Interior Design Profession Legislation Regulation Licensing
The Florida House just passed a bill to deregulate interior design- Wow.
PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER watched the house debate….looks like economic liberty trumps health, safety and welfare- at least with the republicans. We need to really reconsider our approach.
On to the Senate- http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=46688&SessionId=66
I am so stunned I am speechless. 30 years wasted energy, all for what?
You are right, our approach to follow in the same licensing footprints of our fellow building professionals seems to have taken us down the wrong path.
Your advocacy for self regulation may be the only way to go. Who wants to lead?
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ASID & IIDA need to take the lead…failure on their part to do so is a gross injustice to all of us who have busted our asses and paid our dues.
Of course that is coming from somebody who has not paid dues directly to ASID or IIDA for years. Can you say “BOYCOTT”?
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Well, let’s see if this goes through, given that comments have been scrubbed.
I asked this yesterday evening:
Don’t the cities where you all work have Building Permit Departments that review methods and materials for all renovations and new construction, particularly for commercial construction projects?
Its not a disrespectful question, although I can see where it might be embarassing for those who claim that the only thing that stands between the consumer and safety is licensed interior designers.
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I think Sarge’s point is that building codes that specify construction materials, standards, and techniques would have more of an effect on safety than interior design options. Maybe this is the result of a bit of ignorance on his part, but doesn’t choice of materials etc. have more of an effect on safety than what colors they are painted?
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Okay ‘burner I let you back in because I find this frick and frack wack attack amusing. Do you have a point? WTF who cares about finishes and colors. I don’t!
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Michael Dudek | May 5, 2011 at 1:31 pm | No Sarge the only thing standing between the consumer and safety is the AIA.
Again if you have a point get to it.
I’m in the Construction Business. I prepare drawings for permitting new construction for a living, and have for the past 35 years. I know that the plan review process looks at methods and materials, and that pretty much all of the projects that would call for a professional Interior Designer is subject to that review. If we already have a government entity that reviews projects for safety of materials and methods, why do we need another?
It seems to me that licensing is more a way of limiting competition than it is a guarantor of safety.
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‘Nother question:
How much does it cost to be a member of AIA and will membership suffer as a result of passge of this bill?
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Okay Sarge I’ll byte, are you a licensed G.C.? Are you an RA? What’s your deal? You absolutely do not submit permit apps without drawings that are signed and sealed by a licensed design professional. If you are obtaining building permits without such endorsement then you are working in a jurisdiction that is not regulated, which is possible but highly atypical. And I do not know how much an AIA membership costs and could care less if their membership suffers.
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I know that the licensed professionals on most projects are limited to Architects and Engineers o the various disciplines who are supervising the work of unlicensed technicians.
I think adding Interior Designers to the requirement for licensing to be “overkill” in the process. To me its analgous to requireing a draftsman to be licensed. Submission of ID to Architects should be sufficient and where the constraints or timeing in the construction process does not permit, review of methods and materials by the Permit Authority is all that should be required.
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Fair enough Sarge. I am sure MD’s feel the same about LPN’s too. The AIA does not have a constitutional right to limit others from also proving their ability, and being granted the right, to endorse permit documents.
Your analogy is partially correct. If that draftsman were to submit his drawings for permit I would expect him to have proven his ability and competence to accept liability for that work. If he can’t do that then he needs to work for an architect, a P.E. and eventually a R.I.D.
50 years ago your point of view on this was valid. It’s 2011 BTW
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Your analogy is partially correct. If that draftsman were to submit his drawings for permit I would expect him to have proven his ability and competence to accept liability for that work. If he can’t do that then he needs to work for an architect, a P.E. and eventually a R.I.D.
And I imagine that the most immediate effect of this legislation will be a number of unemployed, but extremely talented and knowledgeable draftsmen who lack nothing other than a diploma in order to do a superb job, opening thier own studios and go into competition with thier former employers. This new competition is what really drove the resistance to this legislation from license holders and not the seemingly altruistic predictions of weaponized drapery and toxic flooring that I’ve seen paraded in front of a public largely uninformed of the process. The problem these days in out industry is Professionals and Professional associations that focus more on protecting the profession than in improving it.
This legislation creates and fosters competition where it has previously been denied growth. Competition is good for everybody. It will reduce costs to the consumer, reduce the size and cost of government, provide talented people with an opportunity to capitalize on thier knowledge experience and ability, and will weed out the incompetent idiots whose only real talent and ability is in aquiring a piece of paper that says they are not the incompetent idiots they actually are.
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Okay Sarge- so I take it you are a draftsman practicing in a jurisdiction where you can submit permit docs most likely for single family homes- correct? I am trying to hang with you….you say
“And I imagine that the most immediate effect of this legislation will be a number of unemployed, but extremely talented and knowledgeable draftsmen who lack nothing other than a diploma in order to do a superb job, opening thier own studios and go into competition with thier former employers”
Why on earth would any of this impact draftsmen? If they desire to be licensed as a plumber, sports agent or an architect they know what they have to do. Prove that they can do it. Same thing applies to interior decorators and interior designers that want to be considered licensed professionals- you have to earn it. Unfortunately all too many out there are unwilling to accept that fact.
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You’re wrong on specifics of your deduction, and it really doesn’t matter.
Our industry is doing worse than any other in this current economy. The only way those of us still in business are going to survive is to lower cost. What you see with this legislation is an attempt at keeping us alive by lowering cost in one area.
What you really should be doing is combining your advocacy of self regulation and start advocating for policies and politicians who are committed to doing all they can to lower the cost of energy and taxes, limiting the power and costs of the unionized trades, elimination of the captial gains tax, and creating economic conditions that make it safe to lend money again. The Republicans in the FL Legislature have no control over any of that, so they are addressing the issue where they have the power and ability.
If you limit competition, that does nothing to increase business, and that’s really the only way we’re going to get out of this “new normal” and we can go back to making money again.
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Fair enough- this is all about economics and very little, if any, concern for what is actually best for the consumer. Thanks for your comments
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Demonize much?
Solve the economics and you address the concerns of both the consumer and the producer.
If we’re going for the greater good, then we solve those problems.
Or, you can keep trying to jealously guard your share of a smaller pie.
I like the big pie where everybody benefits.
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Fantasize much?
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