Helpful Resources

Do You Have Questions?

Here are the Answers to Some FAQS

Q. What services do you offer?

Aamodt / Plumb’s mission is to improve the lives of one million people by creating good, clean and fair homes. In support of that mission we provide a turn-key solution for residential architecture, interiors and construction through our Architect Led Design Build approach. We also provide site selection, project management, permitting, zoning approvals, master planning, and custom furniture and lighting design for an additional fee.

However we will never be able to help a million people through this approach alone. So we are simultaneously researching ways to provide affordable modern homes for the middle class by dedicating up to 20% of our time to this goal and seeking grants and fundraising to support our efforts.

Q. What is Architect Led Design Build?

Architect Led Design Build is a project delivery method where you, the client, hire a single entity, led by the Architect to design and build your home. One contract covers the entire project. Architect Peter Gluck in New York has been a forerunner in Architect Led Design Build and has produced a great video that explains the approach. Not unlike the historic role of master builder, Architect Led Design Build reintegrates the thought of design with the craft of building.

Ninety percent of Design Build firms are led by contractors and the design is unexceptional. If you care about design as well as improved quality, reduced risk, simplified communication and shorter timelines then Architect Led Design Build is the best option.

Wikipedia lists the benefits to the owner of Architect Led Design Build.

• Speed of completion
• Single-point responsibility
• Greater cost savings and earlier cost certainty
• “Value Engineering” at conceptual stages rather than too late, after project design is complete
• Better communication
• Fewer disputes and litigation
• Higher quality outcomes
• Clear roles, responsibilities and accountability
• Less administrative burden
• Reduced risk to the client (because the design–build entity assumes more)
• Reduced risk to design consultants and subcontractors which results in lower construction costs, greater efficiencies and fewer litigation claims

Q. How long is the process to design and build a custom house?

There are no short cuts in the construction process, at least none that will give you the quality you want. Construction takes time and is more on the order of a season of This Old House than an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

There are two phases to the Architect Led Design Build process.The Design Phase takes between 4-6 months depending on the size and complexity of the project. It involves a dialogue with you structured over a series of meetings with a particular theme: Big Picture, Space, Light and Form, Look and Feel, How it Works, Selections. The themes progress from general to specific as we work together to develop the design. We can also help you with furnishings for an additional cost, eliminating the need for a separate Interior Designer.

The Build Phase starts with the Permit Set and Construction Documents where we create the details, specifications and documentation to build the house. This takes between 2-3 months. Once the Construction Documents are ready Construction may take between 6-18 months, again depending on the size and complexity of the project.

By using our Architect Led Design Build process your project will progress through these phases in the most efficient way. By comparison, the typical Design-Bid-Build process usually takes about 6-12 months longer.

Q. How much does it cost to build a custom home?

There are also no bargains in construction. In general, you get what you pay for, if you are working with reputable people. And by the way, HGTV lies. All of their numbers are made up to boost ratings. They have nothing to do with reality.

Construction Costs are defined as the labor, material and markup required to build a building. These are the “hard costs.” The projects you see here on our website cost between $300 – $1500 per square foot for hard costs. The huge spread has to do with complexity and level of detail. The more custom a house is, the more expensive. There is a wonderful discussion of construction costs that I recommend reading. In addition to hard costs there is the purchase price for the property and between 20-30% soft costs. You may also want to download our free guide, the Modern House Cost Report.

We bill Construction Costs as “Cost Plus,” also known as “Open Book,” where the cost of the labor and materials are passed on to the owner and marked up 15% for overhead and profit. The project is competitively bid at the sub-contractor level, where we can obtain 3 bid for each trade and work with you to determine which is the best fit for the project. Project Management time is included as a cost and our team provides the dual role of Architect and Project Manager, thus eliminating duplicated effort and miscommunication.

Unfortunately these costs put custom architect designed homes out of reach for most people and we think that is a problem. Our mission is to improve the lives of one million people and we can’t do that by only designing for the top 1%. So we are exploring ways to provide good, clean and fair homes at a lower price point, middle class alternatives to McMansions. Frank Lloyd Wright was very interested in this problem and spent many years during his Usonian Period designing wonderful middle class homes. That is our starting point. When you hire us to design your custom home please know that a portion of our profit goes into our ongoing research in support of our mission.

Q. How much will I pay for design?

Short answer: More than you thought. Contractor Led Design Builders charge next to nothing for design. And that is what you get. But if you could get a custom designed car that met or exceeded all of your wildest dreams would you be willing to pay more for that? Of course you would!

Design fees are a part of soft costs and are in addition to hard costs. Soft costs include all architectural and engineering fees, permitting, approvals and testing costs.

We base our architectural fees on a percentage of construction cost because we have found this to be the best representation of the value we bring to a project. Construction cost is an indicator of quality and complexity and our level of involvement rises proportionally. We are creatives and the creative process is inherently non-linear, therefore we cannot do hourly billing for design services.

Custom homes are considered the most complex building type, even above hospitals and theaters. Therefore the fees for custom residential are higher than any other specialty. To get an idea of what the percentage might be you can check out architecturalfees.com, an excellent independent resource provided for the public.

Previously, under the Design-Bid-Build model, we would typically provide Tier 6 service, referenced in the link above, to achieve the kind of results you will see in the projects here on our website. Using the Architect Led Design Build approach we can offer fees for the Design Phase of between 8-12%. Contract Documents are included in Construction Costs and typically range between 4-6%. But the real savings comes in the Construction Phase where Bidding, Construction Administration and Project Management are not duplicated by the Architect and Builder.

Other project related reimbursable expenses during the Design Phase are marked up 15% for overhead and profit, just like during the Construction Phase. For a more detailed discussion see this article on Reimbursable Expenses.

Reimbursable Expenses:

• Sub-Consultants, including but not limited to Structural, Civil, Mechanical, Landscape, Geotech
• Printing, Reproduction and Postage
• Travel Expenses
• Testing, Inspections and Fees
• Site Survey

Q. Who will I be working with?

We at Aamodt / Plumb are a highly collaborative team and you will get to know many of us as the project unfolds. You will first meet Mette and Andrew as you are getting to know our practice and what we are about. They oversee everything that is going on in the office but also rely heavily on the rest of the team for daily operations. A team leader will be assigned to your project from among our Designers and Architects and you will work directly with them, in addition to Mette and Andrew, throughout the entire duration of design and construction. Get to know our team here – they are an amazing group of people.