Working with an architect: what to expect from brief to build

What an architect actually does

An architect's work runs in stages. It starts with a brief and concept design — measured drawings of your existing home and sketch options for the extension or new build. From there it moves into developed design and the documentation needed for council or certifier approval, then construction drawings detailed enough for builders to quote against, and finally, if you want it, contract administration — the architect checking the build matches the drawings and managing payments and variations through to handover.

You don't always need one. For a straightforward renovation with no tricky approvals, a building designer or draftsperson can produce compliant plans for less. An architect earns their fee when the site is difficult, the design matters to you, approvals are complicated (heritage overlays, tough councils), or you want someone in your corner across the whole build rather than just at the drawing stage.

How the fees work

Architects charge either a fixed fee per stage or a percentage of the construction cost — commonly somewhere in the mid-to-high single digits, more for full service. In practice that means concept work for a renovation can sit in the low thousands, design plus approval documentation in the five-figure range, and a full service on a new home or major renovation well beyond that. Treat any figure as indicative until a practice has seen your site and brief.

The useful mindset is that scope, not hourly rate, drives the bill. Every stage you add transfers work and risk from you to them — and the later stages, where they run the builder tender and administer the contract, are the expensive ones.

Choosing and checking your architect

The title architect is legally protected in Australia — check the person is registered with your state's Architects Registration Board before you rely on the word. Registration means formal qualifications, professional indemnity insurance requirements and a complaints process behind them.

Beyond the paperwork, fit matters. Ask to see built projects — not just renders — at a budget similar to yours, and talk to a past client if you can. A good architect asks more questions than they answer in the first meeting, is upfront about what your budget realistically buys, and is comfortable agreeing fees stage by stage so you can pause after concept design if the numbers don't stack up.

Mistakes to avoid

Most architect horror stories trace back to the same few missteps, and almost all of them happen before any drawing starts. The common thread is committing too much, too early, with too little in writing.

• Signing up for full service before concept design has proven the project is feasible at your budget
• Falling for portfolio projects built at triple your budget — ask for examples at yours
• Not agreeing what happens (and what it costs) if the council knocks the design back
• Skipping the engineer and consultant costs when comparing fee proposals — check what each fee actually includes
• Treating the architect's cost estimate as a builder's quote — only a builder's price is a price