I am hoping I can draw on the experience and knowledge of others in the Archinect community to help me navigate the uncharted territory of my first freelance project.
The story goes like this. I have a friend who would like me to design a guesthouse for him and his wife.Tentatively it is to be one bedroom with a 1/2 bathrrom with a budget between 10k-15k. I plan on having an initial meeting with them to further clarify and draw out other visions/desires that they have for this project. Also to define my role and understand the scope of services I am to perform for them. As well as make suggestions: Would they like to rent the room out in the future? Would they like to have a recording studio integrated into the guesthouse? Etc..
The story continues, I have never performed a freelance job before and because of this I am trying to get an idea of 1) What type of contract I should use for the project 2) How much and what type of fee structure I should use (factoring in that this is my first time doing a project like this) 3) Other critical advice that would be helpful to a fresh graduate embarking on their first freelance project.
Graphite - Well done for having the courage to go it alone. It's something I would love to do in the future.
The project sounds like a good place to begin your freelance work/ future business.
As for your questions, I'm afraid I can't help you a great deal as I live in the UK where we use different contracts/ fee structures etc but to give you an idea you should probably choose a process/ contract where you are involved in every stage (no design and build for instance). As for fees, maybe a figure around 4-5%?
Personally, I would probably explain to your clients that this is your first project and therefore don't expect a large fee. Therefore you will be able to gain experience (and get away with making a few mistakes here and there) without them suing/ hating you! If you charge less than an experienced architect they will allow for your learning curve.
Concentrate on getting experience at this stage rather than making money.
Make sure that your client/friends realize that you are not a licensed architect. If you were licensed, your exposure to risk is much greater. Make sure that you charge a fair rate and that you don't work for free, unless you are a great friend. Calculating the time you spend on a project is tricky, so you should figure out your hourly then include a "not to exceed" number.
Also, $10k-$15k construction budget will build you a decent shed. They do realize they have to pay your fee, a structural engineer's fee and all the permits, right?
graphite...10k-15k. Your going to have to get real creative to come in on budget. I would not worry so much about a contract. Spell out the scope of the work. Figure you will most likely have to deal with a planning and zoning agency, maybe a have to deal with an area health district if your not on public sewer or water. If you are on Public Sewer and water you will need to find out if you have an additional tap fee. Sometimes these can run a couple of grand, depending upon where you are located. Also be aware of the depth of winter frost. Some parts of the country you have to be 4'-0" into the ground. Doing even a small cottage can eat up a ton of money, and you don't even get to see it, cause it is burried in the ground.
Material selection has to be most careful. It is easy to look at magazines and say ya I want a zinc countertop until you find out it is fricking expensive. Last summer I spent $20,000.00 on a massive slab of slate for a countertop. Oh ya holes and edging in countertops always drive the cost up.
If 10k-15k is your fee, you will earn every bit of it in a project like this. I can tell you from alot of experience. Keep in mind you have to really move those concept drawings to working drawings along with specifications....or some local yokal contractor will be installing fiberglass doors inplace of that quarter sawn douglas fir you had in mind.
There are some good check list out there for people starting out when doing residental design. I would suggest you spend a little time finding one on the net before you start talking dollar figures.
Oh ya...and work on your reining in skills as your client will always dream beyond the budget.
The client realizes that I am not licensed and that this project will be a learning experience. Just to add a little more detail, I will be looking into material Co-ops for salvaging material to cut cost. Also the 10-15k is the clients idea of how much they would be willing to spend on the total project. They would spend more if necessary but they would like to keep it around that number. I realize that this is a really small budget but this isn't a palladian guest house. We are talking a micro guest house like maybe around 400sq ft. Anyway thoughts appreciated as always.
Any case studies or books that deal with small houses with innovative material usage for tight budgets to look at for reference?
Do yourself a favor and don't do anything before you talk to planning and zoning and figure out plumbing and sewer. No use finding your salvaged siding or whatever road you think you are going to start down until you do these things.
Sorry, I have to side with the others who are in shock that that is your total budget and not your design fee. You won't make a dime on this project. You need to check what a permit fee will cost in your area, whether your municipality will require a water service upgrade (likely since you'll probably be adding both a new kitchen and bath), what 80 LF of foundation wall will cost, the price of a furnace, etc. You will soon find your budget isn't even close to doable. You will have to hand-build it yourself.
If building a 400 SF home only cost $10-15K, the world wouldn't have any renters.
For reference, I've done kitchens alone for 6X that fee.
What rusty and Miles said. Are you sure you mean 10-15k, or did you mean 100-150K? I just built a 6x10 chicken coop for about $1,500. That's $25/sf for a coop: no insulation, plumbing, flooring, drywall, or windows. You need to plan on $100/sf reasonably, and that's cheap - you could squeak it down to $75/sf if you work really, really hard and carefully. But that means you are spending twice as many hours for less fee. The project, as you've explained it, is nigh unworkable.
If you want the experience of a freelance job, and are not so concerned with making a lot of money, suggest that the owner get a contractor onboard right now, someone who comes well-recommended, from people they know, for doing jobs similar to what they want to do. That contractor can give them and you a realistic $/sf budget. If the contractor is good, you can do a very basic set of drawings for your friends that they can then pass on to the contractor to actually turn into a building. You can charge a small fee for the design work and not get paid for then hanging around to consult with them and see how the process works.
If you can get the experience, go for it. But it is definitely risky to work for friends when you don't know what you're doing and neither do they. it could all turn out fun, or it could blow your friends' savings and ruin a friendship.
graphite, cheer up. Your inexperience is only surpassed by your ignorance.
Tell your friends the truth: you have no idea what things cost and no idea what you are doing. Tell them you will work for a small fixed fee and take care of everything. Tell them you won't take any fee until the project is satisfactorily completed. Then do it, no matter what it takes. You will not lose money because you won't be putting money into the project, only your time, which at this point has little if any value.
If you are completely transparent, go above and beyond the call of duty and are somehow able to pull off a seemingly near-impossible project that your friends are happy with, you will have gained much needed and decidedly invaluable experience and further cemented your friendship.
On the other hand, if you fail, you will lose your friends, not get paid and not learn any of the things that you need in order to be successful in this field. Think of it as part of your continuing education, except that instead of paying tuition you will be receiving a very small stipend upon successful completion of an enormous amount of work and responsibility.
In the end you may find that your friend is more opportunistic than generous, yet even in that there is potential for you to gain experience and knowledge.
i agree that this seems unworkable, even if you do it for free. i did a small side project recently--a kitchen for a friend in a small nyc apartment. 50sf, no plumbing work, she already had the appliances, and half the fitout was ready-made ikea, and she still spent 9-10k.
the rest of my post got lost somewhere--i was suggesting that you should take this project as an advisor, for a small fixed design fee. it would make an interestingresearch project for you--look into ready-made structures you can buy from a catalog (farm sheds, etc) and see how you can adapt them for this project. also, look into the kind of structures you can build in your jurisdiction without permits (artist's studios, corollary structures, etc.) this might mean you have to get creative with the plumbing (is there a bathroom in the main house that you can access from the outside, for example?) but you can come up with a solution that might save them a ton of money. then, propose a realistic budget that comes as close as you can get to their expectations, and see if they want to go further. charge a small nominal fee ($700-800) for a couple weeks' work, and chalk your real earnings up to experience with codes, materials, systems, etc...
If this thing is going to have a concrete foundation, that alone will eat up close to a 1/4 of the 15k, if not more.
You could easily bang out a bare-bones estimate for the materials using rudimentary estimating tools like this one (http://www.construction-resource.com/calculators/), then consider whether to get involved or not, keeping in mind labor costs in your area.
Freelance First Time= Questions
I am hoping I can draw on the experience and knowledge of others in the Archinect community to help me navigate the uncharted territory of my first freelance project.
The story goes like this. I have a friend who would like me to design a guesthouse for him and his wife.Tentatively it is to be one bedroom with a 1/2 bathrrom with a budget between 10k-15k. I plan on having an initial meeting with them to further clarify and draw out other visions/desires that they have for this project. Also to define my role and understand the scope of services I am to perform for them. As well as make suggestions: Would they like to rent the room out in the future? Would they like to have a recording studio integrated into the guesthouse? Etc..
The story continues, I have never performed a freelance job before and because of this I am trying to get an idea of 1) What type of contract I should use for the project 2) How much and what type of fee structure I should use (factoring in that this is my first time doing a project like this) 3) Other critical advice that would be helpful to a fresh graduate embarking on their first freelance project.
I really appreciate your feedback.
Thanks.
10-15k? Tell them to buy a garden shed and put a chamber pot it in.
Perhaps 10-15k budget was referring to the design fee
Graphite - Well done for having the courage to go it alone. It's something I would love to do in the future.
The project sounds like a good place to begin your freelance work/ future business.
As for your questions, I'm afraid I can't help you a great deal as I live in the UK where we use different contracts/ fee structures etc but to give you an idea you should probably choose a process/ contract where you are involved in every stage (no design and build for instance). As for fees, maybe a figure around 4-5%?
Personally, I would probably explain to your clients that this is your first project and therefore don't expect a large fee. Therefore you will be able to gain experience (and get away with making a few mistakes here and there) without them suing/ hating you! If you charge less than an experienced architect they will allow for your learning curve.
Concentrate on getting experience at this stage rather than making money.
Make sure that your client/friends realize that you are not a licensed architect. If you were licensed, your exposure to risk is much greater. Make sure that you charge a fair rate and that you don't work for free, unless you are a great friend. Calculating the time you spend on a project is tricky, so you should figure out your hourly then include a "not to exceed" number.
Also, $10k-$15k construction budget will build you a decent shed. They do realize they have to pay your fee, a structural engineer's fee and all the permits, right?
graphite...10k-15k. Your going to have to get real creative to come in on budget. I would not worry so much about a contract. Spell out the scope of the work. Figure you will most likely have to deal with a planning and zoning agency, maybe a have to deal with an area health district if your not on public sewer or water. If you are on Public Sewer and water you will need to find out if you have an additional tap fee. Sometimes these can run a couple of grand, depending upon where you are located. Also be aware of the depth of winter frost. Some parts of the country you have to be 4'-0" into the ground. Doing even a small cottage can eat up a ton of money, and you don't even get to see it, cause it is burried in the ground.
Material selection has to be most careful. It is easy to look at magazines and say ya I want a zinc countertop until you find out it is fricking expensive. Last summer I spent $20,000.00 on a massive slab of slate for a countertop. Oh ya holes and edging in countertops always drive the cost up.
If 10k-15k is your fee, you will earn every bit of it in a project like this. I can tell you from alot of experience. Keep in mind you have to really move those concept drawings to working drawings along with specifications....or some local yokal contractor will be installing fiberglass doors inplace of that quarter sawn douglas fir you had in mind.
There are some good check list out there for people starting out when doing residental design. I would suggest you spend a little time finding one on the net before you start talking dollar figures.
Oh ya...and work on your reining in skills as your client will always dream beyond the budget.
Best of Luck
Thanks everyone. Very helpful insight.
The client realizes that I am not licensed and that this project will be a learning experience. Just to add a little more detail, I will be looking into material Co-ops for salvaging material to cut cost. Also the 10-15k is the clients idea of how much they would be willing to spend on the total project. They would spend more if necessary but they would like to keep it around that number. I realize that this is a really small budget but this isn't a palladian guest house. We are talking a micro guest house like maybe around 400sq ft. Anyway thoughts appreciated as always.
Any case studies or books that deal with small houses with innovative material usage for tight budgets to look at for reference?
Unrealistic budget, working for friends, what could possibly go wrong?
"Unrealistic budget, working for friends, what could possibly go wrong?"
zing!
Do yourself a favor and don't do anything before you talk to planning and zoning and figure out plumbing and sewer. No use finding your salvaged siding or whatever road you think you are going to start down until you do these things.
Sorry, I have to side with the others who are in shock that that is your total budget and not your design fee. You won't make a dime on this project. You need to check what a permit fee will cost in your area, whether your municipality will require a water service upgrade (likely since you'll probably be adding both a new kitchen and bath), what 80 LF of foundation wall will cost, the price of a furnace, etc. You will soon find your budget isn't even close to doable. You will have to hand-build it yourself.
If building a 400 SF home only cost $10-15K, the world wouldn't have any renters.
For reference, I've done kitchens alone for 6X that fee.
Miles it sounds as if you have experience based upon your comment. Care to share? Or would you rather troll around some more?
graphite, Miles isn't trolling you. You will not make any money while losing friends in the process.
10-15k budget divided by 400sq/ft equals to $25-$37 per sq/ft. Just not doable. Period.
The budget need to be at least 4x. Consider yourself lucky for getting this advice. Still no trolling.
What rusty and Miles said. Are you sure you mean 10-15k, or did you mean 100-150K? I just built a 6x10 chicken coop for about $1,500. That's $25/sf for a coop: no insulation, plumbing, flooring, drywall, or windows. You need to plan on $100/sf reasonably, and that's cheap - you could squeak it down to $75/sf if you work really, really hard and carefully. But that means you are spending twice as many hours for less fee. The project, as you've explained it, is nigh unworkable.
If you want the experience of a freelance job, and are not so concerned with making a lot of money, suggest that the owner get a contractor onboard right now, someone who comes well-recommended, from people they know, for doing jobs similar to what they want to do. That contractor can give them and you a realistic $/sf budget. If the contractor is good, you can do a very basic set of drawings for your friends that they can then pass on to the contractor to actually turn into a building. You can charge a small fee for the design work and not get paid for then hanging around to consult with them and see how the process works.
If you can get the experience, go for it. But it is definitely risky to work for friends when you don't know what you're doing and neither do they. it could all turn out fun, or it could blow your friends' savings and ruin a friendship.
education here
are you and your friends constructing this project yourself as well?
the aia has a contract for small projects
That's a good link, go do it, thanks for posting it!
graphite, cheer up. Your inexperience is only surpassed by your ignorance.
Tell your friends the truth: you have no idea what things cost and no idea what you are doing. Tell them you will work for a small fixed fee and take care of everything. Tell them you won't take any fee until the project is satisfactorily completed. Then do it, no matter what it takes. You will not lose money because you won't be putting money into the project, only your time, which at this point has little if any value.
If you are completely transparent, go above and beyond the call of duty and are somehow able to pull off a seemingly near-impossible project that your friends are happy with, you will have gained much needed and decidedly invaluable experience and further cemented your friendship.
On the other hand, if you fail, you will lose your friends, not get paid and not learn any of the things that you need in order to be successful in this field. Think of it as part of your continuing education, except that instead of paying tuition you will be receiving a very small stipend upon successful completion of an enormous amount of work and responsibility.
In the end you may find that your friend is more opportunistic than generous, yet even in that there is potential for you to gain experience and knowledge.
i agree that this seems unworkable, even if you do it for free. i did a small side project recently--a kitchen for a friend in a small nyc apartment. 50sf, no plumbing work, she already had the appliances, and half the fitout was ready-made ikea, and she still spent 9-10k.
the rest of my post got lost somewhere--i was suggesting that you should take this project as an advisor, for a small fixed design fee. it would make an interestingresearch project for you--look into ready-made structures you can buy from a catalog (farm sheds, etc) and see how you can adapt them for this project. also, look into the kind of structures you can build in your jurisdiction without permits (artist's studios, corollary structures, etc.) this might mean you have to get creative with the plumbing (is there a bathroom in the main house that you can access from the outside, for example?) but you can come up with a solution that might save them a ton of money. then, propose a realistic budget that comes as close as you can get to their expectations, and see if they want to go further. charge a small nominal fee ($700-800) for a couple weeks' work, and chalk your real earnings up to experience with codes, materials, systems, etc...
just for reference--here's an article about a small project that was designed to evade permits and fees--
http://www.welcometolace.org/exhibitions/view/small-skyscraper/
ps--do line up an experienced architect willing to help you out and answer questions...
If this thing is going to have a concrete foundation, that alone will eat up close to a 1/4 of the 15k, if not more.
You could easily bang out a bare-bones estimate for the materials using rudimentary estimating tools like this one (http://www.construction-resource.com/calculators/), then consider whether to get involved or not, keeping in mind labor costs in your area.
Cost estimating exercise:
Forget the 400 sqft.....If we use the modest program you mentioned: 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom (a half bath for a guest house just doesn't make sense)
bedroom: 10'x10'
bathroom: 5'x7'
closet (so you can account for the other 3' and make it a rectangle): 3'x5'
overall construction footprint: 16'6" x 11' = 181.5 sqft.
(the following numbers are rough for materials and labor in central texas, modify as per your local)
Site work: $1000 (guess)
Slab (labor and all materials) @ $10/sqft = $1815
Framing @ $15/sqft = $2722.50
Insulation @ $4/sqft = $726
Exterior cladding assemblies (hardiplank, WP, sheathing) @ $6.80/sqft = $1234.20
Interior wall assemblies (gyp board and paint) @ $13.50/sqft = $2450.25
Roofing assemblies (composition shingle, WP, plyood) @ $4.50/sqft x roof surface area inlcluding overhangs (307.5 sqft) = $1383.75
Windows (3) and doors (+frames) (3) = ~ $2,500
Floors (stained & sealed concrete) @ $3.50/sqft = $635.25
Bathroom Fixtures (guess) = ~ $2,500
MEP:
mechanical package @ $4/sqft = $726
electrical package @ $5.50/sqft = $998.25
plumbing package @ $2.60/sqft = $471.90
exterior site improvements (guess) = ~ $1,500
Permitting - (will depend on your jurisdiction) = $2,000
TOTAL (just labor and materials, without GC overhead and profit or design fees):
$22,663.10 = $124 / sqft
http://www.thehousevote.com/?p=3250
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