Selecting your Design Professional

Selecting your Design Professional

In my last post I described in great detail the different designations available to designers in the province and what they are permitted to do but how do you decide who is right for you ? When selecting a professional to design your project you must ensure that you are dealing with a properly qualified consultant with the correct experience to lead the progress of your project. 

You might say to yourself, how would I be able to confirm that my designer is well qualified? 

• Ask for your designer’s registration number and confirm they are members in good standing with the association they represent. If they cannot produce their membership numbers and a contact number at the association office for verification than they are not registered.
•  Many local building departments have lists of qualified design professionals on hand to provide to you. They cannot recommend anyone specifically but they will give you a list of designer's from their area that they are most confident in. (very likely inspected their designs for years prior to making the list.)
• Ensure that they have previous expertise in your type of building. Make sure they have done a building of similar scope before. Ask for addresses of projects that they have done to ensure they have performed at a high level on similar projects.
• Ask for references. Talk with people that have already worked with them. Ask their former clients if they were happy with services provided and the relationship they had with the design consultants. Did their designer take a proactive role in the process? The same goes for designers that goes for contractors. The way they react when things do not go as planned sets them apart from those that will leave it to you to solve problems for them.
• Shop around. I have deliberately put pricing as the least important element in your decision making for selecting a designer. It is important to understand that getting the best price is not always the best way to pick a designer just as paying a lot will not always guarantee a good result. Paying too little might also result in a much less professional design process. Compare the experience and knowledge base of each designer before making an informed decision that meets your budget.

 If this information is helpful, please contact me to investigate the process further. 

Prepared by  David B. Bennett Licensed Technologist OAA