Yes, it is miserable dealing with NCARB. Where I work only the signers even bother getting registered in multiple states because of it.

bastards, that's all I gotta say!
sorry to hear dml955i

I sent my $285 (which is a lot of money for me right now) almost four months ago for my application for record council to begin IDP.. The only reason I knew they ever got it was my bank statement showing they cashed the check right away. Still waiting months later to hear back from them to continue the process!

marfa-
i had the same problem about a year ago.

now getting my former boss to remove the hate stick from his hand cos i left him high and dry as he was a cheapo dicktard, and getting him to sign off on my remaining IDP is the fun part.

so... to reactivate must mean that 270 dollars worth of annual dues or maintenance fees or whatever weren't paid?

not sure who I dislike more - robbers or not-tell-the-whole-story-ers. Sure, robbers are an easy target - most everyone hates them - but folks who hold back on both sides of the tale just aren't playing fair...


but NCARB is slow, it's true.
Slow like a red-headed stepchild going back to school

slow like the guy in front of you writing a cheque for a pack of gum

that's slow

s-l-o-w

slow-like-stealing-holz.box's-thunder-slow (sorry!)

slow like paying attention when you have a penny

:

slow like reading that penny one a few times....
...with my mouth moving



slow like snowchains in georgia


slow like this research paper

The transmittal fee to send an NCARB record to any state for purposes of is always $270 (except for your first one, for your initial license. That one is covered by the fees you paid for IDP/council record processing.) I'm surprised they're telling you that's the only fee you need to pay. My boss let his NCARB fees lapse and ended up having to pay the $270 transmittal fee AND a separate re-activation fee of several hundred dollars in order to get NCARB to transmit his record to another state.

... I haven't paid ncarb annual fees in 5 years - only CAB dues. How much is it per year? [ this is really going to hurt/perhaps I don't want to know ]

If your record has lapsed there's a $200 "reactivation fee". In addition to that you have to pay all back years: the fees for that are $150 per year if you're NCARB-certified, or $75 per year if you're a licensed architect but not certificate-eligible (this keeps your record "in good standing" and allows you to transmit it to other boards). If for some reason your certification was revoked as a disciplinary measure then there is a $400 fee to reinstate it.

If you're not yet registered then your initial fee to start your council record and compile IDP records was good for 3 years. After that there is a $50 per year fee to maintain your record and keep it active. I don't think in this case that there is a separate reactivation fee for the lapsed record though.

Once you're registered it costs $270 for each transmittal to additional boards.

http://www.ncarb.org/forms/fees.html

okay ... $950


g r e a t

but on the bright side, paper is done like dinner

thanks for the info!

So let me see if I have this right, I am soon to be licensed. In order for NCARB to keep on file data that it is going to keep on file anyway, they charge you $150 a year as a kind of insurance that if you ever move states and need to license in the new state, they can charge more money to mail the data at their own convenience (from what I hear 6-8 months)? And I thought AIA fees just to receive Architecture Record was lame!
j

it's a business just like most religions.....

:

joshcookie: sort of...

The $150 per year is for someone who is NCARB-certified. This is not the same thing as just licensed. The certification process is another application and a 6 to 8 month wait, and requires that you are already licensed in at least one state, have an NAAB-accredited degree, have completed the ARE, and have completed NCARB's version of IDP (i.e. if you completed California or Arizona's versions you'll probably have to complete additional paperwork and have NCARB go through the IDP evaluation too...)
There's an additional fee for a certification application, but it is waived if you were recently licensed and your council record fees were paid up.

If you don't pursue the certification then it only costs $75 per year to keep your record active - but many states require the certification for reciprocity.

Once you're licensed transmitting your NCARB file doesn't normally take 6 to 8 months. It takes 30 business days (5 weeks) and costs $270 each time. If it takes any longer than that you should always phone NCARB to prod them along.

Yes, being licensed is expensive. There's also the state's application fee, and the state's annual dues. And if you choose to be an AIA member that will add another $450 to $800 per year (depending on your region).

and why do we put up with paying all those (tax deductible) fees?

because 'architects' get a 'monopoly' on practicing architecture. doesn't always work out as we hope it would, but paying those fees enable you to have a profession with some legal protections that limit competition. so you think that's a joke? well don't pay the fees, don't get registered, don't complete IDP, and don't complain when your job gets outsourced to another country.

outsourcing isnt our fault......... it's a money factor..... look at how many architects ARE struggling for work and how many are barely making a living.......

if you have/design a good product, you'll keep business............ thats why the car industry is the way it is.........

do shit designs and you wont get anywhere..........

:

Sorry, but that's no excuse for inefficiency. I have yet to deal with NCARB as an organization, but I'm dreading the day because every story I've heard highlights the outrageous expense and delay that accompany what should be very straightforward book keeping operations.

The only 'monopoly' that's apparent here is NCARB's entrenched position as the gatekeeper to an endangered profession. As someone who's trying to enter that gate, I don't see how the logistical and financial barriers that NCARB constructs are doing anything to help the field. Their job is to administer exams, to store information, and to move it around on demand. Why does that become so difficult and expensive in their hands?

I went to Costa Rica earlier this year with my office to relax and study the local building techniques and culture. They are leaps and bounds ahead of us as far as protecting architects in that country. First of all it is a law that any architect must be be paid no less than 10% of construction cost on any project, which doesn't allow any firm to under cut another and take on a project for a 6% fee like we do here. (There are many reasons why that is horrible and hurting the profession but I won't get into that.) Another thing that Costa Rica does is once the project receives a building permit and the city/country approves the drawings then the country takes on all the liability leaving the architect free from any law suits that may come along later. Yeah so there you have it. Go America!

cp,
hit the nail on the head with a air frame nailer...........multiple reasons

:

even if you're ncarb certified you still have to pay the $270. I'm adding on a DC license and I had to pay all the NCARB certification fees.. now I have to pay the $270 + $185 for the DC application.

I don't really have problems with NCARB's efficiency. Although, I am persistent. I call them on the phone and get a person... then I talked to that person's manager and now have their direct number. So i've built a relationship with this person over the years and when i'm sending something I give them a heads up that it's coming to ensure it gets done in a timely manner.

architecture sucks

i would enjoy relocating to costa rica...

hmmm...

Sounds like Barry Lehrman has been drinking the NCARB/AIA kool-aid!

I don't think that anyone is arguing that it's not important to have some gatekeepers to the profession however, there's something definitely wrong with a system in which the fees and dues for membership far exceed the cost for the actual license.

I don't even want to go near NCARB at this point in my life. I apprenticed into the profession which I guess the sorta never
really got around to accepting.....well I think they accept it but
the workout they give you is worse than sitting for the Registration Exam. I recall they want you to bring back from the dead all the
people you have worked for just to sign off that you were a good employee. I'm to old for all that ****! Think I will just latch onto
a partner if I ever want to practice outside of the two states I'm registered in.

hmm - i think that barry intended some sarcasm in his post that got missed. what archinector would use quotations around 'monopoly' or 'architects' if they were serious?

I'm in school and doing some summer internships, so I signed up for IDP awhile ago (and found out my IDP number because it was written on the check cashed by NCARB). I understand that NCARB is a bureaucracy, so I guess I expect it to be a bit difficult to get information out of. What I've been more disappointed in and angered about is the complete lack of knowledge about IDP, licensure and so on within my school's career center. Now, they are an absolute joke. I still have no clue how to keep track of my IDP credits, how to get it approved by my employer, and so on. If anyone cares to give me some insight, I'd be as fast to thank you as NCARB is to cash your check.

If NCARB cashed your check, you should be getting the ANNUAL UPDATE information package that answers some of the questions you just asked. Call them and talk to a live person, describe to them your status and questions, and have them mail you the answers directly. I've never had a major problem with them, although they are a bit slow.

NCARB takes about 4 to 6 weeks to complete each step throughout the IDP process. If it's been longer than that since you've heard from them then you should call them (the number is on their site at www.ncarb.org)

There is also quite a lot of IDP information at that site, most of which you'll also get in a booklet that will be sent to you eventually.

You will receive forms for reporting each employment experience. "How to get it approved by your employer" is easy: just take the form to your employer (or mail to a previous employer if necessary) and have them fill out the employer's part of the form. On the NCARB site there are also excel spreasheets you can download to keep track of your experience - but you do not need to submit them. You only need to submit the forms that will be provided, as well as transcripts from your school once you complete your degree.

If you are currently a student, some information that may concern you is: to count toward IDP an employment situation must be EITHER:
A) no less than 35 hours per week, for a duration of no less than 8 consecutive weeks (used to be 10 weeks until last year)
B) no less than 20 hours per week, for a duration of no less than 6 consecutive months.

If your durations or hours change from those above then you need to start counting again as if it were a new employment situation. Anything less than 20 hours per week is not reportable.

Also, to be eligible to count work hours toward IDP you must have completed your third year of either a 5-year B.Arch or 4-year non-professional undergrad architecture major, or your 1st year of an M.Arch program.

Expect each step along the way to take 4 to 6 weeks, and always pester NCARB once they exceed that limit.

Wonder how long it will be before NCARB is outsourcing to India like the computer and credit card companies. It might make for a more interesting conversation than with someone from NYC.

when i called to schedule my last few exams, i started asking the person taking my credit card number where they were located and I did get India once.

that's not NCARB that you're calling to schedule tests - it's Prometric. Prometric is a huge company - it administers all the standardized tests like the GRE, and hundreds of profession-specific tests and certifications.

hmm - i think that treekiller is a 'really good friend' of barry's if you catch my drift

Here’s a question that I really should look into but am too lazy to do...

Let say 'hypothetically' that I've been working for an office for two years but haven't 'technically' started IDP (I keep a record of all hours and what I’m doing and I work for a licensed architect). Can I do all this retroactively and save some money? Also, does it make sense to keep my IDP NCARB account active while I go to grad school for 2-3 years?!

I can answer the second question: when I went back to school I let my NCARB file lapse, and had to pay a reinstatement fee plus annual fees for the years I was lapsed. Not a huge amount, as I recall, but just another bit of paperwork and a big lump sum all at once on an intern's salary. I'd recommend keeping your status active if you can.

Someone more current with IDP should answer about filing hours later - I can't recall how far back you are allowed to file, sorry.

Thanks LB - That helps

Can anyone answer the first question?

you won't save any money that way....they sock you with a pretty nice fee if you haven't kept a record with them for (i believe) more than a year.....
as for NCARB problems....IDP is just the beginning...wait until you get into the AREs....whole other issue.

thanks futureboy...
I'll take a look at the website and ask around here at work.

On the first question: you can do all your reporting retroactively if you want. The only exception to this: up until recently Ohio had a rule against retroactive reporting - you could only report 6 months of past work. Someone on another forum posted that this rule has been revoked though.

If you do decide to report a lot of units retroactively just be warned that it's a big headache to reconstruct all those units - make sure you save your old timesheets. Also, if your former supervisor moves on, or your previous employer dies (both situations I'm familiar with) then you may encounter difficulty getting signed off on this experience later.

Lastly: if saving money is your primary concern, be very careful not to wait to start your council record until within a year of when you want to start testing. If you do this there is an additional $400 "rush processing" fee!

good to know.

NCARB is now charging $400 to transmit NCARB records to other jurisdictions for reciprocity!!  

Not only that, they want people to pay for years they were not members in order to transmit records that they dont even keep.  30 years ago this was a service you could have done for less than $100 via your own state's professional regulation board.  NCARB is typical of the public sector feast occurring across the country.  We all pay taxes to have regulatory boards that are supposed to this, so why even have NCARB?  How could they do this efficiently 30 years ago for a fraction of the cost pre widespread computerization and standardization?  I'm glad I never had to deal with this crap but Im shocked the youth today arent mass protesting or simply striking NCARB.  They would be out of business in 3 months if you didn't pay them.

Architect's don't make enough money to afford these things. So sad.