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What you should receive from your architect
If all you have is three sheets of plans, you do not have a design. This is what a complete set contains and how to check what you were given.
Very few clients can judge whether a drawing is any good. Almost anyone can check whether the documents exist, whether they are dimensioned, and whether they carry a name and a registration number. That is a lower bar, and it catches most of the problems.
The checklist
| Document | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A written agreement | States the service, the stages, the fee, what is excluded and what happens if things change. Without it, every later disagreement is one person's word against another's. |
| Site and location drawings | The plot, its boundaries, levels and access. Everything else depends on these being right. |
| Floor plans, elevations and sections | Dimensioned and at a stated scale. Undimensioned drawings cannot be built from or priced. |
| Construction details | The parts that cannot be built from a general drawing — junctions, roofs, openings, waterproofing. |
| A specification | What materials and standards are to be used. Without it the contractor chooses, and price and quality both move. |
| Coordinated engineering drawings | Structure and services designed to fit inside the same building. |
The last item
A name and a registration number
Drawings carry the name and registration number of the professional responsible for them. If yours do not, ask why. If the name is not the person you have been dealing with, ask why — and check that name in the register.
Frequently asked questions
I was given plans only, no specification. Is that normal?
My architect will not release drawings until I pay.
What should I keep after the building is finished?
Everything is in a format I cannot open.
Check your architect's licence
Something missing? Ask for it in writing before the next payment falls due.