Questions to Ask an Architect's References
For a homeowner or small developer about to hire an architect and calling the past clients the architect gave as references. The questions follow the order of the call: the project itself, budget and fees, working together, drawings and site, and how it all looks in hindsight, ending with whether they would hire again. A last group is for a contractor who has built from the architect's drawings, and each question has a note on what a reassuring or a worrying answer sounds like.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
The project
What was the project, and when was it finished?
Why ask it
Write down the type, the rough size and the year. A new house on an open lot says little about a tight renovation, and a building finished last spring has not yet shown how its roof and its heating bills turn out. If the project is nothing like yours, keep the call short and ask the architect for a closer match.
Which services did you hire them for: design only, or all the way through permits, bidding and construction?
Why ask it
Plenty of let-downs in a reference call trace back to a service the client never bought. Someone who stopped at permit drawings cannot tell you how the architect behaves on a building site, so skip those questions with them. Check the answer against the services in your own proposal.
How did you come to hire this architect, and did you interview anyone else?
Why ask it
An owner who compared three firms can tell you what tipped the choice, which is the decision in front of you now. A friend, relative or neighbor of the architect can still be honest, but weigh the warm parts of the call a little lighter.
What did you ask for at the start, and how close is the finished building to that?
Why ask it
Let them talk, because this answer usually runs long and covers half your list. Listen for whether the differences were improvements the architect argued for or things that quietly fell away. 'Better than what we asked for' and 'not quite what we asked for' are both worth a follow-up.
How long did the whole project take, from the first meeting to the finished building, and how did that compare with what you were told?
Why ask it
Have them split the total into design, approvals and construction. An architect has far more say over the first than over the other two, so a build that ran long tells you less than a design stage that did. Set the three figures beside the schedule in your own proposal.
Was this your first time building or renovating?
Why ask it
A first-timer has nothing to measure the architect against and may put down to the architect what was really the contractor or the weather. With someone who has built before, or a developer, ask how this architect ranked among the ones they have used. That ranking is worth more than any adjective.
Have you worked with the architect again since, or are you working with them on anything now?
Why ask it
Coming back for a second project is about the strongest endorsement there is. An ongoing arrangement is also a reason to be kind, so if they are mid-project or trade referrals with the firm, lean on the specifics they give and less on the praise.
Budget and fees
What construction budget did you give the architect at the start, and what did the building end up costing?
Why ask it
Ask for both numbers, or a rough percentage if they would rather not name figures. Then ask how much of the gap came from things they added themselves. An overrun the owner chose is a different story from one the drawings caused.
When the contractors' bids came in, how did they compare with what the architect had told you to expect?
Why ask it
Bid day is when an architect's cost sense gets tested by people who have to build for the number. Bids close to the estimate suggest the firm knows what things cost locally. If they came in far over, the next question matters more than this one.
If the bids were over, what did the architect do about it, and who paid for the redrawing?
Why ask it
A good account has the architect coming back within days with a list of options and prices beside them. A worrying one has the owner working out the cuts with the contractor while the architect billed hourly for revisions. Read what your own agreement says about this before you sign it.
Did the architect ever tell you that something you wanted would not fit the budget?
Why ask it
You are hoping for a specific no: the second floor, the stone, the wall of glass. An architect who drew everything that was asked for and let the bids deliver the bad news cost that client months.
How did the final fee compare with the fee in the proposal?
Why ask it
If it grew, ask why: a larger project, a fee tied to a construction cost that rose, or hours nobody expected. Fee structures differ from firm to firm, so ask the reference how theirs worked before comparing it with yours.
Were you billed for additional services, and did you agree to each one before the invoice arrived?
Why ask it
Extras are ordinary when the owner widens the job. Surprise is the warning sign. 'They always sent a short note with a price first' is the answer you want, and it is fair to ask your architect to work that way with you.
Could you tell from the invoices what you were paying for?
Why ask it
On hourly work, ask whether the bills showed who did what and for how long. A client who stopped reading the invoices because they could not follow them is telling you to ask for a sample invoice before you sign.
Which costs outside the architect's fee caught you off guard?
Why ask it
Engineers, surveys, testing, permit charges and printing come up most often, though what falls outside the fee varies by firm and by place. Write down everything the reference names and put the same list to your architect, asking for a rough figure beside each.
When costs had to be cut, what did the architect suggest taking out, and do you regret any of it?
Why ask it
The answer shows what the architect protects under pressure. Some owners say the cuts never showed, and others still regret the cheaper windows every winter. Ask which one cut they would reverse if they could.
Looking at the whole bill now, did the fee feel like fair value?
Why ask it
Save it for the end of the money questions, when the figures are fresh in their mind. People seldom answer with a flat yes or no. They name the part they would pay for again and the part they would skip, and both are useful when you settle your own scope.
Working together
After you signed, did the architect you met stay on the project, or was most of the work handed to staff?
Why ask it
Get names and roles. Handing work to staff is no fault in itself: if a junior did the drawing and did it well, ask your architect whether that person would be on your job. The answer to worry about is a principal who vanished after the contract and could not be reached when a decision needed them.
How quickly did they answer calls and emails, and did that change once construction started?
Why ask it
Get a typical wait in days for each stage. A slow reply during design costs a week, but once a builder is on site it can cost money, which is why the second half of the question matters more. A reference who says the pace never dropped has told you something worth writing down.
Did they deliver drawings on the dates they gave you?
Why ask it
A few days late with a warning is ordinary. Weeks late at every stage, discovered only when the date passed, is a habit the firm is likely to bring to your project. Find out too whether the owner's own slow decisions played a part, since honest references usually admit to some.
Did they listen to how you live or work, or did you feel they were designing for themselves?
Why ask it
The telling details are the thing the architect picked up without being told and the thing the client had to ask for three times, so try for one of each. If the house suits the portfolio better than the family, they will usually say so with a laugh.
Could you follow the drawings and models well enough to know what you were approving?
Why ask it
The follow-up is whether any room surprised them once it was built. A ceiling lower than they pictured or a window where they did not expect one means nobody checked that the client could read what was shown. If you are not used to plans either, ask your architect how they would walk you through them.
Can you tell me about a time you and the architect disagreed, and how it ended?
Why ask it
Every project has one, so 'we never disagreed' usually means a short memory or a careful reference. Listen to how the argument was conducted. An architect who made the case, drew the alternative and then accepted the owner's decision is who you want across the table.
When you changed your mind partway through, how was the change handled and priced?
Why ask it
Owners change things, and what you want to know is whether it stayed civil and predictable. A stated price and a revised date before any redrawing began is the good version. Ask how late their latest change was and what it cost them.
Did they write down what was decided in meetings, and did those notes ever settle a question later?
Why ask it
Skip it if the project was small and informal. On anything that ran longer than a few months, memories drift, and a client who can say the notes ended an argument about who chose the tile is describing a well-run office.
How much of your own time did the project take, and was that more than you expected?
Why ask it
Get it in hours a week, for design and again for the build, when choices about tile, taps and sockets arrive in batches. An owner who felt buried either had an architect who passed every choice along unfiltered or had bought a service that left the choosing to them. Find out which, then ask your architect how far they would narrow the options for you.
Drawings and site
How did the permit or planning review go: approved as submitted, or sent back with comments?
Why ask it
A round or two of comments is routine in many places, so count the rounds and ask how fast the architect answered each. Review rules are local. The answer carries most weight when the reference built in your own town, and less when theirs was a different office with different habits.
Did the architect help you find and choose the contractor, and how did that choice work out?
Why ask it
Only worth asking where bidding help was part of what they bought. A useful answer says what the architect did: named builders they had worked with, checked that the bids covered the same things, or sat in on the interviews. If the builder turned out badly, find out whether the architect had recommended them or had argued for someone else.
Once building started, did the contractor find gaps or mistakes in the drawings?
Why ask it
No set of drawings is perfect, so what you want is the scale: a few questions a month, or work stopping every week while someone waited for a detail. Ask who paid when a mistake cost money, and whether that was settled without a fight.
How quickly did the architect answer the contractor's questions during the build?
Why ask it
A crew waiting for an answer is still being paid, or has left for another job. Same day or next day is what a busy site needs. If the owner ended up carrying messages between the two, note it.
How often was the architect on site, and did those visits catch anything?
Why ask it
The number of visits matters less than whether they were useful. A reference who can name something found, such as flashing put on wrong or a beam in the wrong place, saw the service earn its fee. If they did not buy site visits at all, ask whether they wish they had.
How did the architect and the contractor get along?
Why ask it
Some friction is the architect doing the job, since part of it is saying no to shortcuts. Open warfare is different, and the owner pays for it in delays and in being asked to referee. Ask whether they ever felt caught between the two.
When something unexpected turned up during construction, who came up with the fix?
Why ask it
Rot behind a wall, rock under the footing, a discontinued window: ask for their example. In the best version the architect sketched a solution within a day or two and explained what it would cost. If the builder solved everything alone, the owner was paying for a service they were not getting.
Did the engineers' work and the architect's fit together, or did clashes show up on site?
Why ask it
Developers and experienced owners answer this best, and a first-time homeowner may not know. Ducts with nowhere to run and beams crossing windows are the usual examples. Those are cheap to fix on paper and expensive on site, so ask your architect who checks the consultants' drawings against theirs.
How did the last stretch go: the list of unfinished items, the final inspection and getting copies of the drawings?
Why ask it
Projects tend to end raggedly, and an architect who stayed engaged through the last ten items is rarer than one who was keen at the start. Ask whether they received drawings of the building as it was built, and in a form they can hand to a future contractor.
Looking back
Now that you use the building every day, what works better than you expected?
Why ask it
An easy one first earns you the harder ones that follow. The details people choose are revealing: light in the kitchen at breakfast, a mudroom that swallows everything. Those came from an architect who was paying attention to them.
What would you change about the building if you could?
Why ask it
Nearly everyone has an answer, and it does not have to count against the architect. Find out whether it was raised during design. 'They warned us and we insisted' and 'nobody mentioned it' are opposite verdicts on the same regret.
Has anything leaked, cracked or needed repair, and did the architect help when you called?
Why ask it
Early problems are ordinary in a new building, so the useful part is the second half: whether the architect came out, looked, and helped work out whose problem it was. One who stopped answering after the last invoice is likely to do the same to you.
What do you know now that you wish you had known before you started with them?
Why ask it
This draws out advice, not complaints, so even a loyal reference will answer it. Typical ones: fix the scope of extras in writing, decide faster, ask for a cost check before the drawings go too far. Treat each as an item for your own agreement or your first meeting.
What sort of client would not get along with this architect?
Why ask it
It lets them describe a weakness without criticizing anyone. If the answer is 'someone who wants a lot of hand-holding' or 'someone with fixed ideas', be honest with yourself about whether that is you.
Would you hire this architect again for your next project?
Why ask it
Speed tells you as much as the words. A reference with no doubts answers before you finish asking. 'For the right project' or 'probably' is a qualified yes, and you should ask at once what the right project would be.
Would you be willing to let me see the building, and could you put me in touch with your contractor?
Why ask it
Ask lightly and take a no without pressing, since it is their home or their business. A visit shows you how details have aged in a way photographs cannot. The contractor, reached through the client and not through the architect, is the least rehearsed reference you can get.
For a contractor
How many projects have you built from this architect's drawings?
Why ask it
One job is an anecdote and five is a pattern. Ask too whether the architect brings them work, because a builder who relies on a firm for referrals has a reason to be gentle. The detail they give matters more than the tone.
Were the drawings complete enough to price and build from without a lot of guessing?
Why ask it
Builders are blunt about this. Listen for dimensions that added up, details for the awkward junctions, and a specification that named products. A set that left the builder to make allowances for missing information usually shows up later as extra cost to the owner.
Compared with your other jobs, how many questions and change orders did this one produce?
Why ask it
The comparison is what makes the answer usable, since no builder will say there were none. Ask what caused most of the changes: the owner, hidden conditions or the drawings. Only the last is about the architect.
When you suggested a cheaper or simpler way to build something, how did the architect respond?
Why ask it
An architect who considers the idea and says yes or no with a reason is easy to build with. Refusing everything on principle drives prices up. Agreeing to everything may mean nobody was guarding what the owner paid to have designed.
If the architect reviewed your payment requests, was that done promptly and fairly?
Why ask it
Only relevant where the architect had that role, which depends on the contract and on local practice, so ask first how it worked on that job. Slow or petty sign-offs sour a site quickly. A builder who calls the architect strict but fair has paid a compliment.
Would you bid on another of this architect's projects, and would you price it any differently?
Why ask it
Some builders quietly add money for architects whose drawings or manner make a job harder, and take a little off for ones who make it smooth. They may not give you a figure, but a builder who would decline the next job outright has told you enough.
How to run a reference call for an architect
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you call
Ask the architect for the right references
Request at least three: one project like yours in type and budget, one finished several years ago, and one where the firm stayed on through construction. Ask for a contractor as well. How readily the list arrives is part of the answer.
Read the proposal first
Have the architect's fee proposal and list of services in front of you. The call is most useful when you can compare what the reference was promised and received with what you are being offered.
Book fifteen minutes
Email or text ahead and offer a time. A reference caught in a parking lot gives you three polite sentences, while one who set the time aside will often talk for half an hour.
Pick about a dozen questions
Take two or three from each group and mark the ones your decision depends on. If cost is your worry, spend the call on Budget and fees. If the architect will run the build for you, weight Drawings and site.
On the call
Start with their project, not your list
People enjoy describing what they built. Five minutes of that tells you how far their experience applies to yours and makes the questions about money and arguments easier to ask afterwards.
Ask for numbers and examples
'Were they good with the budget' gets a yes. 'What did the bids come back at against the estimate' gets a figure. Whenever an answer is an adjective, ask for the occasion behind it.
Leave room after a hard question
References chosen by the architect are loyal, and the reservation, if there is one, tends to arrive after a pause. Count to five before you fill a silence.
Write down their words
Note the phrases they use, especially the hedged ones, and write up the call within the hour. By the third call you will not remember who said the site visits were worth every dollar.
Weighing what you heard
Look for the repeat
One client mentioning slow replies is a busy month. Three mentioning it is how the office runs. Put the calls side by side and mark anything that came up more than once, good or bad.
Separate the architect from the build
A contractor who went broke or a winter that stopped work is not the architect's doing. For each complaint, ask yourself whose job it was, and go back to the reference if you cannot tell.
Remember who chose the references
The architect picked these people, so praise is the baseline. Lukewarm answers from a hand-picked list count for more than they would elsewhere, and a contractor or a client you found yourself is worth an extra call.
Take the concerns back to the architect
Without naming anyone, say what you heard and ask how it would go on your project. Ask too how fees, extras and site visits would be set out in your agreement, since practice differs from firm to firm and from place to place.