Does somebody know a decent architect in the Santo Domingo area? I will build a simple two stories, 200-220 square meters house and I need an architect to design it. Budget for the architect is less than 1.000 US. Thanks
Good luck with that!! Budget 5% of total cost for the architect...
$1000 won't get a piece of paper dirty!!
HB
Oh yeah, total cost = mts of const x 18,000
400 (two floors of 200 mts)x 18,000 = 7,200,000 x .05= 360,000 or closer to $10,000 for the architect
Thanks, it is 200 mts total and, I already had an offer from a well known architect for about 2.000 US, I'm just trying to keep the total cost of construction as low as possible.
Good luck with that!! Budget 5% of total cost for the architect...
$1000 won't get a piece of paper dirty!!
HB
Oh yeah, total cost = mts of const x 18,000
400 (two floors of 200 mts)x 18,000 = 7,200,000 x .05= 360,000 or closer to $10,000 for the architect
USD 1000.oo will get you a "anteproyecto", at best. That's ALL.
Depending on the city, town or village, this may be enough to start some of the procedures for your building papers. But in the sweetest of cases you would need to oil the local "building department" big time to get away having a house built on the only basis of an ante proyecto.
Percentage based honoraries are common when the architect also works out all the local papers for your (licenses, taxes and such) and overlooks the whole building process, which is usually the case here.
As you seem to want to go down the economy route, I may assume you are intending to build a simple and basic building yourself and have enough experience in the field?
If you want to try find a "cheap" architect, you may want to talk to 3rd and 4th year architecture of civil engineering students at the universities. Some may need some extra money and have someone in the family who is a licensed architect that will revise and sign off the works in order to help a student make it thru.
... J-D.
To JD and the OP. Many if not the majority of the homes being built here are done by people paying a nominal amount for an unsigned plan from an Architect, RD5000, and then having a maestro build it and pull all of the permits. Sure there are supposed to be permits for all this and that and so forth, but the fact is it is very common for the maestro or building contractor to pay off the building inspector and voila, the house is permitted.
I am not saying I recommend this personally, but just want to point it out. I see this as a viable option fro some given the locals penchant for wanting to suck the blood dry out of foreigners through the life of the project.
I also think it would be helpful for others that have gone through the complete legal process to post the charges they incurred. It wouldn't surprise me in the least that it could amount to more than RD200k including construction administration service, given some of the quotes I have heard from people. Is it any doubt the most non rich Domincans would look for other alternatives?
While what you said is true, we have at least a couple of cases of building failing here in Santiago becasue the architect decided to cut corners.
A good maestro will overbuild a house, having learned directly from an Architect and an Engineer how big and deep to make the footings etc. This is very similar to how it is done in the US too, many homebuilders don't need plans signed and sealed to build homes.
This is why I have said before and will repeat again, if someone decides to use a maestro they need to have references and reference work that can be personally inspected.
Dear OP:
You said a 200-220 meter house, two floors.
Are you telling me that you are going to build a 10 x 10 house? 33 feet by 33 feet? What poor barrio are you going to live in? That is absurdly small...
Now, if you are going to build a 200 meter hours (20 x 10) on two levels, then you have 400 meters of construction....at about 18,000 per meter for first rate construction. Architect fees CAN be negotiated...
All I wanted to say was that 1000 won't cut it....
HB
I know that the house is a bit small but it will be rented to european tourists on weekly basis and thrust me, for most europeans, 220 meters are pure luxury!
... My plan is to have an architect design the house and get the permits from obras publicas and the ayuntamento and then, hire an engineer (which is already working in the same area supervising two buildings and will not charge me too much) to get and supervise the maestro and his workers.
I have a degree in mechanical design and construction so, I know I am not qualified to build the house but I think it will be enough to supervise the supervisor?.
Any furher opinion is welcome