What is the cost for an architect or structural engineer in LA

Question

Hello all, My name is Marcos Urvina, i live in Los Angeles Ca south bay area. I want to take advantage of the new rules and regulations passed to make it easier for homeowners to build an Adu in there house lot. I plan on building a 300 sq ft studio in my backyard and either rent it out long term or maybe do Airbnb. What would be a fair and reasonable cost for an architect or structural engineer to design and submit plans on this type of project? Do they charge by per sq ft, hourly? Any advice, input, or experiences would be appreciated thanks.

Jared W Smith · Answer

@Marcos Urvina Contact some local Architects/Engineers to come assess what work is necessary. The scope and complexity involved drives the cost of the project. Though @Brian Larson is right to a sense, however smaller jobs tend to be based on how much work is involved and outside of that how difficult it is dealing with the filing municipality/city DOB.

Xander Tertychny · Answer

@Marcos Urvina The two most typical approaches are as a percentage of estimated construction cost, or billed hourly based on the scope of work. The level of detail in the drawings is also you should define early on - a set of drawings to get permits can be relatively simple and bare-bones, without specifying items like interior finishes or fixtures. You should decide if that something you want as part of the architects' service, or if you want shop and select these items yourself or with your contractors.

Brian Larson · Answer

Most architects like to charge a percentage of the total build project but they are flexible and can bill other ways too.

Brian Larson · Answer

@Marcos Urvina - the architect would base the cost of the average price per sqft in the area for the size of structure built. You cannot approach a contractor until you have a design.

Some contractors are “design build” meaning that they do both the jobs. If you are concerned about the process and cost, perhaps you should look for a design build company.

Lastly, as mentioned earlier, there are other ways that architects can charge for a project too.

Marcos Urvina · Answer

@Brian Larson Thanks alot. some good info here. just want to be a little informed about costs before i start talking to an architect or structural engineer.

Marcos Urvina · Answer

@Brian Larson @Jared W Smith @Xander Tertychny Thank you guys for the info. So if they go off the cost of the construction who is estimating that cost the architect or do i have to get a contractor to give me a quote first?

What is the cost for an architect or structural engineer in LA

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