Question about an architects stock plan and making changes/costs?
Question:We want to buy a stock plan from a local architect and make several changes and add a mother-in-law apartment. The plan is a few years old and does not come on a computer disk, we would just recieve 8 copies. Here is the question, can we buy the plan and take it to either another architectual firm or a designer make the changes we want? (and then have an engineer "stamp" it- whatever that means...) The quote we got back from the original architect firm for the mil addition and the changes was very expensive. Do you need more info to answer this question?
Answers:
Home plans are copyrighted. When you purchase the plans, you are actually purchasing a license to use the plans and the physical paper that they are printed on.
When you get multiple copies, the license generally restricts you to building a single house from the plans. If you want to make changes, you do not want multiple copies. Instead you want a reproducible vellum along with a license to make alterations to the plan. The architect may or may not be willing to do this. Given that he is willing to make the changes for a fee, if he does give you a license to have them modified by someone else, he may charge significantly more.
Before you build, you will need to hire an engineer to review the plans and place his seal or stamp on them. This indicates that he has reviewed the plans and finds that they comply with building codes and accepted practices. Many times the architect is also an engineer and can stamp the plans. If not, there may be an engineer at the same firm or he may be able to refer you to someone he has worked with before.
arch plans are copy wrighted, so any AIA arch most likely not ad on to it for you on some one elses plans. Some area you do not need an Arch and a stamp if you only do an one story addtion, you can draw it your self. Other wise you are looking about 4 to 10 % of the cost of teh total job goes to the arch.
As the others have said, the original architect has the copyright on those plans. Another architect would not (should not) be willing to make changes to those plans without making certain that you have ownership of those documents, including the copyright. The original architect may be willing to give that to you for a fee and will likely want you to sign an agreement that you will release them from any liability associated with the plans, since you are having another architect make changes to the plans. If you do this, make sure the architect who does change the plans is willing to take full responsibility for the entire set of plans, not just the changes. It may be best to use the original architect or have another architect create a new design for you.
More Related Questions & Answers...