How to Choose an Architect for a $500K+ Build

The single most consequential hire in your custom home project is not your builder. It's your architect. The builder executes the drawings. The architect decides what the drawings say.

What to look for

• Residential portfolio at your price point. Commercial architects often draw beautiful homes that are expensive to build. Make sure they've delivered houses in the $500K–$2M range that came in on budget.
• They've already worked with builders. Architects who've never been to a job site draw houses that look great on paper and are miserable to build. Ask for builder references.
• They charge a percentage, not by the hour. Hourly architects are incentivized to take longer. Percentage-of-build-cost architects are incentivized to stay engaged through the whole project.

Three questions to ask

1. "Tell me about a recent project where the budget got tight. What did you cut, and how did you decide?" — You're looking for someone who has cut scope before and isn't precious about it.
2. "How often do you visit the job site during framing?" — Anything less than every 2 weeks is a problem.
3. "Can I see your last three construction sets?" — A construction set is the level of detail you're paying for. If they hesitate, walk away.

Red flags

• Refuses to share fee structure upfront.
• Won't give builder references.
• Has never delivered a home of the size you're building.
• Talks about "vision" more than "schedule."

Find the right architect, and the build runs itself. Find the wrong one, and no builder on earth can save you.