Small Project Design

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

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Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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Hi Darrel,

I have been just paying as I go for the contracts I need. Most of my project just require the B105-2007 which is available through the Documents On Demand feature.

I got tired of spending the annual fee when I only needed a dozen or so contracts, so I had just reverted to hand lettering paper contracts before the Docs on Demand became available.

It works for me,
Paul

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Paul Adams AIA
Principal
Earth And Sky Architecture
Denver CO
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

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Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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I've been buying them one-by-one, pay as I go from the AIA online "Documents On Demand" site.  We do less than a dozen projects a year so an unlimited document program hasn't made sense for us.

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Kenton Peters AIA, LEED-AP
KP2 Architects
Salt Lake City UT
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

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Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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Hi Darrel:

I am a one person firm doing mostly single family residential projects.  I have been purchasing the Contract On Demand (one at a time) online contracts from the AIA for about 5 years.  I can work up the contract in the provided electronic format - print out and send a copy to the owner for their review and then make adjustments if/as necessary - but you do need to keep the file open until you have made all the changes required.  The cost for each B105-2007 contract which I typically use has gone up this year from 24.99 to 29.99 per contract.  The cost however went from 21.99 to 24.99 from 2011 - 2014.   I started out in 2008 using a bulk contract purchase and yet never got close to using the allowed number and you couldn't carry over the left over contracts to the next year.  I typically use about 10 contracts a year.  The unlimited plans are in the $850 - $1099 range per the AIA web site so it doesn't make sense for me.  If you are running a firm where you are going to use 30 contracts or more/year it looks like the unlimited package starts to make sense.

Thanks,

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William Gregory AIA
President
Arcelab Inc. Architects
Los Angeles CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

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Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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We pay as we go for a couple of reasons: a) we are a small firm and can't predict how many forms we will need in a given year, b) we use our own Architect-Owner Agreement which is much friendlier to our many small project owners than the big AIA form - so the forms we need are mainly for our limited number of public projects, and c) as I recall, the AIA doc packages aren't very friendly to Macs, and we are a totally Mac office - but we just download a modifiable pdf each time we need say a Change Order form for like $7 and it works great!

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F. John Barbour AIA
Shelter Architecture, LLC
Minneapolis MN
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

-------------------------------------------
Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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I originally ordered Architect Essentials, but soon learned there were so many problems with the program as to make it unusable. After 4 hours+ with tech support, they acknowledged the same and couldn't tell me when it would be fixed. I asked for refund and renewed my 300 point account for the desktop version. Finally able to write a contract after a week wasted.

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Ronald Geyer AIA, NCIDQ
Principal
Good City Architects LLC
Greenville SC
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Original Message:
Sent: 3/13/2014 10:39:09 AM
From: dodom@opa-inc.com
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else? ------------------------------------------- Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP President Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc. Little Rock AR -------------------------------------------

For me, as a single-practitioner, Pay as you Go. All I use are the Owner-Architect Agreement, Proposal Request, and Field Report forms. Once in a while I need a copy of the land survey or A201 forms. Contractor typically obtains the rest as needed.

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W. Douglas Gilpin, Jr. FAIA

W. Douglas Gilpin, Jr. FAIA - Architect, PLC
Charlottesville, VA and Block Island, RI
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

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Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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We are becoming alarmed at the cost of this service.  We use almost exclusively B105 and find $700 to be excessive for a 4-page document repeated over and over with only a few edits.


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L. Dennis Thompson AIA
Thompson Naylor Architects
Santa Barbara CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

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Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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Darrel

In addition to being a member of the AIA, I an also a member of the ALA ( Association of Licensed Architects ).     It is an organization of architects that was founded here in Illinois in 1999.   There are currently chapters in five midwestern states, and there are more members
in many other states.     As a member of ALA I have free access to all of their contracts.    Non members can go to the ALA website 
www.alatoday.org  and purchase their contracts.   Most of their contracts are $20.00.   You can also purchase a contract subscription for $200.00.   However, if you are thinking about the possibility of purchasing the subscription, you may as well become a professional member at $150.00 and get all of the contracts and all of the benefits of membership, and save yourself $50.00.    When you get enough members in any given state, they get together and decide to establish a state chapter.    AIA national will then help them establish a state chapter.
Check out the website and maybe this will help you.   

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Michael Cullen AIA,  ALA
Elmhurst IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

-------------------------------------------
Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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I work for a 4 person firm that does a variety of types of projects.  Since we only have 2 projects per year where owner requires the AIA documents we typically purchase documents as needed.


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Margaret Godolphin AIA
Helena MT
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

-------------------------------------------
Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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We buy the limited 100 license for about $200.  It only lasts a year and we never use up all the points so I would really like the AIA to provide a limited points purchase that doesn't expire.  We always end up paying for what we don't use.

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Heidrun Hoppe AIA
Heidrun Hoppe Associates, Inc
Evanston IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-17-2014 15:23
From: Margaret Godolphin
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

I work for a 4 person firm that does a variety of types of projects.  Since we only have 2 projects per year where owner requires the AIA documents we typically purchase documents as needed.


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Margaret Godolphin AIA
Helena MT
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

-------------------------------------------
Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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I am a one man firm.  I do only 1-2 major projects where I require an AIA contract form to be used.  I buy groups of 2 of each of three kinds to keep on hand.  The forms we have vary depending on the size or complication of the projects. 
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Nelson B. Nave AIA
Owner
Nelson Breech Nave, AIA Architect
Kalamazoo MI
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-17-2014 15:23
From: Margaret Godolphin
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

I work for a 4 person firm that does a variety of types of projects.  Since we only have 2 projects per year where owner requires the AIA documents we typically purchase documents as needed.


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Margaret Godolphin AIA
Helena MT
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

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Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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I have used both the 300 Unit & 100 Unit single seat (my station) subscription.  Using the 300 Unit Subscription for 6 years, I built up a modest carry-over. (the units do not go away like airline flight miles) For the past 2 years, I have used the 100 unit annual subscription (fewer, but larger projects) and am quite comfortable in my unit inventory.  If anyone else in the office needs to utilize the DOC's they just use my work station to customize the information.

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Gene Fennell AIA
Owner - Architect
Fennell Design Inc.
Custer SD
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

-------------------------------------------
Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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That is exactly what we have been doing in the past but they tell us, this year, that option is no longer available.  Our previous purchased units are still good until they run out.  The choices now are not nearly as attractive.  Thus, my query.

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Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-21-2014 12:02
From: Gene Fennell
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

I have used both the 300 Unit & 100 Unit single seat (my station) subscription.  Using the 300 Unit Subscription for 6 years, I built up a modest carry-over. (the units do not go away like airline flight miles) For the past 2 years, I have used the 100 unit annual subscription (fewer, but larger projects) and am quite comfortable in my unit inventory.  If anyone else in the office needs to utilize the DOC's they just use my work station to customize the information.

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Gene Fennell AIA
Owner - Architect
Fennell Design Inc.
Custer SD
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2014 10:39
From: Darrel Odom
Subject: Curious About Other Small Firms Buying AIA Docs

Do most people do the unlimited document purchase for $900, the essential docs for $700, pay as you go for docs, or something else?

-------------------------------------------
Darrel Odom AIA, LEED AP
President
Odom Peckham Architecture, Inc.
Little Rock AR
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