Choosing an architect: seven questions to ask before you sign

Below are seven questions that reveal more than any portfolio, what has to be in the contract, and the signs that mean you should walk away.

Why the cost of a mistake is asymmetric

Design is 5–10 % of the build cost. But the decisions made inside that 5 % govern the other 90 %: where the foundation goes, what type it is, how many spans there are, whether the house fits the setbacks, whether the electrical supply is enough.

Changing a decision on paper costs the architect's time. Changing it on site costs the client's money:

So "how much does the project cost" is not the main question. The main one is: what exactly do I get, and who is responsible if it cannot be built from.

First filter: look at drawings, not renders

Ask to see a full set — any one of them, for any project. A serious practice will show you: it is their product, there is nothing to hide.

What to look for:

• Are there details? Roof-to-wall junctions, the plinth detail, rafter fixings. Details are what cheap sets omit, and the reason crews call ten times a day.
• Are there schedules? Window and door schedules, rebar schedules, floor build-ups. These are what the quantity surveyor prices.
• Do the dimensions add up? The chain of dimensions on a plan must equal the overall size. A two-centimetre discrepancy is routine for those who draw by eye.
• Is there a title block? Drawn by, checked by, date, stage. A sheet without one is not a document.

Our sets are open on the site: look at the drawing set for a 132 m² house or a bathhouse project with all services included. Everything with drawings is collected under working documentation.

Seven questions before the contract

1. Which sets are included, and which cost extra?

The most common trap. "A house design at 400 ₽/m²" may mean the architectural part alone — no structure, no services, no site plan. You cannot build from that.

Ask for the list by name: architecture, structure, electrical, water and drainage, HVAC, low-voltage. Ask separately whether siting on the plot and visualisation are included. With us, visualisation is part of the architectural set and the concept stage is priced separately — worth checking with everyone.

2. How many sheets, and can I see the contents page?

The number alone means little, but the answer shows whether the practice understands the scope. For a 150 m² house a full set is usually 90–150 A3 sheets. "About twenty" describes a concept, not documentation.

3. Who calculates the structure, and to what loads?

A correct answer contains the words "snow load", "wind load" and "ground survey". If the foundation is chosen "the way we usually do it", that is habit, not calculation. Snow loads differ twofold across Russia, and the rafter layout has to differ with them.

Ask directly whether a ground survey is needed. An honest answer is "without it we will add a margin and it will cost more" or "we will go with piles, because that is the safer blind option". An answer of "not needed" is a warning.

4. How many rounds of revisions are included?

There will always be revisions. The question is whether they are part of the process. Normal: 2–3 rounds on layouts, 1–2 on elevations, then hourly or by rate. Not normal: "we revise until you are happy" — that never happens, and in practice it turns into a conflict in month three.

5. What happens when a question comes up on site?

A house takes 8–18 months to build, and questions will come. Clarify whether the architect answers after handover, whether it is included, and within what time. "Site supervision is charged separately" is fine. Silence is not.

6. Who exactly will do the work?

In a studio the work is split: architect, structural engineer, services engineers. That is right — one person cannot be equally good at sizing a foundation and routing ventilation. But you should know who leads your project and whom to talk to.

If one person does every set single-handed, ask how they calculate the structure. Sometimes the answer is honest: "I pass the structural set to an engineer I trust." That beats a generalist who does everything alone.

7. What do I receive, and in what formats?

The answer should be: PDF for printing, DWG for the builders and consultants, schedules in a readable form. PDF only means you depend on the author for every future change. DWG only means nobody on site can open it.

What belongs in the contract

• The scope by set. Not "design of the project", but a list: architecture, structure, electrical and so on, with contents or sheet counts.
• Deadlines by stage. Not one overall date, but layouts by X, elevations by Y, working drawings by Z. That way a delay is visible early.
• The number of revision rounds and the price of revisions beyond them.
• Payment by stage. Full prepayment is a risk for you, full payment on delivery is a risk for the practice. A 30–50 % deposit with the rest by stage is normal.

Agree separately who owns the source files. By default the author keeps copyright and you receive the right to build one object. If you intend to repeat the design, that is a separate clause and a separate fee.

Five signs not to start

• A price quoted before anyone asks the area or the plot. "A house design — 150 thousand" without questions means the real sum will be counted later, at your expense.
• No questions about you. How many people live there, who gets up when, is a study needed, is there a dog, where do you park in winter. A good design starts with these, not with a picture.
• No interest in the plot documents. Setbacks, easements, utility corridors. Without them the house is drawn in a vacuum.
• Renders only — especially if the presentation style differs from render to render.
• Pressure to pay a deposit before you have read the contract.

What it costs, and why cheap gets expensive

We went through this arithmetic in what a house project includes and stock plan versus custom design. In short: on a 150 m² house the gap between a cheap set and a full one is around 150–200 thousand roubles. One foundation redo costs more.

Frequently asked

Do we need to meet in person?

No. We design across regions and in Bali, and the work runs remotely: calls, messages, files. Regular contact matters more than geography.

Can I order layouts only?

Yes, and it is a sensible first step if the size of the house is still open. Layout options for your plot are priced from 10 000 ₽ per project, and the work carries over into the full design later.

How do I judge a set if I am not a builder?

Three checks anyone can do. One: the dimension chain adds up to the overall size. Two: the set contains details and schedules, not just plans and elevations. Three: show it to a site manager you know — fifteen minutes will tell you whether it is workable.

What if the architect disappears mid-project?

That is exactly why the contract needs stages with files handed over at each one. Then you lose at most one stage and can continue with someone else.

Must one practice do all the sets?

No, but it is cheaper and safer. When architecture and structure come from different people, someone has to reconcile them — usually the client. Within one team they are reconciled before you ever see them.

Ask us these questions

We are ready to answer all seven. Describe the object and the plot — we will come back with the scope, a stage-by-stage schedule and a price calculated from the area rather than pulled from the air. Our sets are in the private houses section.