Seven questions to ask an architect before signing

A good architect will not mind any of these questions. A bad one will.

Before signing with an architect, ask these seven questions. The answers tell you more than a portfolio does.

First: what exactly do I receive per service? Ask for a list of documents, not a description of atmosphere. If there is no list, there is no boundary of work.

Second: what is not included? An honest answer here is worth more than three references. Surveys, specialist reports, fees and levies are usually outside the architect's fee, which is normal, but it must be written down.

Third: how are changes priced? Changing your mind is not a problem. A change without a written trace of its impact on time and cost is.

Fourth: who will I hear from, and how often? One contact and a known reporting rhythm save more nerves than any render.

Fifth: what happens if I stop halfway? The documentation of a completed service must remain yours, usable to continue later, with this office or another.

Sixth: what are realistic procedure times for my location? Nobody serious guarantees authority timelines. A serious office guarantees its own side and maps the other.

Seventh: can I see a sample deliverable? One real floor plan with a description says more than ten visualisations.

None of these questions is impolite. An office that receives them calmly, with concrete answers, will probably run your project the same way.