ChiefArchitect

Hello Rene, On Jan. 10 and beyond, you can upgrade from Home Designer to Chief Architect and receive an upgrade rebate (instant discount) off of the first-year annual subscription of Chief Architect.

@Bondbuilding, there will be two purchase options for new licenses beginning January 10. Billed Monthly: $199 per month (use as needed and cancel anytime) Billed Annually: $1,995 ($166.25 per month) - there is a 16% savings by paying for the year upfront.

There have been a few comments about paying SSA. Here are some options and our policy on SSA renewal. The price of SSA is currently $595. When we make changes to SSA pricing, we notify our customers in advance. The price of SSA renewal is not changing on Jan. 10. We begin billing for SSA 45 days prior to the due date. At that time, you will see the invoice in your online account and an email notification that SSA is due. There are multiple reminders to renew SSA as the due date approaches. We offer an SSA auto-pay option. You can contact sales at 208-292-3400 to provide payment information to get auto pay set up. If your SSA expires, there is a 30-day grace period from the date your SSA expires to get your SSA renewed. So, if you are out of town, etc., you have additional time to make your SSA payment. Kind regards, Chief Architect Sales 208.292.3400 | sales@chiefarchitect.com

@DavidJames the annual subscription price of $1,995 is not a promotional price. This is the discount for paying for the year up front as opposed to paying $199 monthly.

On the question about reselling or transferring your software license and that entity being able to renew the SSA prior to its expiration...... The current Chief Architect End User License Agreement does not allow selling or transferring a license to another party. However, there are some special situations where a license transfer can occur if it is approved by Chief Architect. An example might include an employee that purchases the software on behalf of a company and that license should be in that company’s name or a principle of that company. If a license transfer is approved, and the SSA is current, then it can be renewed.

DeLay, What you have stated is correct for new license purchases beginning Jan. 10, 2023. If you already own a legacy perpetual license with active SSA (a perpetual license purchased on or before Jan. 9, 2023), your existing software and any free SSA upgrades you receive will be perpetual (lifetime license). SSA will remain renewable as long is it kept current. Kind regards, Chief Architect Sales

Mark, Yes, as long as you keep SSA active, your SSA services will continue as they do today (including upgrades to new versions), and the upgrade you receive will be a perpetual license. Kind regards, Chief Architect Sales

Rene, we don't have a way to store backup payment information. If there is a payment failure, we will send an email to you with a link to retry the payment or update payment details to a different card, Joe, the SSA price will not change on Jan. 10. New subscription pricing details can be found on the license change FAQ page. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/licensing/ Kind regards, Chief Architect Sales

Chief Architect is updating the way we sell our software. Beginning January 10, 2023, all new software will be subscription-based. Perpetual (lifetime) software licenses will no longer be sold after this date. This change will not affect your existing software or active Support & Software Assurance (SSA). If your SSA expires, your software will continue to function; however, the SSA will no longer be renewable. To learn more, please see our software licensing FAQ. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions. We look forward to providing you with the very best products and service in the coming year! Chief Architect Software 208.292.3400 | sales@chiefarchtiect.com

The results are in! Congratulations to our 3 winners in the Residential Design Contest. 1st Place – Francesco Salvatore Mannino II 2nd Place – Joshua Urie of HM Construction 3rd Place – Rodante Bernabe of R. H. Bernabe Enterprises View all of the great submissions: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=ChiefArchitect&set=a.6362378947124637 We enjoyed viewing everyone’s design and want to thank you all for sharing with us and our community! Varying prize packages will be awarded.

Follow along on Nov. 15 when Kelly McDermott (@kellymcdermottinteriors) takes over the Chief Architect Instagram page. Kelly is an Interior Designer at @rubyandsuede servicing Chicago, the Twin Cities & beyond. She is a member of the NKBA 30 under 30, Class of 2020. https://rubyandsuede.com/

Our Next Contest is Residential! Share one of your designs for a chance to win Chief Gear. Use any Chief Architect software product to create your original design. You have the chance to win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in this contest. Discover how to enter and more through our blog: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/blog/design-contest/ The entry deadline is November 17.

The results are in! Congratulations to our 3 winners in the Kitchen/Bath and Interior Design Contest. 1st Place – Sam Kunka of Bolyard Lumber and Design 2nd Place – Savannah Stipe of Lisa's Custom Interiors 3rd Place – Hayden Bolin of Tracy's Custom Homes View all of the great submissions: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=ChiefArchitect&set=a.6172135382815662 We enjoyed viewing everyone’s design and want to thank you all for sharing with us and our community! Varying prize packages will be awarded.

Join us on Oct. 18 when Cortney Smith of Torgy’s Home Design returns to take over the Chief Architect Instagram page. Torgy's Home Design specializes in custom home designs including new construction, remodels and additions. Along with professional renderings and floor plan layouts, consultations and product selections for projects of all sizes.

Finishing a basement is an efficient way to increase your living space. From home theater and rec. rooms to bedrooms and kitchenettes, the options are virtually endless for providing comfortable living quarters for an evolving household. Whatever your needs require, you can finish your basement to fit your lifestyle. Read the full article on our blog. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/blog/finished-basement/

Read all about Must See Design Trends on our ChiefBlog! In the article, we give tips on incorporating comfort and wellness into your designs using catalogs from the Chief Architect 3D Library. Discover more on the Blog!

The NKBA’s fully revised fourth edition of the Planning Guidelines is now available both digitally and in print. It is the most complete collection of illustrations and planning recommendations available in one source for design professionals dedicated to the planning and installation of beautiful, code-compliant kitchens, baths, and more. This edition is written and prepared by a group of NKBA Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designers, registered architects, and educators. The illustrations were provided by Chief Architect’s very own, Adrean Stephenson. You can purchase the print version of the planning guidelines on the NKBA website. A digital version can be found for download here.

Are you looking to improve your Chief Architect skills? We have multiple classroom training options available, sign up before they fill up! Chief Architect Virtual Training SSA members save 10% All classes are 8:30 AM–12:30 PM Pacific Residential Introductory - October 12, 14, 19, 21 (Wed/Fri) Residential Intermediate - October 26, 28, Nov 2, 4 (Wed/Fri) Kitchens, Baths, & Interiors - October 26, 28, Nov 2, 4 (Wed/Fri) Chief Architect 2-Day Training - Las Vegas February 3 - 4, 2023 All classes are 8:30 AM–12:30 PM Pacific Introductory & Intermediate Residential Introductory & Intermediate Kitchen, Bath and Interiors Learn more

More blog posts are available! Check them out.

I think the idea is to keep your time from introduction. We played a similar game a Chief Academy; participates were given 10 minutes from the time the challenge was revealed to share their results. Good luck! We are excited to see how it plays out!

Hello, Thank you for your question. It is not required to have the X14 version to participate in the challenge. The catalogs for these challenges will contain items such as materials, accessories, fixtures, hardware, etc. however it is not required to use the catalog to submit an entry. Architectural elements are more important than colors & materials. Let us know if you have any questions!

Did you miss the event but want to get the details for your planning next year? Visit the Blog to get the scoop! Be sure to watch the video for candid photos throughout the event.

The Chief Architect Challenge is a fun exercise designed to test your skills and encourage learning. See how many design elements you can recreate in 10 minutes – a layout page is not required. We recommend starting from the default template file and spend 10 minutes on the design. If you are using a custom template, no problem, be sure to clear out your time tracker entries before beginning. Each Chief Challenge has a corresponding library file (linked below) that will help you complete the design. Please download and import it before you begin. Chief Architect staff will judge the entries – architectural elements are more important than colors & materials. Chief Architect will host a live webinar each week showing how to create the design in 10 minutes, and a winner will be announced. Each Chief Challenge winner will receive a limited edition Chief Gear kit. We look forward to seeing your work! Learn about the Challenges and how to submit your entry on the ChiefBlog. Download Libraries Schedule September 29th at 12 PM PDT: Bath Vanity, "All the Vanity" October 6th at 12 PM PDT: "Mailbox" October 13th at 12 PM PDT: Kitchen Island, "Round the Island" October 20th at 12 PM PDT: "She Shed" October 27th at 12 PM PDT: "Dawg House"

Find references from Chief Academy Presentations: Brian Beck - Productivity Tips & Tricks Adrean Stephenson - Rendering Tips & Tricks Chief Academy 2022 Rendering.pdf

Chief Academy 2022 was a success! To those that were able to join us in Coeur d'Alene - THANK YOU! We had a lot of fun meeting with you and sharing ideas, we hope that you did too. Highlight your calendars - late August / early September 2023 for next year's event. Check our social channels to see photos and videos from the event and remember to tag us @ChiefArchitect in your own posts so we can like and share them. We'll post followup information and resources from Chief Academy 2022 in the comments.