Architects design homes. They don’t do fire remediation. They are t contractors.

Yes you should be using a separate architect and contractor.

Is this a design build firm? Is he a licensed architect and a licensed contractor? Seems odd.

The interiors need to be gutted and replaced, including replacement of structural beams. I wouldn't put that just in the hands of just a contractor... I want to update the style of the place while I can. He is a licensed architect and a licensed contractor...plenty of builder architects on Houzz so it doesn't seem odd to me.

Submit your claim to the insurance crooks and let them negotiate with your contractor.

Do not care if they "Flagged" your claim, do not care if they CRY, do not care if they wine, I would not do ANYTHING other than demand ALE and refuse to change the contractor. Don't care if it is 360k or 800k. Not your business.

I would not pay them one dime [other than deductible]. Insists on upgrade of all materials and tell your contractor NO BUILDERS grade materials to be used ever.

Don't feel bad for insurance companies at all, since they scam of Earth, EPIC Fraudsters. [I have dealt with LibertyMutual protected the scum, the lies, the cheat]. Friends don't let friends BY LIBERTYMUTUAL.

How much of the percentage is for architectural services and how much is for construction profit & overhead?

What is a "architect builder/contractor"?

Insurance doesn’t pay for upgrades either. They pay to make you whole, and that’s it. Design services for changes are an out of pocket expense, and have nothing to do with a restoration claim. If that was included, no wonder it was red flagged. That is all your out of pocket expenditure, and has nothing to do with any insurance claim.

And no, there are not plenty of architect contractors anywhere. That's two separate roles. You need to be checking with your state’s data to see if there is a license for either role involved. Both architect and contractor are state controlled titles.

There is no reason that a licensed contractor can’t handle the rebuild, including any damaged beam replacement. If there needs to be a structural engineer involved, he will have one in his contacts. If you want it rebuilt differently than it was originally, then all of those design and build expenses are yours to bear as a cash expense.

Ok, so 44% isn't outrageous to pay yourself if you're doing a lot... I guess. My insurance thought it was crazy. Maybe it was just a negotiating tactic. None of my wishlist for improvements was even on the bid. I found several architects with contractor licenses locally. I went with an architect because this is a high-end property and I want attention paid to details and finishes are important to me. BTW, all my architectural plans and some custom furniture was destroyed in the fire. An Architect was going to enter the picture at some point.

44% of what? How is the contract written? His fee is $176K? If all you have giving him is a retainer why are you submitting this to the insurance company? Have you signed this contract? If so what type contract is it? Have you had your lawyer review this contract? How the hell do you hide a 44% fee without it being noticed? There is most definitely somethings not adding up in your story.

Start with checking the state database online. He won’t be listed. As will none of the other builder-designer combos. He might have taken an AutoCAD class, but he won’t be an architect.

Your insurance most likely includes code upgrades, which may or may not be relevant to your project. It does get murky when you want to change things rather than simply replacing them. We had a smoke damage claim once...we thought it would just be a massive cleaning job, but the insurance adjuster came in and said new drywall, new insulation, so we were grateful for that. In terms of itemizing the claim for the personal property, I found it easiest to do it as things went into the dumpster. And being very specific about listing brands, and taking it upon myself to research replacement cost, which is pretty easy with the internet.

Be very careful how you proceed. One of, if not the, most important things to know before signing a legal binding contact is how much it is going to cost you.

Hi, Paul,

First, I'm sorry that you're dealing with the aftermath of a fire. If there's ever a good time to have a fire it certainly isn't during a worldwide pandemic.

First, it's important to note that there is a difference between remediation work which deals with fire, smoke, and water damage, hazardous materials, etc. and restoration work which deals with restoring/reconstructing the structure to it's pre-fire condition-- subject, of course, to changes in code requirements.

I haven't done a lot of restoration work, but I've found it's important to clearly and comprehensively document the scope of work. This will involve some combination of plans and specifications. It will likely involves one or more conversations between your insurance adjuster and your restoration contractor. Alterations, additions, remodeling, etc. would not be consistent with the scope of a restoration project. Co-mingling the two complicates things a lot. I don't see a need for an architect to produce restoration plans, but I would suggest they be part of a team for any new construction or remodeling project.

Best wishes to get your home back in order with a minimum of problems along the way.

Omg. Don’t do one more thing. not one more thing. Mitigate what you have to so your own insurance company doesn’t accuse you of refusing to mitigate damages.

then hire a Public Adjuster. not one more thing. Your insurance company is not your friend and I don’t even Know what to think about this “architect”.

don’t for one minute think you can navigate this on your own. You can’t.