Architecture faq

What to Expect When Working With an Architect

Architect's and the Process:

  • Hiring an architect for a custom home or major renovation is an investment — one that can significantly improve your project’s quality, value, and long-term performance. While architectural fees are comparable to other professional services, the right residential architect can save you money by preventing costly construction mistakes, improving energy performance, and ensuring your home is designed thoughtfully from the beginning.

    Peace of Mind Throughout the Entire Architectural Design Process

    As your architect, we coordinate the full design team, manage communication with consultants and builders, and guide you through every phase — from conceptual design to permitting and construction. Our role is to protect your investment, reduce risk, and give you a smoother, more predictable path to a well-designed home.

    A Streamlined Process That Saves Time, Money, and Stress

    Designing and building a home involves hundreds of decisions and numerous regulatory requirements. Our experience allows us to anticipate challenges, avoid pitfalls, and keep your project aligned with your goals and budget. This level of architectural oversight minimizes surprises during construction and reduces delays and change orders.

    Design That Improves Value and Daily Living

    A well-designed home enhances comfort, functionality, sustainability, and resale value. We explore possibilities you may not have considered — often unlocking better space planning, improved energy efficiency, and long-term durability.

    Reduced Construction Risk

    We evaluate feasibility, zoning, cost considerations, and technical constraints early in the process so you can make informed decisions. Detailed architectural drawings and well-coordinated documents reduce errors during construction and help builders execute the design accurately.

    See Our Design Process →

  • Many clients come to us before they have a fully formed vision. This is incredibly common, and it’s a key part of why people hire an architect for custom home design or large renovations.

    Our Pre-Design services help clarify your goals, explore options, and determine what’s possible based on your lifestyle, property, and budget.

    We begin with a conversation to understand your needs in a broad sense — how you live, how you want your future home to function, and any must-have spaces. Through this collaborative discovery process, we identify the spaces, adjacencies, sizes, and features that best fit your routines and values.

    From there, we translate ideas into early floor plans and a 3D model so you can visualize your future home. This stage gives shape to your project even if you start with only a general concept.

    See Our Pre-Design Questionnaire →

  • Timelines for custom home design and residential renovations vary depending on project complexity, municipal approvals, and how quickly decisions can be made. Below are general guidelines for the architectural design and construction timeline:

    • Simple project:
      3–6 months for design + 8–12 months for construction

    • Complex renovation or custom home:
      6–9 months for design + 14–18 months for construction

    • Projects requiring development or planning approval:
      Add a minimum of 3 months to the timeline

    We outline the full architectural timeline at the start of the project so you understand each milestone, from Schematic Design through Construction Documents, permitting, and Construction Administration.

  • Yes. As part of our architectural services, we help clients select the right builder for their custom home or renovation.

    We work with a trusted network of highly skilled builders who prioritize craftsmanship, transparency, and communication — qualities that lead to better outcomes and fewer surprises during construction. These builders typically operate smaller, high-quality teams that are well-suited for custom residential projects.

    We do not solicit bids from dozens of contractors in search of the lowest number; instead, we focus on finding the best alignment for your project type, scope, and budget.

    If you already have a builder you’d like to work with, we will happily collaborate with them. We simply ask for a chance to meet them, understand their experience with similar projects, and ensure alignment so the entire team can work cohesively from the start.

  • We stay deeply involved throughout the entire architectural design process — from early concepts to construction completion.

    Our role is to guide the project strategically and creatively, ensuring alignment on design intent, code requirements, material selections, budget considerations, and construction quality. During construction, we offer ongoing support through site visits, review of contractor submittals, answering RFIs (Request for Information from the General Contractor), and helping you navigate decisions in real time.

    This consistent involvement ensures a smoother build, clearer communication, and a finished home that reflects the vision established during design.

Costs:

  • Budget is a vital part of every project, and we treat it with the same care and intentionality as the design itself. You’re making a significant investment in your home, and our role as your architect is to help you steward that investment wisely.

    Here’s how we help you stay on track:

    • Budget is a standing agenda item. We discuss it openly in each phase of the project, ensuring decisions remain aligned with your financial goals.

    • Clear communication about cost drivers. If a design choice is likely to increase the budget, we tell you upfront and offer thoughtful alternatives. You can then decide if you want to make changes or increase your budget.

    • A design approach grounded in efficiency. We consider construction systems, material economies, and long-term durability to maximize value.

    • A trusted network of builders. We work with vetted contractors who excel across a range of project sizes and budgets—teams who consistently produce accurate pricing and high-quality work.

    • A “price early” philosophy. Early cost input helps avoid surprises, allowing you to make informed decisions long before construction begins.

    See “How we manage the project budget” below →

  • From the outset, we take a proactive and transparent approach to construction budgeting for residential projects.

    We begin with an initial assessment of your goals, project size, and any anticipated “extras.” This helps us refine the preliminary budget and identify square footage targets that fit both your vision and financial parameters. We then establish a cost framework—often expressed in dollars per square foot—that guides the design process.

    Once early designs are developed and you’ve approved the direction, we recommend bringing in a contractor for preconstruction input. This collaboration is invaluable because it:

    • Familiarizes the builder with the project long before construction begins

    • Encourages early conversations with subcontractors for more accurate pricing

    • Allows us to refine details to optimize cost and constructability

    • Reduces budget surprises later in the process

    • Streamlines the handoff to construction when the permit is approved

    This early involvement results in clearer expectations, fewer change orders, and smoother communication throughout the build.

  • Yes. We always begin with a complimentary video consultation.

    This meeting gives you the opportunity to ask questions, share your goals, and get a feel for how we work. It also helps us understand your project’s scope, constraints, and aspirations. Afterward, we prepare a detailed design proposal outlining how we recommend structuring the architectural process, along with a transparent breakdown of fees so you fully understand what’s included.

    This first conversation is simply about clarity, alignment, and ensuring we’re the right fit for one another.

  • We structure our services through a clear, flexible three-tier design package system, allowing you to choose the level of architectural service that best fits your project, goals, and budget. Each tier is a fixed-fee arrangement, so you always know what to expect from the start—no surprises and no hourly uncertainty.

    Our design packages range from essential documentation for straightforward projects to highly detailed, full-service architectural support for more complex custom homes. Each tier builds on the last, offering increasing depth of design, visualization, detailing, coordination, and construction support.

    This tiered structure gives you the freedom to select the service level that aligns with your project’s needs while ensuring that every option includes the thoughtful, high-quality design Intentional Architecture is known for.

    Regardless of the tier you choose, our fees reflect more than drawings—they represent decades of experience in residential architecture, construction knowledge, project management, risk mitigation, and a deeply collaborative design process that helps you avoid costly missteps and achieve a home that performs beautifully for years to come.

  • We work on projects of all sizes; however, we’ve found that projects with a minimum construction budget of around $250,000 tend to provide the level of efficiency and value alignment needed to make our architectural services cost-effective for clients.

    If you’re unsure whether your project fits, we’re always happy to discuss the details during a complimentary consultation.