Project Delivery

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  • 1.  Deposits or

    Posted 10-12-2011 04:49 PM
    This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Small Project Practitioners and Project Delivery .
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         First you should decide if you really want it to be a deposit or a charge for the drawings.  A deposit infers that it is going to be refunded. You can make it refundable only if the bidders submits a bid. It's up to you and your client. All the effort required to take and return deposits is nuts. We do a fare share of public bid work and we just straight up charge a fee for the bid documents. Bidders can also come to our office or the office of the government entity and view for free to see if they are interested.  We have never received a complaint and contractors in our market are used to paying for drawings.  The cost of the bid package goes into the public advertisement. It takes time and effort to order, answer calls, package, mail out, hand out, track and distribute drawings and you should be compensated. It is between you and your client whether that is included in your fee, billed hourly or by the cost of the bid documents.  Make it clear in your contract.  

         My question is this....if contractors on the public side have no problem paying for the drawings to bid work, why aren't architects charging for their drawings on the private side?  This is a virtually untapped revenue stream for architects. The instruments of service we provide as architects have real value. The problem is the medium that we distribute our creativity and talent on is the one of the cheapest materials (paper). There is an association that takes place that the paper we use has little value and we wonder why some clients can't stomach our fees. Ever get the following reaction: " $___ Thousand Dollars for a drawing?"  Let's not forget money is printed on paper.  It's value is what is printed on it. It has respect for what it represents. We must assign a value to our instruments of service and the drawings will garnish more respect. Our revenue will increase. Who could' t use that these days? Bidding phase services is a virtually untapped revenue source by virtue of habit. I know the market will bear it. Can Architects in mass change their old ways?   

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    Richard Tokarski AIA
    Principal
    Tokarski Milleman Architects, LLC
    Brick NJ
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  • 2.  RE:Deposits or

    Posted 10-13-2011 11:29 AM

    I'm not sure what the issue is for this one. Mostly, these documents are available in electronic formats. Generally, it is in a .pdf to protect the .dwgs. Of course, this solicitation or proposal request process is evolving with the transition to BIM.

    Others might be able to provide more insight into BIM document controls, but again probably .pdf stills and not models.

    Moreover, as a longstanding Federal agency Project Manager, my experience is that the "e-format" dictates. So, charging for "blue prints"...   Not sure there's much "meat on that bone".
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    Stephen Dunakoskie AIA
    Stephen Dunakoskie, Consulting
    Leesburg VA
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  • 3.  RE:Deposits or

    Posted 10-14-2011 02:56 PM


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    Michael McArthur AIA
    George Miles & Buhr, LLC
    Salisbury, MD
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    There was a time long ago when bidders paid deposits for bid documents until someone figured out it was tedious and the time administering the process was ill spent and inefficient. Then someone had the bright idea of selling "blueprints" as an untapped income source but that also took up too much in-office time much better spent on project work. We no longer get involved with plan distribution, maintaining a plan-holders list, or issuance of addenda. All of this is done by a trusted blueprinter who sets his own prices, and bidders are completely happy. It works for both electronic and hardcopy distribution, and neither the Owner or the Architect is bothered.





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