How to Find an Architect: The Complete 2026 Guide

Cover Image: Architecture:Kligerman Architecture & Design/ Photography: Eric Piasecki

Finding an architect is more straightforward than it tends to look from the outside. A bit of clarity upfront makes the rest easier.

We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners find architects through TALD. By the end of this article, you’ll know what kind of architect your project needs, where to find one, and what to ask on the first call.

Do you actually need an architect?

Not every project needs one. You’ll usually need an architect when your project touches structure, plumbing, or mechanicals. Most local town and city boards require an architect of record (the licensed professional whose name goes on the plans) for any of these:

Moving walls

Adding on or building from scratch

Relocating plumbing, gas, or other mechanicals

Moving a kitchen (moving the sink or stove counts, because you’re moving venting and plumbing)

You probably don’t need one if your project stays cosmetic:

Refreshing finishes without moving walls or mechanicals

Any work a licensed GC can handle without new plans

If you’re on the fence, your local building department or a good GC will tell you where the threshold sits in your area.

For bigger projects, architects are a great place to start. They often help assemble the rest of the team.

Architecture: Catalano Architects / Photography: Trent Bell

The two types of architects

One thing worth knowing up front: there are two types of architects. The one you end up hiring shapes a lot of what comes next, including fees, timeline, and who’s running the build day to day.

Plans-only

With plans-only, you’re paying the architect to draw a set of stamped plans. They design the project, get the plans approved by the state and city (a step called stamping, which certifies the plans are structurally sound), and hand everything off. From there, you work with your general contractor to build from those plans.

The architect is still available to answer questions, but your GC is running the project day to day. Plans-only architects usually charge a flat fee or hourly rate, which keeps costs predictable and makes this option workable at smaller budgets.

It tends to be a good fit if you’re watching your budget, your project has a clear scope (a kitchen renovation, for example), or you already have a general contractor you trust.

Full-service

Full-service architects do everything a plans-only architect does, then stay on to manage the project.

They’re on-site at least once a week during construction and they’re the main point of contact with the builder. If there’s a problem, the builder goes to them first. If there are other professionals on the team (interior designer, landscape designer), everything rolls up to them.

They also review every builder invoice before you pay it. Fifty bills for windows, fifty windows on-site, tile installed and looking right, and then you’re approved.

You pay a premium for this level of support, but on larger builds, the oversight often pays for itself.

How to choose between them

The main question is how involved you can be in the project.

A full-service architect absorbs the mid-stream changes. If a window factory has a supply issue and you now need different casings, they handle the redesign. Without a full-service architect in that role, you’re making more of those calls on the fly with your builder.

Most architects can work either way. And plans-only architects deserve more attention than they usually get. They make professional architecture accessible at smaller budgets.

How architects charge

There are two billing models, one for each type of architect.

Plans-only architects charge a flat fee or hourly rate to draw your plans. Full-service architects charge a percentage of the total building cost, typically 8 to 15 percent. On a $1 million project, that’s $80,000 to $150,000, billed across the life of the project. On a two-year new build, you’re not paying it all at once.

Where you fall in that range depends on your location, the size of the project, and the architect’s experience level. Remodels and renovations often run higher, closer to 10 to 20 percent, because working inside an existing structure adds complexity.

Revisions are worth asking about before you sign. If you’re paying hourly, they’re technically unlimited (you keep paying for each round). On a project fee or percentage, architects will give you a set number, often around four floor plan options to start from. Set those expectations early either way.

Architects aren’t typically the best person to estimate the overall build. They’re creative and operational, but they don’t know what steel is trading at this week or how tariffs are affecting window prices. For a real cost estimate, ask a builder. They quote in price per square foot and live in the day-to-day of local costs.

Architecture:Christian Rice Architects, Inc./ Photography:Zach Miller

Where the architect stops and the designer begins

If you’re planning to work with both an architect and an interior designer, the cleanest way to think about scope is the upside-down house test. If you turned your house upside down, whatever doesn’t fall out is the architect’s territory:

Walls and structure

Plumbing fixtures

Overhead lighting and the lighting plan

Tile

Built-ins

Whatever does fall out is the interior designer’s territory: sofa, lamps, rugs, drapery, decor.

This varies by architect. Some love selecting tile, faucets, and fixtures. Others want to draw the structural plan and hand the rest off. There’s no right answer, but you need to know where your architect draws the line, especially if you’ll have a designer on the same team. Otherwise you end up with two professionals stepping on each other’s toes.

Plumbing fixtures also get selected surprisingly early in the process, because the contractor needs the roughs (the parts that go inside the wall) before framing can finish. The faucet decision is not a late-stage call. If your architect isn’t handling plumbing selections, bring in a designer sooner rather than later.

Architect or builder: who do you call first?

There’s no single right answer, and the split in practice is roughly 50/50. But the defaults surprise people.

Start with an architect if you’re design-focused with a flexible budget. You’re prioritizing the vision and working backward to cost.

Start with a builder if you’re budget-conscious (which is most of us). They can tell you what’s realistic for your number, and you can bring that information to an architect after.

For a new build, talking to a local builder first is a common path. They’ll know cost per square foot in your area, and many already have architects they work with regularly.

Say you want to bump out your kitchen and add a mudroom off the back of the house.

A builder can walk the site with you, ballpark what it’ll cost per square foot, and tell you whether your existing foundation can handle the load. You map the rough shape together. Once you’ve agreed on direction, the builder brings in an architect to draft the plans. The architect handles one piece, gets the stamp, and hands it back. Your main point of contact stays with the builder.

This path works well for additions and renovations where the existing architecture is already set.

(For bigger projects where you’ll need a full team of four, our guide on who to hire first walks through the sequencing across architects, designers, builders, and landscape pros.)

Other structures that make sense

A traditional architect engagement isn’t the only route.

Design-build firms have in-house designers and contractors. Design, pricing, and build all happen under one roof, which is usually faster and more budget-focused.

Spec builders construct houses on speculation, without a specific buyer lined up. For new builds, they know local costs and typically have architects they’ve worked with for years.

Architecture:BHA/ Photography: Ryan McDonald

Where to look for an architect

Finding an architect usually means searching across several channels, and most of them are noisy. The most reliable starting points are professional referrals, curated platforms like TALD, and the Instagram rabbit hole.

Ask your interior designer

If you’ve worked with an interior designer, ask them for a referral. When a designer and an architect have partnered on a full project, they know each other’s work well. A designer who already knows your taste can point you toward an architect who’ll fit.

Drive neighborhoods

See a home in a style you love? Try to track down who designed it. It’s harder than it sounds, but when it works, you’re starting from a physical building you can walk around, not a render.

Instagram

Search architects in your area, or start from one whose work you like and follow the discovery chain. Look at who they follow for inspiration and which projects they’re tagged in. One profile will often lead you to four or five more, and each architect’s follow list is a curated peer network in your style.

Friends and local Facebook pages

Post in a local community group and you’ll get names quickly. The limitation is that you’re drawing from a small pool of personal experience, and recommendations can skew toward whoever’s top of mind, not necessarily the best fit for your project.

Directories and licensing boards

State licensing boards, AIA chapters, and NCARB are good for verifying that someone is licensed. They’re less useful for finding a stylistic or scope match, because they’re designed for verification rather than curation.

Curated platforms like TALD

Curated platforms like TALD can be one of the cleanest ways to start a search. You can browse vetted architects filtered by location, style, and project type. Rates and project minimums are visible before you reach out, which saves you the “we’re not a fit” conversation entirely.

A note on evaluating portfolios

Architects work differently from interior designers when it comes to portfolios. You’re not looking for one cohesive aesthetic across their work. The same architect might design a traditional New England colonial and a glass-walled beach house, and both can be excellent.

Architecture responds to the site, the climate, the neighborhood, and the history of the place. Good architects bring ingenuity and a unique point of view to each project rather than repeating a single signature style. Verify the state license, then trust your eyes on the built work itself.

What to have ready before you reach out

Architects ask the same first-call questions every time. Having answers ready makes the conversation productive for both sides and shortens the path to a yes or a no.

Budget range. A range, not a single figure. Architects have minimums for both budget and project size, so knowing your range upfront avoids a long conversation only to discover the project isn’t a fit.

Project scope. New build, renovation, or addition. Rough square footage if you have it.

Timeline. Any hard deadlines? A baby arriving, a lease ending, weather windows, permit cycles.

Location. Be specific. Architects are licensed by state. Many will work across state lines (they draft, a local architect stamps), but not everyone is set up that way.

A style reference folder. Pinterest, screenshots, hotel photos, pages torn from magazines. You don’t need the vocabulary for “modern” vs. “traditional.” A professional can look at 15 images you’ve saved and find the common thread.

The style folder is the one piece of prep most people skip, and it’s the one that makes the first conversation feel grounded. It’s even better if some of the photos credit an architect you can look up.

Architecture:MPR Architecture/ Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg

What to ask in the first conversation

The first call is a two-sided interview. They’re deciding if your project fits their practice. You’re deciding if they get you.

Start with the basics: where the property is, and whether you’re building new, renovating, or adding on. Then share the five things that matter most to you and whoever lives in the home.

That might be natural light, extra bedrooms, aging in place, a big garage, or a first-floor primary suite. Architects design around priorities, so giving them yours upfront makes the conversation productive from the start.

Ask to see more of their work while you’re on the call. Some finished projects aren’t on Instagram or the firm’s website because the clients prefer privacy, but most architects will share them in a portfolio presentation when you ask. Those unpublished projects are often the ones that show their full range.

Then it’s your turn to ask.

Process and timeline. What’s your step one, step two, step three? How long does each phase take? Within a month you should have something to look at, though a large new build might take longer on the initial exterior design alone.

Revisions. How many are included before change orders start? (On hourly, technically unlimited, but every round is billable. On project fee, they’ll give you a number.)

Who else will be on the project. Architectural firms often work like law firms: a partner brings you in, and a senior or junior architect handles the day-to-day. Meet whoever that person is before you sign.

Scope boundaries. Where does your work end? Do you select tile, plumbing fixtures, and lighting, or do you hand that to the interior designer?

Cadence. How often will we meet, and through what channels?

The site visit as a vibe check

If possible, have them come to the site. There’s no substitute for being there in person.

A good architect walks into a space and starts having ideas. They see the street, the approach, the natural light, the existing architecture, the way the neighbors’ homes sit on their lots. Watch how they respond. Do they get your home? When they suggest changes, do the ideas resonate? That on-site energy tells you more than any portfolio can.

Virtual consultations

One-off virtual consultations with architects are underused, partly because people assume an architect can’t do much in a 30- or 60-minute call. And they’re right that it’s not the time to get a design.

The best use is feasibility. Can I move this wall? Can my foundation support a second-floor addition? Does my lot have room for a garage addition? Those are the questions a consultation is built for. You’re paying for an architect’s expertise on what’s realistic, which can save you months of planning in the wrong direction.

On TALD, you can book a virtual consultation for exactly this kind of session. Expert design help costs less than you think, and for feasibility questions, it’s often the smartest first move.

What happens after you hire

Once you sign, the process tends to follow the same basic sequence. Knowing what’s coming helps you set expectations and ask the right questions along the way.

On-site meeting. The architect walks the property, gets a feel for the space, asks about how you live.

Feasibility study. What are the physical restrictions, code requirements, and setbacks? Wetlands, septic, historic district rules, lot coverage. Every town is different.

Plan drafting. The architect presents options, often several floor plans, and you narrow down what works.

Structural engineering sign-off. The plans go to a structural engineer (usually someone the architect recommends) for certification. The larger the project, the longer this takes. Structural engineering typically runs $1,000 to $5,000 or more, billed separately.

Stamping. The state and city formally approve the plans. Historic districts add an extra approval layer if your property is in one.

Bidding to builders. You send the plans to three to eight builders for detailed cost estimates. A full-service architect can manage this for you, or you can handle it yourself. Bids come back detailed enough that you can compare line by line.

There’s also the question of permits. Construction permits always live with the builder, but the plan-stamp permits can be filed by either the architect or the builder, depending on how involved the architect is.

Find the right architect on TALD

The hardest part of the search is comparing across ten different places at once, often without seeing pricing or minimums upfront.

On TALD, every architect is vetted on training, experience, point of view, and client sentiment. Portfolios are filtered by location, style, and project type, with rates and project minimums visible before you reach out, so the first conversation you have is with someone already in range for your project.

If your build also involves other professionals, you can find architects, interior designers, builders, and landscape designers in one place.

If you’re not ready for a full engagement, you can book a virtual consultation to test feasibility first. A 30- or 60-minute call with a vetted architect is often enough to know whether your project is realistic, and which type of architect you need next.

Final thoughts

Finding the right architect is worth a little patience.

The architect you end up working with has to be both technical and creative at the same time. They have to understand how you live, carry the structural engineering in their head, and still see the roofline or the extra window that will make the house feel right.

That’s a rare combination, and when you find someone who can do both, you stop interviewing and start working.If you’re not sure where to start, book a complimentary renovation concierge call and we’ll help match you with the right architect based on your project. You can also DM us on Instagram or reach out to concierge@tald.co.