My husband said that the superintendent mentioned stepping the patio down once or twice, but even if it's twice, it's still gonna be a massively thick slab. :-/ We've had "thick" concrete in the past (but not this bad), and absolutely don't want it. They didn't pour the patio with the foundation because the patio isn't post-tension like the foundation is. We were told that the (uncovered) patio will be poured when the driveway is poured... Closer to the end. Honestly, we're gonna ask if he can just pour a set of stairs, since he's stepping it down anyway. He said we'll discuss it at the pre drywall walk through. At the initial meeting, before anything was started, he didn't seem keen on pouring a 10x10 patio 2.5 feet thick, so if it meets code and is a simple change, we'd like to just put stairs there and tear them out later for a deck. Hopefully, he'll agree. Seems like it would save him time, materials, and labor, so I can't see why not, lol.

Mark, thanks for the comments. I previously read the threads describing the work that ArchitectRunnerGuy did with his Florida client (apologies as I don't remember his user name). Reading through those was very enlightening for me. It really helped me better understand my frustrations when reviewing stock plans and brought me to the realization that there were other, often much better, options available. In my mind, local means someone within a reasonable driving distance to the site who can visit/walk the site and is available for in person meetings. I've been mentally debating this option versus what I consider a more long distance working relationship where an in person visit might be possible but would require plane tickets or a long car ride. Given electronic communication options, a face to face meeting might not even be necessary but this is just how I set up the mental debate. Reading about what ArchitectRunnerGuy is able to do without being local to the site (again using my definition of local here) helped me to see that we didn't have to be limited by the expertise available in an 100 radius of our land. However, I still imagine there are some benefits to working with someone closer, provided a suitable match can be found. Here I'm considering some of the pros as personal knowledge of the climate, local culture, codes, permitting, local builders and subs, real estate market, etc. But then again, I also imagine the right builder can help bridge any gaps that might exist in the other option.

@Patricia Caldwell, in my community, when new rules come into place after a permit is pulled, it does not affect the permit. One has to work by the rules of the game at the time the game starts. If things change later, that's for later projects. At least that's how it works where I am. Same with selling a house. One can't be expected to go back and bring everything up to current code when a house is changing hands. Everywhere has their own rules. But for the OP, I agree, the architect is responsible to know codes. That's why you don't hire a draftsman to draw your plans. You hire for expertise by a licensed pro. @E C I'm curious where you are. There were similar requirements where I lived in Illinois and I've certainly seen them in towns designated as historic districts or with strong ties to history. I know this is incredibly frustrating, but visual zoning rules like this exist for a reason. I'm sure what you're planning is not an eyesore and I understand that you are not challenging the zoning but I'll just put in my two cents on "silly" zoning ordinances. If one is in an area with a certain visual, especially historical, that adds to the value of the home. I'd be incredibly upset if a neighbor didn't follow the rules and created something that negatively impacted the community I lived in. That said, the architect owes you a full refund IMO.

I suspect that the project management aspect involves regular visits to the site and meetings with the builder but probably on a weekly or biweekly cadence. They definitely do not act as full project managers. I have relatively low expectations for that aspect especially because the cost is only $1.50 per square foot. I’m more interested in what the interior design service includes and how that differs from the interior architecture service. I’m looking for as much help as possible so would welcome interior design