Is specification writing considered a...

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Author Message David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 2078 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Wednesday, June 05, 2024 - 11:53 am:    I am not sure my liability insurance carrier person knows exactly what I do for a living. (I am an independent consultant that writes architectural specifications for architectural firms.) He asked me the other day if what I do is considered “architecture”. Washington State RCW 19.08.320 states: (12) "Practice of architecture" means the rendering of any service or related work requiring architectural education, training, and experience, in connection with the art and science of building design for construction of any structure or grouping of structures and the use of space within and surrounding the structures or the design for construction of alterations or additions to the structures, including but not specifically limited to predesign services, schematic design, design development, preparation of construction contract documents, and administration of the construction contract. So, am I practicing architecture without a license? What about the door hardware consultant? Aren’t they doing the same thing in preparing the door hardware section? David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC Steven Bruneel, Retired Architect Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 728 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, June 05, 2024 - 05:25 pm:    You are fine working as a consultant to a licensed architect who seals the documents. Otherwise, a hotshot 28 year old designer at a prestigious architecture firm who is a year away from licensure who designs a project could be considered practicing without a license - until the boss seals the drawings. My specification books include sheets with the archtitect and multiple engineer stamps and signatures. Loretta Sheridan Senior Member Username: leshrdn Post Number: 133 Registered: 11-2021 Posted on Thursday, June 06, 2024 - 09:46 am:    A lot of lawyers who are not licensed architects are involved in the preparation of the Division 00 documents of the construction contact documents for owners. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1630 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Thursday, June 06, 2024 - 09:59 am:    A lot of registered Architects would be broke or in jail right now if not for a lot of non-registered people "practicing Architecture". When I was considering sitting for the exams the insurance folks at Victor O. Schinnerer (the E&O carrier back then) that I spoke with talked me out of it. They said I wasn't going to get paid any more but that I could lose everything I had even with insurance. Why would anyone do that? Still had to get insurance because my clients required it but it was a pass-thru cost. Loretta Sheridan Senior Member Username: leshrdn Post Number: 134 Registered: 11-2021 Posted on Thursday, June 06, 2024 - 10:37 am:    Here is a PDF from the AIA with all the different states' definitions: https://content.aia.org/sites/default/files/2016-04/StateXStateLawMatrix-Practice-of-Architecture-Definition.pdf David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 2079 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, June 10, 2024 - 11:43 am:    Thank you Loretta! This is great information! David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC Curt Norton, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: curtn Post Number: 257 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Friday, June 14, 2024 - 07:44 am:    When I was in independent practice, my contract stated that I was preparing the specifications at the direction of the Architect. In reality, that is still what I do at our firm. That is not practicing Architecture.