Ask your permit issuer if they will accept hand drawn plans.

If you can submit your own plans and specify beam sizes, footing sizes, show elevations and needed cross sections etc required by your county and everything is conforming to your region building code and the township is OK with it then you don't need anyone... Go for it.

I may be partial, but I think you should hire an architect. I have had potential clients come to me with a simple design for a cottage and I have had to break the news to them that the 2' x 3' powder room opening up to the living room and 30" hallways are not good ideas; and the final design ended up looked little like the client's original design. I have had potential clients come to me with a simple design for a cottage and I have had to do very little to the design. Most of the time it is like the former. I think it would be safe to say that if you were to take your design to an architect at least some improvements would be made.

The architect profession is regulated, so there is basic abilities that all architectes share to one degree or another. Draftsman's abilities vary widely.

Regulations vary from State to State and here in Michigan there is a square footage limit (I think 3,200 or 3,500 square feet for a residence) and cost of construction (I think $15,000.00 for commercial) limit to how much services one can provide without being a licensed architect. I am not sure about the figures because it is rarely an issue for me.

Some jurisdictions do require certain drawings to be provided to some degree of accuracy and completeness, but that is left many times to the discretion of the building official.

It's simple. You get what you pay for. How important is the simple L-shaped cabin?

@GN Builders: It is all online submission in my county and I am not trained in CAD. So I would at the very least need someone to draft the plans.

Should the architect charge less if you already have the design? Part of their job, I assume, is coming up with the design. If I already have it, then should the architect charge less, even if he does some mods?

I already have quotes from two architects for the cabin, which is 750 sq ft and L-shaped. But I'm simply wondering if I really need them seeing I already know what I want, basically.

Thanks.

Sometime part of the architect's job is fixing someone else's design, and it can take time depending on the design.

Try for someone who charges by the hour. If you have a good design that needs to be converted into a construction drawing, you'll save money by not paying for the hours in design. If you have a poor design, that creates more work for the person of design talent to straighten out, it will cost you more.

Seems fair to me.

OP, believe it or not, having an architect can save you money in the long run. It saves you from having errors that you may not anticipate. This is especially true in simple designs. In fact, it takes great skill and knowledge to design a small space well. There is an old saying: You don't know what you don't know. This saying is true in all fields, but especially complex endeavors that look simple from the outside.

Just because your planning and building department doesn't require plans and specs except for the very rudimentary type, doesn't mean that you can't benefit from having a detailed, well executed plans and specs. It will save you money, time and effort on errors while building your simple L shaped 750 sf cabin.

BTW, I'm not an architect nor a designer. I'm a Realtor.

So...what's the purpose of the cabin and how important is it?

Is it for you and one or two hunting buddies to spend a weekend in, drinking beer and looking for deer?

Or is it for your parents for full-time living?

To rent in a competitive market?

Something else?

The purpose for the cabin will go a long way in determining just how well it should be done. If it's really important, find an experienced architect. If it's not really important, any CAD driver will do.

Good luck with your project.

Buy an architect’s scale. You don’t need software. You need the brain behind the software. Not having a good sense of spatial relations isn’t a sin if that brain isn’t yours. Hire that drafter if you have to.

But if you can’t draw a square to scale and with elevations, then you can’t build it either. That means Pros for construction too. This just got to be well beyond hunting shack level in money spent.

The cabin is for writers, artists or anyone else who has something to work on and needs to get away. It also happens to be in an area wildly popular with Airbnb. It is one bedroom, one bath, one living room/viewing room, kitchen and bar/entertainment area (plus large office/art studio outbuilding).

For a house this small (750 sq ft), I don't want too much design-thinking going into it. It's purpose is very basic: provide basic living for an artist, writer or project worker needing to get away in order to facilitate their work.

For building permit submissions, my county only accepts online vector PDF files that have been prepared with CAD software. I am not trained in CAD, yet. And for the moment, I don't really have the time to do it myself. But I hope to learn one day.

If it's meant partly as a place for artists to work (e.g., studio), please take into account how it will be sited on your lot. I'm not an artist but I'm sure natural light is very important to them. Knowing about ambient lighting will help (if not be critical) in your design. For small spaces that need to be flexible (studio / living space / writing space) design is even more important.

Bob agrees! As a retired architect and an active watercolor painter, I can tell you that proper natural lighting, and appropriate artificial lighting, are highly important for a working artist. In addition, depending on the painting medium and size of work normally produced, a dedicated work space where gear and in-progress paintings may be left, is essential. Good luck!

I'm leaning towards the architect.

One question though: Is it customary for an architect to ask for %50 of the project fee before sending me the contract?

If not, is that unprofessional?

See how it feels to lean toward other architects. If they are going to do a good job they are going to get the money sooner or later, but you should know why some people recommend eating dessert first.

A sizable retainer is a way to separate the window shoppers from the serious owners. If the owner does not have a significant stake in the project, it often goes south very early.

Every architect is different, so do your due diligence. There's nothing unprofessional about a retainer.

As an artist, I also have to chime in that how the space is laid out and light are the two most important things. Also my mother was a writer, and I know when thinking through something, she enjoyed the view out her window to her backyard.