First, you should ask the architect since these are perfectly reasonable questions.

A house design is not normally required to have an architect's stamp but if a registered architect puts his name on a drawing that he has prepared, a stamp would be redundant. An architect cannot avoid professional liability for his work by omitting his stamp. This part of the agreement sounds suspicious to me.

Structural information for a singe family house does not need to be stamped if it complies with the prescriptive requirements of the applicable building code but if any structural element is not described in the code (like LVL or steel beams, trusses, or unusual lateral bracing), it must be designed by an engineer in almost all jurisdictions. Sometimes this engineering can be provided by a manufacturer through the local lumberyard.

His statement might also mean that providing engineering services for elements beyond what is in the code or provided by a manufacturer will be an additional charge to you and not included in the basic architectural services contract. But if he will not provide an engineer and pass the cost on to you without a markup, I would hesitate to use him. I would never want my client to provide his own engineer. The best way to reduce professional liability is to make sure the design is right.

Its difficult to say more without knowing the scope and location of the project.

PS It is unusual for an experienced architect to refer to design and/or construction documents simply as "plans" in a written professional services agreement so I suspect he might be attempting to limit his services to the drafting of plans.

Don't hesitate to look up his state license online. I get the feeling a suspended license or other disciplinary action might be involved.

JDS asked what I was thinking. Are you sure he is an architect or a draftsman using the term loosely?

I once looked up the architectural designers who were advertising on Craigslist and found some were not licensed and some had had their license suspended.

I hadn't even thought of that! I will be looking their license up.

Also, I think you are correct in that they only plan on providing the housing plans. I think they leave the builders alone. I think it might be a cultural thing here.

This town is literally run by Home builders (politicians, city Council, almost all businesses are affiliated with these builders.) Its a town full of farmers, land developers, home builders, and realty companies that are all related, literally married /daughters, son, etc.

it also varies by state. For most states the architect stamp does in fact hold them liable and the drawings are not stamped they are not responsible. Many architects will sub out, or work with, a structural engineer, a hvac engineer, and other various licensed trades. When that happens you will see multiple seals on a set of drawings. The stamp is the golden ticket.

Desiree, are you in IA? Unfortunately the situation you describe is probably true of many parts of the country....

I wish it were true that an architect could avoid responsibility for his/her work by omitting their stamp from their drawings.

In every state an architect is responsible for his/her drawings if they put their name or the name of their firm on them. Their stamp would be supplemental evidence to the building department that the architect is currently registered in that state and had actually prepared the drawings; it does not in any way change the architect's responsibility for the work.

The issue is pretty much irrelevant since an architect's stamp is so rarely required for a single family house. But it does cast suspicion on the architect's professional status and motive for such an odd clause in an agreement.

The primary reason I stamp house drawings is so I can identify the ones submitted to the building department. The building department would not care if I did or not.

Like JDS suggested, ask the architect about your concerns.

There are two logical reasons to not stamp the drawings:

1) to be able to later deny drawing them which would not be possible since you would have a signed agreement obligating him to draw them.

2) he is not currently a registered architect in your state.

It would be funny if it were not your project he was fooling around with.