Questions to Ask an Architect
Twenty questions for a first meeting with an architect about a house extension, new build, or commercial fit-out, covering relevant experience, how fees work, permits, construction involvement, and what happens when bids come back over budget.
The questions
Open any question for the note
What have you built that is close to mine in size and budget?
Why ask it
Size and budget matter more than style. An architect whose portfolio is all large custom homes will design your modest extension the way they know how, and the drawings will price out above what you can spend.
Is there a finished project I could go and see?
Why ask it
Photographs are shot before anyone moves in, at the right hour, with the clutter removed. A building you can walk into shows you ceiling heights, light at a normal time of day, and how the details have aged. Willingness to arrange it also says the client relationship survived.
How do you charge, and what does that fee cover?
Why ask it
A percentage of construction cost, an hourly rate, and a fixed fee create different incentives, and a percentage rises with your budget. What matters more is which phases the fee includes, because many quotes stop at permit drawings.
What is not included, and what will I be billed for separately?
Why ask it
Surveys, structural and mechanical engineers, energy modelling, renderings, planning fees, and printing are commonly outside the architect's fee. Ask for the likely list with rough numbers, because these consultant costs can add a substantial amount to a small project.
What do you think this will cost to build, and how sure are you about that number?
Why ask it
The confidence matters as much as the figure. An architect who gives a range, names what would move it, and says when it should be tested with a contractor is being straight with you. A single confident number this early is a warning sign.
Who in your office will I actually be dealing with week to week?
Why ask it
The principal often wins the work and hands it over. That can be fine, but you should meet the person, know their experience, and understand what happens to your project when they leave the firm.
How does your process work, and at what points do I have to make decisions?
Why ask it
You are asking where the decision gates are, because a change is cheap at concept and expensive after engineering. A good answer tells you what you will be shown at each stage and what is effectively locked afterwards.
How long until I have drawings a contractor can price?
Why ask it
More useful than asking about the total timeline, since permit and construction schedules are largely outside their control. If the answer is months longer than you assumed, you find out now rather than after signing.
How many rounds of revisions are included before it costs extra?
Why ask it
Almost every fee dispute starts here. Some architects allow unlimited changes within a phase but charge for revisiting a closed one. Get the boundary written down, because you will change your mind at least once.
Will you handle the permit applications and deal with the planning authority?
Why ask it
Some architects submit and manage everything, others hand you a drawing set and leave you at the counter. Ask how long approvals typically take in this jurisdiction and who pays for a resubmission after a rejection.
Looking at what I have described, what is likely to be a problem with zoning or code here?
Why ask it
This tests local knowledge, which is the part of an architect's value you cannot see in a portfolio. Setbacks, height limits, egress, parking, and historic overlays should come up quickly if they have worked in the area.
Do you help choose the contractor, and do you visit the site during construction?
Why ask it
Site visits are usually a separate phase and a separate fee, and skipping them is the most common way an owner saves money and then regrets it. Ask how often they attend and what they do when work does not match the drawings.
If bids come back over budget, what happens then, and who pays for the redesign?
Why ask it
This is close to inevitable and is the moment relationships sour. You want to know whether reworking the drawings is inside the original fee or a new charge, and how much of the project they think they could take out.
When cost has to come out, what do you cut first?
Why ask it
Reveals their priorities more clearly than any question about design philosophy. Some protect volume and light and give up finishes, others protect the kitchen. Their instinct should match yours, because this conversation will happen for real.
What experience do you have with the level of energy performance I am asking for?
Why ask it
Airtightness, heat pumps, and high insulation levels change details, not just specifications, and inexperience shows up as condensation or a system that never performs as modelled. Ask for a project where the performance was actually measured afterwards.
Do you carry professional liability insurance, and can I see the certificate?
Why ask it
Straightforward for an established practice and awkward for one that has let coverage lapse. Ask for the current certificate and the coverage amount relative to your construction cost, not just a yes.
What does your agreement say if I want to stop partway through?
Why ask it
Projects pause for money, health, and planning refusals. Find out what you owe at that point, whether you can use the drawings produced so far, and who owns them, because in many jurisdictions the architect retains copyright by default.
Can I talk to a client whose project ran into trouble?
Why ask it
Every architect with a real body of work has one. The value is in how they describe it and whether the client will speak to you at all. A practice that has never had a difficult project either has little history or is editing.
What do you need from me to keep this on schedule?
Why ask it
Shifts the conversation to your obligations, which are usually decisions, selections, and prompt approvals. An architect who answers precisely here has managed clients before, and you get an honest preview of the work involved on your side.
What is the most common reason projects like mine go wrong?
Why ask it
The best answers name budget set before scope, an owner who cannot decide, or a contractor chosen on price alone. An architect who blames only clients or only builders is describing a pattern you may be about to join.
Choosing and Working With an Architect
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before You Appoint Anyone
Bring a Written Brief and a Real Number
One page: what you need, what you would like, how you use the space, and the construction budget you can actually fund. Architects who are given a real figure will tell you early if the project does not fit it. Architects who are not given one will design to what they think you can afford.
Meet Three, and Ask the Same Questions
Three conversations is enough to hear how fees, timelines, and construction costs vary for identical work. Where two agree and one is far cheaper or far quicker, ask the outlier to explain the difference, because usually something is excluded.
Separate the Fee From the Phases
Ask each architect to price the same phases: concept, developed design, permit set, tender documents, and construction visits. Two quotes that look far apart often cover different amounts of work, and the cheaper one frequently stops before construction.
Settle Drawing Ownership in the Agreement
Ask in writing whether you may use the drawings if you part ways, and whether another architect can take them forward. It costs nothing to clarify at the start and is nearly impossible to resolve later.
What to Expect on Cost and Time
- Consultant fees for structure, services, and surveys usually sit outside the architect's fee, so ask for the full expected team.
- A percentage fee rises with your construction cost, which is worth naming out loud when discussing budget cuts.
- Construction observation is normally a separate phase; declining it is the most common false economy on small projects.
- Permit timelines are set by the authority, not the architect, so ask about typical local durations rather than promises.
- Expect at least one redesign after bids arrive, and ask in advance whether it is billable.
Common Pitfalls
Hiring on Portfolio Photographs Alone
The images show the best five per cent of the practice's output, shot by a professional. Ask what those projects cost, whether they came in on budget, and whether the client would use them again.
Withholding Your Real Budget
Owners hold back a number in case it gets spent, and then receive a design they cannot build. You lose a design phase and pay for it. Give the figure and ask them to design to it.
Accepting a Fee Quote Without the Scope
A low percentage covering three phases is more expensive than a higher one covering six. Compare the schedule of services, not the headline rate.
Skipping the Difficult Reference Call
Supplied references are curated. Ask specifically for a project that went over budget or over schedule, and ask that client what they would do differently. That single call surfaces more than the rest of your research.