Good information from Virgil there. I wouldn't limit myself to just your one local architect. If you are concerned with the distance you could meet in person initially then use video chat or meeting software to limit travel.

Thank you! Virgil and Matthew, what is a good distance radius to consider an architect? I would have good options 2 hours away but there is also an architect whose designs I gravitate towards, and he is 5 hours from us.

No hard and fast rules about distance. Or using the same architect for everything. You might pay more though. I think architectrunnerguy on this forum has mentioned long-distance consulting on design development.

> They do commercial architecture primarily, so I guess I have some hesitation about hiring them.

You should be 100% concerned. My friend got BURNED by doing exactly that. Everything worked great until early spring when office got 100 mil school project, few weeks later architect office got another commercial project. Month and half later when they were ready to start working on her project again - third commercial building project.

Guess what project was never completed in 9 month...... They did offer some refund, I believe 30%

I know it might be tough in a small market but if given a choice I'd steer clear of architects who design a high percentage of commercial or institutional projects. A well designed house is not an easy thing to come up with and a task often underestimated my architects themselves. A skyscraper is in many ways easier task where there's a lobby floor and 50 identical floors above it.

And I've written here before that many off the houses I see here can be accomplished in less space. Of course that makes the designers task that much harder but if the designer is used to designing housing where that's always a criteria they will have that mindset and it will serve you well. A designer who does a lot of commercial (where the task is usually to get MORE square feet in the project) probably won't appreciate the value of LESS square feet while still achieving the same thing.

Face to face is the best interaction of course and I've had folks drive here (Annapolis) from as far away as Philly to the north and from Richmond to the south for an all day design session. So, given the amount of money a new build can cost, a long drive should not be ruled out. With remote there are more unknowns going in but can work well if personalities "fit". We'll probably be posting one by a forum poster here in the near future (you know who you are M!). And then there was this one where we collaborated with a local architect. http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3598813/we-fit-an-architect-into-our-budget-and-it-was-so-worth-it?n=17

But the best of luck with your build. Exciting times for sure!

Thank you everyone...so if someone has only designed 40-50 houses, should I be concerned? I really want to give him a chance because my husband practices his profession in a small town and I would hate for someone to completely rule ghim out because he is based in a small town. On the other hand, I want to spend our money well.

Ok, so if I'm choosing an architect that is not local, what's the best way to find them? I understand if you choose an architect that is works for a more reputable firm, you'll pay more. Is it possible to find a high quality architect that is not as advertised?

FYI, I'm probably looking in the Nashville area.

Ok, so if I'm choosing an architect that is not local, what's the best way to find them?

By standing in line at Wal-Mart and overhearing the conversation of the two people ahead of you when one says "I know a guy...."

Ok, seriously, that's a tough question. Really no different than finding a good auto mechanic. Probably word of mouth and talking to satisfied clients/customers. All my work comes that way. I don't even have a website and I'm full up with referrals.

Make sure he's tall, has grey hair, and a beard.

Make sure he's tall, has grey hair, and a beard.

I thought that was Santa Claus.

A short beard.

But to answer the question, "local" is a relative term. It may be ten miles for one person/project and 1,000 miles for another person/project. Quality and fit should be the priority over locality.