I may be partial, but an architect will be the best chance for success. If you know exactly what you want and have made allowances for structural loads, HVAC revisions, electrical changes, knowledge of construction techniques, knowledge of construction process, proficient at problem solving on the fly, efficiency in the spatial relationships, creative solutions, and good aesthetics; then you may only need a draftsman.

But look at yourself, you're already looking for help. It is just your life, how safe do you want to be?

What you do is hire the architect and they will help with the layout and what is possible with your budget. IMO unless you have done this before you don’t know what you don’t know and that can be a dangerous thing.

If you rely on a general contractor alone you will be missing out on the expertise and experience that an architect can bring to the project. An architect can assist you with layout, finishes, fixture and appliance selection and a whole host of other issues. An architect can also conduct construction administration during the construction phase to ensure the general contractor adheres to the construction documents (plans) and that the general contractor is doing quality work.

You are describing a very significant renovation to your home. I would never undertake such a project without a licensed architect and very competent general contractor. There are so many things that can go wrong, and without professional help, you could be in for a rash of problems.

Patricia said it best. Unless you have the proper background, it’s tru that you don’t know what you don’t know

So true, Brickwood. Even our favorite architect, who had been a builder prior to becoming a licensed architect, was not totally accurate at estimating costs.

I'd get the opinion of an experienced general contractor. If he thinks you need an architect for this particular project, he'll probably have a referral.

We did a major renovation at our old house including removing walls. The layout otherwise was same. We used a general contractor and a structural engineer. Those two professionals provided enough to get us through permits and inspections with the city.

I believe the experience, technical skills and imagination of an architect is really valuable for a significant renovation. He/she can tell you what will work from a code and construction viewpoint, what looks good for architectural balance, how to integrate it with the existing house. etc. Many GCs are great at building houses, but may be less skilled at "designing" houses.

We found an architect for our renovation/expansion who drafted the first set of plans we took to the city to get a special exception we needed. We then paid him to draw up the plans needed for the city to approve the permit, and it turned out they wanted more information than I had realized. For the permit we provided details of footing depth, rebar sizes, design of fire rated walls, insulation types and depth, and many other specifications where the architect knew exactly what was needed. It was much easier on me because he already had most of the answers. We then hired various contractors for the construction, and the architect made himself available on the phone whenever needed to answer questions that came up.

Bruce

Why don't you think you need an architect?

You need an architect AND a contractor. The design expertise of the architect will complement the cost estimating and structural expertise of the contractor.

I value the contributions of an architect to the design of both new homes and remodeling. Almost every project I execute is architect designed.

However, if you've identified exactly what you want and just want someone to "draw it up" you probably don't need an architect. In fact, hiring one and using them in the capacity of a draftsperson will be frustrating for everyone involved. Choose a remodeler with design capabilities to guide you from this point forward.

"I have drawn out, with measurements, exactly what I want."

Do your measurements resemble:

This room is ten feet wide,

OR

It is 3'-6 1/4" from the face of the stud to the edge of the rough window opening. and a 3'-2 5/8" rough window opening, and 3'-9 3/8" from the rough window opening to the face of the stud.

?

I have had clients come to me with "exactly what they want" until I pointed out things they didn't know they had and didn't want. There are benefits of having a design professional do design.

@Mark,

I find the folks who arrive at my office with plans drawn on graph paper, walls with no thickness, stairs that don't align from one floor to the next, etc. have so much invested in their perfectly well thought out plan that they get really defensive if you point out any errors or omissions. It doesn't typically end well.

CRH...I've found that too. It's like "But we've spent MONTHS on this!!!". Like the more time spent the better the end result is. Design isn't the same as washing a car.

But to Laural T, I've posted this here before but I'd suggest having someone with imagination come out to your house and sit down with you and any other decision maker(s) and work out a design direction right there over your dining room table. I do these all the time and call them "charettes". In lieu of another big retype here's a link to a past thread https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5204894/late-70-s-colonial-foor-plan

CRH - I solve that problem by making sure my clients are not armed.

Sometimes I will draw my client's design as close as I can to their drawing(s), then I draw a "this is what I would do based upon your direction" design and show them both. Nobody has chosen their own design yet.

@Mark Bischak,

Thanks for the insight. I've never been able to get that outcome so far. But then again, I'm still a student.

"CRH - I solve that problem by making sure my clients are not armed."

Armed clients commit less crime than the police.