So, you found a Long Beach architect or architecture firm you really like. They have a great portfolio and experience in completing projects of a similar scope to your upcoming project. You have met with them and feel like you will be able to communicate with them well. You feel like they understand your vision. And the price is right! Seems like you’ve checked all the boxes, right? Well, there’s one more thing you might want to consider.
A successful project isn’t just about the architecture firm’s abilities and their working relationship with you, their client. It also has to do with how well an architect works with city officials—specifically those at the Long Beach Community Development Department. The Community Development Department is made up of the people who will be approving the building plans that your Long Beach architect draws up and providing you with the building permit you need to get started on the actual construction of your project.
If you have a fairly straightforward project planned and your Long Beach architect is competent, you may not have any trouble getting your plans approved, but if your project has any special circumstances, you might want to look for an architect with more extensive experience working with the City. For example, if your project is located in a Long Beach historic district or within the California Coastal Zone, you’ll want to hire an architect that knows how to navigate gaining approvals for these types of projects.
Even if your project doesn’t seem like it will be too complicated, hiring an experienced architect can work in your favor. According to Mark Grisafe of Grisafe Architecture in Long Beach, “Each city has its own way of doing things and ways in which they like to see things done by architects who are submitting plans to them. Since our architecture firm has been working in this area for a while now, we are well aware of what each city planning department wants to see in the plans we submit, and we are able to format them accordingly.”
When plans are submitted in the format that is preferred by the City, it can help keep a project moving forward in a timely manner. Plans submitted by a reputable architect may also not be subject to the strict scrutiny of plans submitted by a new architect, or one who doesn’t regularly work in the area. Grisafe says, “The City of Long Beach is familiar with our architecture firm and the amount of work and research that goes into the plans we submit. They know they don’t have to ‘nitpick’ our plans because our team already has!”
As you interview Long Beach architects, make sure inquire about their experience working with the City of Long Beach and their success in getting plans approved with little to no back and forth. You also might want to ask about what challenges they anticipate there will be with your specific project when it comes to getting approvals and how they plan to approach those challenges.
