture firm can also help get approvals from entities other than just the city’s Community Development Department. Coastal homes will need approval from the California Coastal Commission. Homes in historic neighborhoods will have to have their plans approved by the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission. The plans for homes located within an HOA will likely have to get approval from some sort of architectural committee that’s part of the HOA.
An experienced architect will know how to navigate the process for gaining approvals from these various types of organizations. A great architect will know what all of these various organizations will want to see before they even ask for it!
Architecture Firms that Work with Your General Contractor
Some architecture firms in Long Beach consider their job to be done once the plans are drawn up and approved. Others continue to work with their clients throughout the building process.
Because the architect is the one to take their clients’ needs and design ideas and turn them into a set of plans, it makes sense that the architect would also be the one to make sure those plans are carried out accordingly. While you might assume that a general contractor would follow the building plans exactly, this isn’t always how it works out in the real world.
Sometimes the building plans are not 100% clear and the general contractor will make a judgement call without consulting the homeowner. While other times, a general contractor deliberately decides to disregard the plans and make a decision that will save him or her either time or money (or both). When an architect, who knows the intended outcome of the project, and who also speaks the same “language” as the general contractor, stays involved, these types of situations can largely be avoided. At the very least, homeowners should work with an architecture firm that can be “on call,” should any issues come up during the building process.
Working with an architecture firm in Long Beach that can navigate the approval process on the part of the homeowner, as well as serve as an advocate for the homeowner during the building phase, can greatly reduce the amount of stress a homeowner feels and make the entire experience smoother.
