MORGAN DESIGN GROUP ARCHITECTS

I estimated that it would take 4-5 weeks to prepare design and blueprints. Due to procrastination, higher priority (better paying?) jobs, and computer assisted design (CAD) problems, it actually took over 3 months. When the design was finally approved by us and final drawings were to be delivered, the architect found a major problem while performing his "due diligence". He discovered that his design would require a zoning variance. For me, this meant wasting another couple of months on a new design or wasting it on getting a Howard County zoning variance. I'd lose a couple of months of construction time and good weather either way, so I went with the zoning variance as the lesser of two evils. The Howard County zoning variance is so arcane and unprofessional that it actually cost me 3 months instead of two. Had the architect done his "due diligence" at the beginning of the design process instead of at the end, I would probably have a different design that didn't require a zoning variance and saved 3 months of time. To add insult to injury, I had to pay the architect to appear at the zoning hearing to present his botched design. This added $1,200 to the cost of my project. On the basis of the original delays due to the architect's procrastination and the delays and expense to the faulty "due diligence" zoning variance, I would not recommend this architect.