How to Hire an Architect for Remodeling [2026]

Cover Image: Architecture: MV Architects / Photo: Jenn Verrier

Hiring an architect for a remodel is a different animal than hiring one for a new build.

You’re working within an existing structure, dealing with feasibility questions that don’t come up with ground-up construction, and often wondering whether you even need an architect at all.

We’ve matched hundreds of homeowners with design professionals through TALD, and the hiring process for remodeling projects follows its own logic. It comes down to one decision that shapes everything else: whether you need an architect for plans only or for full-service project management.

That choice determines your cost, your timeline, and how involved you’ll need to be throughout the build.

Do you even need an architect for your remodel?

If your remodel involves structural or mechanical changes, your local building department will almost certainly require an architect of record. It’s a permitting requirement. The common triggers include:

Relocating plumbing and venting (which happens any time you move a kitchen to a new location)

Rerouting gas lines

Removing load-bearing walls

Adding square footage or an addition

A full gut renovation of an existing home

If your remodel is cosmetic (new cabinets, countertops, paint, fixtures, flooring) and nothing structural is changing, you probably don’t need an architect. A good general contractor can handle that scope, and you’ll save the money.

When you do need one, architects are a great place to start building your project team. They work with builders, engineers, and often interior designers, so they can help you understand the full picture of who else you’ll need on board.

For everything in between, a quick conversation with a local architect can clarify whether your project triggers the requirement. Some architects offer virtual consultations for exactly this purpose (expert design help costs less than you think), and we’ll cover that later.

Architecture: Kligerman Architecture & Design / Photography: Richard Powers

Plans-only vs. full-service: the choice that shapes your remodel

There are two different ways to work with an architect, and understanding the distinction early saves you time and money.

1. Plans-only

The architect creates your plans, gets them through structural engineering and local approvals (a process called stamping), and hands the approved drawings off to your general contractor. You pay a flat fee or hourly rate for this work. From that point forward, you and your GC run the project.

This works well for remodels with a clear scope and a builder you already trust. Additions, kitchen expansions, converting a garage into living space. The architect solves the design and engineering puzzle, and your builder executes it.

2. Full-service

The architect manages the entire process from plans through construction completion. They create the plans, coordinate the full team (builder, interior designer, landscape designer if needed), attend site visits at least once a week, and review every invoice from your builder before it hits your desk.

The invoice review piece is worth understanding. Whether your builder is on a cost-plus contract (charging a percentage on top of each material and labor cost) or a fixed bid (one total price for the whole job), the full-service architect checks every bill. They verify that you were billed for 50 windows and there are 50 windows in the house. They confirm the tile was installed correctly before approving the payment. It’s project management as much as it is design.

Full-service runs 8-15% of total project cost, billed over the duration of the build.

How to decide

The question is really about how involved you can be.

If you have the time and comfort level to work directly with your builder, make decisions on the fly when surprises come up, and manage the day-to-day of a construction project, plans-only gives you what you need at a lower cost.

If you’d rather have someone absorb that complexity (changes in materials, unexpected structural issues, coordinating multiple trades), full-service is built for that. When problems arise, the builder goes to the architect first. They try to work it out, and you get the solution.

Both are good options, and many architects offer both. There’s no wrong answer here. It depends on your project, your budget, and your bandwidth.

Architecture: Quartet Design Studio / Photography: Adam Kane Macchia

Should you start with a builder or an architect?

For new construction, the answer is almost always “start with the architect.” For remodels, it’s closer to 50/50, and the right starting point depends on your project and your budget.

Start with a builder if your remodel is scope-defined and budget is a priority (an addition, a kitchen expansion, converting a space). Builders know local construction costs per square foot, they know your town’s code and permitting requirements, and they often have architects they already work with. The builder can map out the practical realities of your project and then pull in an architect when plans are needed.

Start with an architect if your remodel is design-driven and your budget is more flexible (a whole-house renovation where you want someone shaping the creative vision). You want the design to lead, and the budget to follow.

Consider a design-build firm if cost control is the priority and you want one point of contact. Design-build firms handle design, budgeting, and construction under one roof. The process tends to move faster and stay more budget-focused because the team is coordinating internally.

In practice, the builder-first path is common for additions and defined renovations. You walk the project with a builder, talk through what you’re picturing, and they help you figure out what’s realistic from a cost and code perspective. When it’s time for plans, the builder says “we need to bring in an architect”.

And they often already have someone they like working with. That existing relationship makes the process smoother.

With additions especially, the architect’s job is to make the new construction look like it was always part of the house (you can see what that kind of cohesion looks like in this Greenwich remodel by Cola Studios).

Your house is your house. There’s less room for sweeping creative vision and more about working skillfully within existing parameters. The architect is one piece of the puzzle, not necessarily the lead.

(If your project involves multiple professionals, our guide on who to hire first can help you think through the broader sequencing question.)

How to find an architect for your remodel

The best referrals tend to come from people who’ve already worked alongside architects on renovation projects.

Professional referrals

If you’ve worked with an interior designer before, ask them. Designers collaborate with architects on full projects and develop strong opinions about who’s good to work with. A designer saying “this architect would be a great fit for your project” carries weight, because they’ve seen that person in action across an entire build.

If you went the builder-first route, your GC may already have an architect they like. Builders and architects who’ve worked together before already have a rhythm, and that can speed things up considerably.

Other discovery channels

Instagram is useful for discovering architects whose work resonates with you. Search locally, explore tagged projects, and follow people whose aesthetic you’re drawn to. Friends, local Facebook groups, and neighborhood networks all generate names too.

Before you reach out

These are the first things an architect will ask you, so have answers ready:

Budget: even a rough range

Timeframe: when you’d like to start and any deadlines

Location: your project address (architects are licensed by state, so this matters)

Size: approximate square footage of the remodel

Priorities: the four or five things that matter most to your household (more bedrooms for a growing family, aging in place, natural light, garage space). These give the architect something real to work with from the first conversation.

One practical note: architects have project minimums, similar to interior designers. If someone’s minimum is $2M and your kitchen remodel is $150K, it’s not the right fit, and that’s fine.

Many architects are also happy to do plans for projects outside their home state and hire a local architect to sign off, but not everyone works that way. Be upfront about your project’s location early.

Architecture: BHA / Photography: Ryan McDonald

What to ask and how to evaluate

Once you’ve found a few architects worth talking to, you’ll need to assess how they work, who you’ll actually be communicating with, and where their responsibility ends.

If you can, have them come to your home or the project site. For remodels, this matters more than it does for new builds, because the home already exists. You want to see how they respond to the space. Are they engaged? Do ideas start coming up as they walk through? When they see the street, the approach, the existing structure, do they seem to understand what you’re going for?

Ask for unpublished portfolio photos. Some finished projects can’t go online because clients prefer privacy, but architects will often share them in person. It’s always worth asking.

Key questions for the first conversation

Timeline and process. What are your steps, and how long does each one take? A good architect will lay out their sequence clearly: feasibility assessment, plan options, revisions, engineering, approvals. Within about a month you should have something to look at, but it depends on the square footage and how detailed the first pass is.

Revisions. How many are included? If you’re paying hourly, revisions are essentially unlimited because you keep paying for them. On a flat fee or percentage basis, most architects will present around four floor plan options and you narrow from there. Get this number upfront.

Who works on your project. Some architects are solo practitioners. Others work in firms with partners and junior architects. It’s like a law firm: the partner might sell the project, but you could work day-to-day with a senior or junior architect. Know who your main contact will be.

Where the architect’s scope ends. This is one of the most useful questions for remodels, especially if you’re also hiring an interior designer. A good rule of thumb: if you turned the house upside down, whatever doesn’t fall out is typically the architect’s territory. Tile, plumbing fixtures, overhead lighting, built-ins. Furniture, lamps, and decor would be the interior designer’s domain. But it varies. Some architects are happy to select tile and plumbing fixtures. Others are not, and if yours isn’t, you’ll want to bring in an interior designer for those selections. This matters because plumbing selections are needed early in the build. The roughs (the pipes and fittings that go behind the walls) have to be in place before walls close up.

Evaluating an architect’s style works differently than evaluating interior designers, where you want to love their entire portfolio because a consistent aesthetic through line matters, architects can work in vastly different styles. The same person might design a New England colonial and a modern glass house.

What you’re looking for is ingenuity and respect for the existing structure, not portfolio consistency.

How architects charge for remodeling work

How you pay depends on which model you choose.

Plans-only pricing

You’ll pay a flat fee or hourly rate for the architect to create plans, get them through engineering and approvals, and hand them off. A $150K kitchen remodel with a plans-only architect on a flat fee might run $5K-$15K depending on the complexity of the layout and structural changes involved.

Full-service pricing

Full-service runs 8-15% of total project cost, billed over the duration of the build.

Say a $500K whole-house remodel with a full-service architect at 10% — that comes to $50K over the course of the project. That covers plans, engineering, approvals, weekly site visits, invoice review, and managing every change that comes up during construction.

The range depends on where you are in the country, the size and complexity of the project, and the architect’s experience level. Lower doesn’t necessarily mean less experienced. The billing is spread across the project timeline, so you’re not paying a lump sum upfront.

Who to ask about total project cost

We hear this from homeowners all the time: they expect the architect to tell them how much the whole project will cost.

But projecting total construction cost is the builder’s territory.

Builders know what steel is trading at, what windows cost right now, what labor runs per square foot in your area. Especially with current material costs and tariffs shifting, an architect can give you a rough range, but a builder is the person to talk to for a real number.

If you need a cost-per-square-foot estimate before committing to anything, start that conversation with a builder.

What the remodel process looks like with an architect

Once you’ve hired an architect, the process follows a predictable sequence. Knowing what’s coming helps you plan your timeline and set expectations with your family.

Site visit. The architect comes to your existing home, walks the space, and starts understanding the physical realities of what you’re working with.

Feasibility assessment. This is where remodels differ most from new builds. Can your existing foundation handle a second floor? Are you within the required setback distance from wetlands or septic? Does your town have historic district requirements that limit what you can change on the exterior? If you’re adding bedrooms, your septic system may need an upgrade to handle the increased capacity. Every situation is different, and these local restrictions shape what’s possible before any design work begins.

Plan development. The architect drafts plan options. You’ll review them, provide feedback, and narrow down to a direction. Multiple rounds of revisions are normal.

Structural engineering. Larger projects require structural engineering sign-off. Your architect will typically have engineers they work with and can coordinate this step.

Stamping and approvals. The plans get reviewed and approved by the state, the city, and (if applicable) engineering boards and historic district committees. This is what makes the plans legal to build from.

Bidding out to builders. If you don’t already have a builder, this is when you send the approved plans to builders (anywhere from three to eight is typical) for competitive bids. A full-service architect manages this for you. If you went plans-only, you handle bidding yourself.

Construction. And this is where you should expect the unexpected. Materials become unavailable. Prices spike on something you already specified. You open a wall and find a corroded beam that nobody knew about. The architect’s role during the build is to revise the plan when reality doesn’t match the drawing.

If you hired full-service, the architect stays involved through the entire build, handling these changes as part of their scope. If you went plans-only, the architect’s job is largely done after stamping, though you can still call them back for specific problems or if you’re working with them on interior selections like built-ins and lighting.

There’s a lot of overlap between what a builder can problem-solve and what an architect can problem-solve. If you have a good builder and went plans-only, you’ll be fine. The builder handles the day-to-day construction decisions, and the architect is available if something structural or design-critical comes up.

Architecture: J Steven Kemp Architect / Photography: Rank Studios

How TALD can help you find the right architect

The hardest parts of hiring an architect for a remodel happen before the first conversation. Figuring out who takes your project size, comparing rates, understanding whether someone offers plans-only or full-service.

On TALD, that information is visible before you reach out. You can filter for architects, browse portfolios, and see rates and project minimums upfront — so you know whether someone is a fit before picking up the phone.

If you’re not sure where to start, book a complimentary renovation concierge call and we’ll help match you with the right professional for your project.

Some architects on TALD also offer virtual consultations — a one-hour call to test whether your remodel idea is even feasible. Can you move that wall? Can your foundation support a second story? People assume an architect can design something in an hour. That’s not the purpose. It’s about finding out whether your idea works before you commit months of planning to it.

Final thoughts

Architects bring more creativity to renovation work than most homeowners expect. They’re technical and detail-oriented, but they’re also the ones who figure out how to add an extra window, rethink a roofline, or make an addition feel like it was always part of the house. That combination of technical skill and creative vision is what makes a good remodel feel finished rather than just functional.

The best outcomes we’ve seen share one thing. The homeowner walked into the first conversation knowing what they needed: the scope of the project, a rough budget range, and whether they wanted someone for plans or for the full ride. That clarity is what turns a confusing process into a manageable one.

You have the framework now. The next step is a conversation, whether that’s with a builder, an architect, or a concierge who can point you in the right direction.

Have questions about finding the right architect for your remodel? Feel free to DM us on Instagram or reach out to concierge@tald.co.