Residential architects are home architecture professionals with some, but not all, of the skills of an architect. Both are architectural designers, and both provide home architect design plans. Whether or not you choose a residential designer or a home architect depends on your own needs and the extent of your project.

What are Residential Designers?

Residential designers are trained in residential design and the effective use of space. Like home architects, residential designers work with clients to design or remodel spaces that are functional and attractive.

Residential designers are college trained, and may hold residential design certificates or associated degrees. Bachelor degrees in residential design are also available, and required for any residential designers entering apprenticeship programs.

Differences Between Residential Designers and Architects

Both home architects and residential designers work with homeowners to create design plans, interviewing the homeowner to discover what elements of design are truly important to their clients. Home architects generally have more experience and training than other architectural designers, but there are many talented residential designers in the field.

While home architects must be licensed in their home state, not all states require licensing for residential designers. This is an important consideration, as state licensing requires an architectural designer meet certain standards, and generally offers consumer protection not available when working with an unlicensed architectural designer.

In most cases, a residential designer’s involvement in a home architecture project ends when the design plans are finalized. A home architect’s involvement may include designing and completing the project. Services offered by home architects that are rarely offered by residential designers include:

• Applying for building permits
• Finding contractors
• Inspecting the site for inferior work
• Overseeing construction.

Choosing the Right Home Architecture Professional

Whether you should choose a residential designer or home architect for your project depends on a number of factors. If you plan on overseeing contractors and construction yourself, residential designers may provide the services you need. If, however, you’d rather hand responsibility for the entire project over to an expert in home architectural design and the construction industry, you’re much better off with a home architect.

A home architect has greater experience in design, but it’s oversimplifying matters to say that architects always have more experience and architectural design talent than residential designers. As the homeowner, you have to judge each professional’s talents individually. There are both talented and inexperienced individuals working in both architecture and residential design.

Cost is not, surprisingly, as big a factor as you might think when choosing between residential designers and architects. While it’s generally true that home architects charge more than residential designers, there are many architects whose rates are quite competitive. A home architect also offers more services than a residential designer, which must also be considered when comparing fees.

Licensing is an issue that should be considered. Home architects must be registered and licensed with state offices of Consumer Affairs. In the event of a dispute, consumers may appeal to their Office of Consumer Affairs for help mediating disputes and, in certain circumstances, compensation. As not all states require residential design licenses, this must be taken into account.