What Do Architects Do? Everything You Need To Know

Cover Image: Architecture:Catalano Architects/ Build: KVC Builders / Photography: Trent Bell

An architect’s job covers a lot of ground. They do feasibility checks, coordinate engineers, manage approvals, and on bigger projects, they can run the whole construction process from start to finish.

We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners work with architects through TALD, and the thing we wish people knew before the first call is simple: there are two kinds of architects, and which one you need depends on how hands-on you want to be. This article covers everything in detail.

What architects actually do

An architect’s job is to turn what you want into plans that are buildable, legal, and safe.

Their first step is a feasibility check. Before any drawings happen, your architect looks at what’s actually possible on your property. They check zoning setbacks, foundation constraints, and historic district rules. If you’re in an apartment, they also check the wet-over-dry rule, which prevents putting a bathroom or kitchen above a neighbor’s bedroom or living room.

Once they know what’s possible, they start drafting. That means floor plans, elevations, spec packages, and a lighting plan. Along the way, they work with a structural engineer to make sure the design will actually hold up.

Then the plans go to your city or state for approval. That’s where “stamping” comes in: the architect puts their professional seal on the plans to certify the design meets code. Your city or town reviews and signs off too. If you’re in a historic district, you’ll need another stamp from that review board.

What happens after the plans are stamped depends on which type of architect you’ve hired.

Architecture: Purple Cherry Architects & Interior Design / Photography: Durston Saylor, David Burroughs

When you need an architect, and when you don’t

You need an architect for most projects that touch walls, mechanicals, or the building envelope. You probably don’t for cosmetic refreshes.

Many local town and city boards require an architect of record (the licensed professional who signs off on the plans and takes legal responsibility for the design and code compliance) when you’re:

Moving or removing walls

Adding square footage or an addition

Building from scratch

Moving a kitchen (because of plumbing and venting)

Moving a gas line

Historic districts and stricter municipalities can lower the threshold further. If you’re unsure, a quick call to your local building department will tell you exactly what requires an architect in your town.

For cosmetic projects (paint, cabinetry swaps, fixture replacements, surface-level refreshes), you generally won’t need one. A good contractor or interior designer can handle the work without stamped plans.

Plans-only vs. Full-service architects

This is the single most important distinction to understand before you start calling firms.

Plans-only architects

A plans-only architect draws your plans, gets them stamped and approved, and hands them off to your general contractor. From there, you and your builder run the project.

They’re typically billed as a flat fee or hourly. You can still call them with questions during the build, but they’re not on site coordinating the work. If something shifts midway (a material goes out of stock, a wall turns out to have a surprise beam), you and your builder are making the call.

For plenty of projects, that’s enough. A good builder can problem-solve most of what comes up during construction, so plans-only is a reasonable path if you trust your builder or already have one lined up.

Full-service architects

A full-service architect stays with you from feasibility through construction. They do everything a plans-only architect does, and then some:

They run the bid process with multiple builders (three to eight is typical) and help you pick one

They manage the team, meaning they coordinate the builder, interior designer, landscape designer, and anyone else on the project

They visit the site at least once a week during construction

They become the main point of contact with your builder, so when a problem comes up, the builder goes to them first

They review every invoice from your builder before it touches your desk, checking that you got billed for 50 windows only if there are actually 50 windows in the house

That last one is the most tangible full-service value, and also the one homeowners know least about going in. It’s part of why full-service fees are higher.

Most architects can work either way. It’s not a rigid category. When you’re on a first call, ask which scope they prefer and which they think fits your project.

After construction starts, full-service architects stay engaged through the end. Plans-only architects are mostly done, though they often get pulled back in later for things like tile, fixtures, or built-in selections.

How architects charge

Plans-only architects usually charge a flat fee or an hourly rate. Full-service architects charge a percentage of your total project cost, typically 8 to 15 percent, stretched across the timeline of the build.

On a $1 million project, that percentage translates to somewhere between $80,000 and $150,000 in architect fees, billed in stages rather than all at once. On a smaller, well-defined scope (like a single-room renovation or an addition), a flat fee of a few thousand dollars may cover everything you need.

For a real build estimate, builders are usually the right people to ask. Architects are focused more on design and process. They can give you rough ranges on things like tile and fixtures, but the day-to-day cost of materials (what steel is trading at, what windows will cost next quarter) is really a builder’s world.

A builder can tell you something specific like “we can build a 4,000-square-foot house for $300 a square foot,” and from there it’s easy to calculate what 8 to 15 percent would mean in architect fees.

Architecture:Jacob Lilley Architects (JLa)/ Photography: Greg Pemru

Architect Vs. Builder, and Interior Designer

On most real projects, there are at least three professionals in the mix. Understanding who owns what saves you from hiring the wrong person for a job, and from paying twice for the same thing.

A useful rule of thumb most architects will tell you: if you turned the house upside down, whatever didn’t fall out is theirs. Tile, built-in cabinetry, wired lighting, plumbing fixtures, the lighting plan. Whatever did fall out (sofas, lamps, rugs, art) tends to belong to the interior designer.

That said, some architects prefer to stop at the floor plan and structure. If yours does, an interior designer usually fills the gap. Ask early, because plumbing fixtures in particular have to be selected early in the process. Your contractor needs the roughs before walls close up, so “I’ll pick a faucet later” can become a scheduling problem.

One clarifying piece on the builder side: value engineering (finding a cheaper way to achieve the same look, say by swapping a specified material for a similar one that costs less) is a builder function. Your architect designs the thing. Your builder figures out how to build it within your budget.

How architects fit into different projects

How much an architect handles on your project depends a lot on what you’re building. Some projects put them at the center of the whole process. Others pull them in for a smaller, defined role and let the builder take the lead. And there are a couple of setups that blend the two.

Full renovations and new builds

On a full renovation or a new build, the architect is usually at the center of the project. You’ll still choose between plans-only and full-service, depending on how much you want to handle yourself.

On a new build especially, full-service often makes the most sense. These projects are big and take a while, so having the architect running site visits and reviewing invoices along the way gives you real peace of mind.

Additions

Additions often start with the builder. Say you want to add a small room above your existing garage. The shape of your house is already set, so there’s less to design from scratch and more to fit in carefully with what’s already there.

In a case like that, you’d usually start by talking to a local builder who knows the rules in your town. They look at what’s possible, give you a rough cost per square foot, and once you’re aligned on the plan, they bring in an architect to draw it up. The architect’s role here is smaller. They handle the plans, get the approvals, and then they’re done. Your builder is your main point of contact for the rest of the project.

Plenty of people build this way, and it works well. Your builder will often already have an architect they’ve worked with for years, which makes everything run smoother.

(If your project involves multiple professionals, our guide on who to hire first covers the sequencing.)

Design-build firms and spec builders

A couple of other setups can also work well, depending on your project:

Design-build firms handle the architecture, construction, and budgeting all in one place, with their own in-house designers and contractors. This often makes the process faster and easier to keep on budget than hiring each professional separately.

Spec builders are contractors who build houses before they have a buyer. They’re a good starting point for a new build because they already know costs per square foot in your area and usually have an architect they work with regularly.

Neither is the standard path, but each can be a great fit for the right project.

Architecture:J Steven Kemp Architect/ Photography:Rank Studios

Why good architects are both technical and creative

The reason a great architect is hard to replace is the combination of skills most professionals only have half of.

On the technical side, architects handle:

Structure and foundations

Setbacks, zoning, and historic district requirements

Mechanical and plumbing systems

Code compliance

Engineering coordination

That’s the unglamorous work that keeps a house upright and legal.

On the creative side, they shape rooflines, a portico that changes the entire approach to a house, an extra window placed well, the way a house sits on its land and reads from the street.

The highest-leverage creative moves in a project (moves that affect how a house feels every day you live in it) usually come from the architect. Interior designers shape the rooms inside; architects shape the bones.

Most people are either creative or technical. Architects have to be both, and they have to respect the site, the climate, the neighborhood, and the history on top of that.

The same architect might design a shingled New England farmhouse built to weather harsh winters and, a few years later, a glass-forward beach house in Malibu, and get both right. That range is what separates a competent architect from a great one.

Finding the right architect for your project onTALD

Once you know which type of architect your project calls for, the next step is finding one whose portfolio, scope, and budget range actually match what you’re trying to do. That’s the part that usually takes weeks. Scrolling Instagram, asking friends, comparing websites, sending DMs that never get answered, sitting through introductory calls just to find out someone’s project minimum is twice your budget.

On TALD, that filtering is already done for you. Every architect on the platform is invite-only and editorially vetted across four things: training, experience, point of view, and client sentiment. Their rates, project minimums, and budget ranges are visible on every profile before you reach out, so you can sort by what fits your project (and your wallet) before a single conversation happens.

You can see their portfolios too, which means you know exactly what their work looks like before you even say hello.

And if you’re not quite ready for a full engagement, a virtual consultation is one of the most useful tools in the process. For $100 to $800, you get a 30- or 60-minute video session with an architect of your choice.

It’s a great way to get feasibility questions answered (“can I actually move this wall?” or “can my foundation take a second floor?”), or expert input on a specific decision, without committing to a full project. It’s real expertise in under an hour, instead of days of Googling and guesswork.

Final thoughts

The homeowners who get the most out of an architect tend to be the ones who figure out what type of architect they actually need before the first interaction. Once that’s clear, the rest gets easier. You know who to call and when, and you know what to ask them.

You’ll walk into every conversation with a clear sense of what you’re asking for and who you’re asking for it from. That alone changes what the whole process feels like.If you have questions or want help getting started, you can DM us on Instagram, email concierge@tald.co, or book a complimentary renovation concierge call and we’ll help you figure out which type of architect fits your project.