“It costs so much to make design changes – I’ll just have to go with what they say”

Most architects include a bit of “wriggle-room” in their fees to allow for design changes – it would be a miracle if every design were perfect from the first draft! But none of us have a crystal ball that will tell us exactly how a design project will progress. So for some projects, or some clients that like to test out lots of ideas, your architect may have to charge you a little extra.

But remember, the most cost-effective time to make changes or to test out design ideas is early in the project – on paper. That is the time to eliminate “what-ifs” so you don’t have to live with them forever more. Once the concrete slab is poured and the walls are going up, the cost of change rapidly increases.

Part 4 – “I already know what I don’t know…don’t I?”