Find an architect
When to bring an architect into your project
Before you buy the plot, if you can. Certainly before anyone draws anything or moves soil.
Most clients appoint an architect after buying land and settling on a plan. By then two of the most expensive decisions have been made by somebody else.
Guidance
The three moments
- 01
Before purchase
An architect can tell you what a plot will and will not allow: access, slope, orientation, setbacks, what the local plan permits, how much building you can get on it and at what cost. A few hours of advice costs a fraction of the land. - 02
Before any drawing exists
A plan produced by someone unregistered and handed to an architect to "approve" is the worst of both worlds: they cannot lawfully take responsibility for it, so they either decline or redraw it, and you pay twice for one design. - 03
Before you sign with a contractor
Someone has to check that what is built matches what was drawn and priced. Without that, the drawings stop governing the job the moment work begins.
The stages, and what happens at each
| Stage | What happens | Who you need |
|---|---|---|
| Before you buy | Assessing what a site allows and what it would cost to build on | An architect, on a short advisory basis |
| Brief and budget | Turning what you need into a written brief and a realistic budget | Architect |
| Concept design | Options for the building, tested against the site and the money | Architect |
| Developed design | The design resolved, with structure and services coordinated | Architect, structural and services engineers |
| Approval submission | Drawings and documents prepared and submitted | Architect |
| Tender and pricing | Documents complete enough for contractors to price the same thing | Architect, quantity surveyor where used |
| Construction | Checking that what is built is what was drawn, and answering questions as they arise | Architect, engineers |
| Completion | Final inspection, defects, and the documents you keep | Architect |
Why timing matters
The earlier, the cheaper
The earlier an architect is involved, the less it costs to change your mind. Decisions made on paper are cheap to reverse; decisions made in concrete are not.
Frequently asked questions
The architect I am dealing with is not in the register. Does that mean they are not qualified?
It means we hold no record matching what you searched. Spelling, married names and people who use a middle name as a first name all produce empty results. Ask for the registration number and search that. If there is still no record, ask them directly — and if the answer does not satisfy you, tell us.
Can I search for architects near me?
Filter by district. Bear in mind that many practices work across the country, so restricting yourself to your own district may narrow the field more than you need.
Find a licensed architect
The earlier an architect is involved, the less it costs to change your mind.