Most people hire an architect thinking they’re paying for drawings. That’s it. Nothing else.

That assumption causes more project headaches than almost anything I’ve seen. What should an architect do? Run the whole thing first sketch to final walkthrough, not hand you a folder of plans and vanish. The gap between “makes pretty renderings” and “manages a multi-year construction project” is huge, and clients who miss that gap either underpay for the actual scope or get blindsided later when things they assumed were included, weren’t. This breaks down what the job really covers, phase by phase.

What an Architect Does Before Design Even Starts

Good architects listen first. Sketch later.

Before anyone touches a drawing, a competent architect sits with the client and digs into goals, real budget numbers, and whatever the site’s actually throwing at them. Half the eventual design gets decided right here, whether people realize it or not. Rush this part, or skip it, and you end up with something that technically functions but doesn’t actually fit how anyone lives or works.

The good ones ask annoying questions early. How will this space get used on a random Tuesday, not the fantasy version? What’s the real number, not the wishful one? Any weird site constraints lurking that’ll fight the design six months in? Getting honest answers here saves real money redesigning after permitting starts costs way more than redesigning on paper, where it’s basically free.

What questions should an architect ask before starting a project?

Budget, timeline, intended use, site constraints that’s the baseline. A good one also asks about the future is the family growing, is the business expanding? Designing only for today’s needs tends to create expensive problems five or ten years down the road, and I’ve watched clients pay twice for the same square footage because nobody asked that question upfront.

What Should an Architect Do in the Design Phase?

This is the part everyone pictures. Rough floor plans first, massing studies, early material ideas that’s schematic design. Then design development, where the rough stuff gets sharpened into something a contractor could actually build. Somewhere in there an architect should be running sun studies and space programming too, not just producing pretty pictures for Instagram.

Here’s the thing though a good architect pushes back. I’ve worked with designers who just say yes to every client’s wish, and the resulting projects are usually a pile of compromises nobody actually likes. Better move: tell the client straight up, this room won’t see daylight past 2pm, or that the finish choice blows the budget by 20 percent. Pushback isn’t rude here. It’s the job.

How long does the design phase typically take?

It varies a lot by project size, honestly. Residential remodels often run one to three years total once you fold in permitting. Commercial work frequently stretches three to four years, concept to completion. Smaller jobs move quicker, anything touching zoning variances or a historic district tends to tack on months, sometimes over a year, right at the front.

What Should an Architect Do Regarding Building Codes and Permits?

Code compliance isn’t optional. It’s not a “figure it out later” problem, either. Every jurisdiction runs its own building codes, zoning rules, safety requirements and untangling that mess is squarely on the architect. That includes prepping and submitting permit applications, going back and forth with regulatory authorities, and revising the design whenever a plan reviewer flags something.

Nobody talks about this part much, but it eats a genuinely enormous chunk of time on real projects. Permit review cycles can drag on for weeks or months depending on the city, and an architect who isn’t proactively managing that clock puts the whole schedule at risk without anyone noticing until it’s too late.

Who is responsible for getting building permits, the architect or the client?

The architect usually prepares and files the application, though the owner’s name sits on the permit itself. Architects handle the technical back and forth with reviewers since they’re the ones fluent in code language and can turn around revisions fast when something gets kicked back.

What Should an Architect Do During Construction?

A lot of clients think the architect’s job ends once the crew shows up. Wrong. Or it shouldn’t be, anyway. Construction administration means staying involved site visits, reviewing contractor submittals, signing off on material swaps, catching problems before they turn into expensive ones.

This is exactly where an architect and an architectural designer split apart. Designers tend to hand off drawings and step back. A full-service architect stays in it until the end. Site visits during construction aren’t just friendly check-ins, either; they’re comparing what’s physically going up against the contract documents, flagging what doesn’t match, making judgment calls on the fly when field conditions surprise everyone. And they always do, on basically every project, no matter how careful the design phase was.

Does an architect visit the construction site regularly?

Yes, typically on a set schedule weekly or biweekly depending on how complicated the project is. This gets spelled out in the contract, so ask upfront. Some firms offer minimal site presence, others stay glued to the job. Worth knowing which one you’re paying for.

What Should an Architect Do When Coordinating With Other Professionals?

No building goes up because of one person. Structural engineers, mechanical and electrical consultants, interior designers, contractors, everyone’s working off drawings that need to line up, and the architect usually holds that whole mess together. Engineer’s structural plan bumps into the architect’s ceiling design? Someone has to sort it out. That’s typically the architect’s call.

This coordination job gets bigger on larger projects, where interior architects and landscape architects need the exterior and site design to actually talk to each other instead of existing as separate afterthoughts nobody reconciles. A restoration architect working on a historic building has it even harder balancing preservation rules against modern code, which is basically its own separate skillset entirely.

What’s the difference between an architect and an architectural technologist?

An architect leads the design and usually holds a license carrying legal responsibility for the project. An architectural technologist leans more technical documentation, construction detailing typically working under an architect rather than driving the overall vision.

What Should an Architect Do Across Different Project Types?

Not every job needs the same level of involvement, and knowing that saves money on smaller work. A residential remodel might only need partial service floor plan revisions, permit drawings skipping full construction administration entirely. A hospital or school, though, needs an architect buried in accessibility rules, specialized codes, and often years of phased construction oversight.

Commercial and industrial jobs bring their own weirdness too. A warehouse cares way more about structural spans and loading dock logistics than looks. A hotel leans hard into guest flow and interior experience instead. Matching the architect’s actual scope to the project type, rather than assuming every job needs the same full package, is where a lot of budgets quietly get wasted.

Conclusion

So, what should an architect do? Guide the whole thing with a rough idea to finish, code-compliant, safely-built structure not just hand over drawings and disappear. That covers client consultation, design development, permitting, construction oversight, and coordinating a whole team of specialists along the way. Clients who actually understand this scope negotiate better contracts, and they stop underpaying for what’s really a multi-year professional commitment.

FAQs

What exactly does an architect do day to day?
Split between design work, client meetings, coordinating with engineers and contractors, and reviewing construction progress. The mix shifts a lot depending on what phase the project’s currently in.

Is an architect responsible if something goes wrong during construction?
Architects carry liability tied to their design decisions and contract documents, but contractors generally own the execution itself. The exact split depends on contract terms and whatever state law applies.

Do I need an architect for a small home renovation?
Not always. Plenty of small renovations just need partial service permit drawings, basically skipping full construction administration. Bigger structural changes usually benefit from fuller involvement, though.

What’s the difference between an architect and a general contractor?
The architect designs and handles code compliance. The general contractor runs the actual build and hires the trades. They work together throughout, with the architect checking the contractor’s work against the design intent.