Do not hire Rick LaRosa or Axiotecture Architecture
This site was created by victims of Rick LaRosa’s architectural scam. If you’re considering hiring Rick LaRosa or Axiotecture Architecture read this first.
Rick LaRosa presents himself as a licensed architect working under the name Axiotecture Architecture, offering architectural drawings and permit-ready construction plans. What he delivers is something entirely different—broken promises, unusable documents, and financial damage.
Who Is Rick LaRosa?
Rick LaRosa and Axiotecture Scam Alert
If you're a small business, homeowner, or developer looking for permit-ready plans, avoid Rick LaRosa and Axiotecture Design Collaborative. There are many trustworthy architecture professionals out there and Rick LaRosa is not one of them.
Rick LaRosa’s core scam is deceptively simple but financially damaging: he gets hired under the promise of delivering complete, permit-ready architectural drawings including structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical plans but fails to follow through. Clients often pay thousands upfront, only to receive nothing of value in return. He repeatedly delays progress with vague promises, excuses, and shifting timelines, often dragging the process out for months. When confronted, he refuses to refund the money or provide usable work. Numerous clients have reported similar patterns of deception, outlining a consistent and deliberate scheme that preys on trust, especially from small business owners unfamiliar with the permitting process.
The 'Sean' Alias: Rick LaRosa’s Tactic to Intimidate and Deflect Accountability
Rick LaRosa has been reported to use an online alias, "Sean," to post negative reviews of businesses that have held him accountable or expressed dissatisfaction with his services. This deceptive behavior appears aimed at intimidating small business owners into silence and discouraging them from filing complaints or taking legal action. By hiding behind a fake persona, Rick attempts to discredit others while avoiding responsibility for his own professional misconduct. This pattern of manipulation further reinforces the importance of transparency and public accountability.
Addiction and Desperation: The Hidden Struggle Fueling Rick LaRosa’s Scam
Multiple online reviews linked to Rick LaRosa suggest a troubling pattern of visits to inpatient addiction treatment centers, raising serious concerns about ongoing substance abuse issues. Publicly available reviews indicate he has spent time in various rehab facilities, pointing to a possible struggle with drug and alcohol dependency. While addiction is a serious health issue deserving compassion and support, it also appears to be a driving factor in Rick’s unethical business practices. His desperation for income, potentially to sustain his addiction, explains his repeated scams, broken promises, and refusal to deliver on paid architectural work. This behavior poses a real risk to clients who trust him with significant financial investments.
A Pattern of Legal Defeat: Multiple Courts Have Found Rick LaRosa in Breach of Contract
Rick LaRosa has been found guilty of breach of contract in multiple court cases across both Washington State and Oregon, revealing a disturbing and consistent pattern of professional misconduct. These legal decisions are not isolated incidents, they reflect a broader issue of repeated failures to deliver contracted architectural services, leaving clients financially harmed and projects derailed. Courts in both states have ruled against him, awarding damages to victims who were promised permit-ready documents but instead received incomplete or unusable work, or nothing at all. These judgments underscore a troubling lack of accountability and a clear warning to anyone considering hiring Rick LaRosa or Axiotecture Architecture.
What Former Clients Are Saying: Firsthand Accounts of Being Scammed by Rick LaRosa
Business owner in Portland, Oregon
“We are very disappointed with architect Rick DeLa Rosa. 3 months ago we gave him a check, he was supposed to make a floor plan for us between a couple weeks and, well, 3 months later he hasn't respond to our calls or emails. For what I have heard he has financial problems, he hasn't even paid his own employees. We have ready request legal advice to go forward. Sorry architect, but you can't be trusted.”
Business owner in Portland, Oregon
“DO NOT WORK WITH THIS COMPANY AND ESPECIALLY NOT WITH A MAN NAMED
RICK LAROSA! There are several negative reviews for a reason. This man calls and texts you a million times a day for you to hire him and the second you submit payment he goes radio silent. He even has the audacity to ask for more funds even tho no work or services have been provided. I had to constantly reach out for updates over the span of 5months and have been left empty handed. When asked for a refund he again went radio silent. I have hired a lawyer and will be taking this scammer to court.”
Business owner in Seattle, Washington
“Do not trust Rick LaRosa with your time, money, or project. He should not be in business.
We paid him to prepare complete architectural plans (including MEP) for our small business in Shoreline, WA. He promised permit-ready documents in 2–4 weeks, but after a month of silence and another payment, he delivered incomplete, inaccurate, and unusable plans.
When we asked him to fix the issues or refund us, he refused. We took him to court, and the Seattle King County court ruled in our favor—he was found in breach of contract and now owes us the judgement plus court and collection costs.
This is not a misunderstanding. This was a scam, backed by a legal judgment. Contact the Oregon Board of Architects for more information on prior complaints against this business as there have been several.
Additionally, the architect has been repeatedly turning up at our business take photos and posting negative reviews online for our business under his fake email account to try and intimidate us into avoiding collecting on his debts. Protect yourself and avoid being scammed by this fraudster.”
Business owner in Seattle, Washington
“Absolutely terrible. Repeatedly promised to deliver and failed every single time. After nearly 3 months on a project originally estimated by the architect to take about a week, we are starting over and nowhere near ready to even submit for our building permit.
Be careful and hire someone more dependable. The architect will drop off the face of the earth after getting paid and deliver the bare minimum to keep bread crumbing you along thinking you're project is in process. Even though the business is marked as closed this guy is still taking on projects and trying to scam people. We are taking him to small claims court after his repeat refusal to do the work we paid for or give us a refund.
This architect also apparently loves to attack and rebuke his negative reviews online. Ask yourself if a legit, trustworthy business would have so many negative reviews in the first place and why the owner would not simply make it right instead of picking a fight with paying customers.”
Take Action: How to File a Complaint Against Rick LaRosa
If you’ve been a victim of Rick LaRosa’s deceptive architectural practices, you’re not alone and you have the power to hold him accountable. Former clients are encouraged to report his misconduct to the appropriate licensing authorities. If your experience took place in Washington, you can file a complaint with the Washington State Board for Architects through their public records portal. For those located in Oregon, file your complaint with the Oregon State Board of Architect Examiners.
Your report helps protect other individuals and businesses from falling victim to the same pattern of fraud.