top of page

You have questions. We have answers! Check out our most frequently asked questions below.

  • Do I need to hire an Architect for my project?
    It depends! Hiring an Architect can be necessary (and at times required) to get drawings passed through permitting by the building department. In other cases however, the size/complexity of your project can also dictate if it's necessary to hire an Architect. See some common examples below: ​​ Custom Homes Building a brand new home is exciting and full of a thousand different decisions (potentially overwhelming). Figuring out how you want your home to look, setting a budget, getting permits, and dealing with the inevitable delay — there are many moving parts and interdependencies. A project can quickly get derailed without an experienced and steady hand guiding the design process and handoff to construction. An Architect provides client-centered design expertise that will lessen the amount of friction with the building department and keep your project on track. Architect's also provide expertise when it comes to zoning regulations, building codes, spatial organization, sustainability, and so much more. If you're looking to build your forever home, hiring an Architect is a must! ​ Remodels/Additions Projects that involve significant changes, such as adding new rooms, expanding the house, or altering the layout, often require an architect to create detailed plans. Projects that don't involve major changes to the floor plan such as updating a shower, adding door opening, or removing a non-loadbearing wall (consult with a structural engineer first) won't require hiring an Architect. ​ Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Adding an ADU to your property can be a great way to add value to your home! But do you need an Architect? This one depends on the size and complexity of what you're trying to achieve. Hiring an Architect will help ensure the project is safe, in accordance with zoning regulations, and up to building code. If you have experience designing ADUs and know what is required by the building department to get a permit, then you likely won't need an Architect. However if this is your first time or want to ensure it's done to code, hiring an Architect may be the best route.
  • What are your fees?
    Most Architects don't have just one fee structure. It depends on if it's a commercial project or residential, new build or remodel, simple or complex. Generally speaking, there are four common methods architects use to calculate their fees: Time spent (hourly) Flat fee Percentage of the cost of work Cost per square foot Let’s take a brief look at each method, and examine the potential pros and cons. Time spent (hourly) For some projects, especially those that do not have a clear definition of scope and program, the architect will bill an hourly rate for services rendered. The hourly rate charged will depend on the type of work performed and by which members of the design team. Rates vary between architect, project manager, drafter, etc. While hourly billing is fairly straightforward, charging an entire project based solely on time makes many people nervous – it feels undefined and open-ended. For some aspects of the design, billing at an hourly rate is preferable. At AJO, we typically only bill on an hourly basis for tasks such as: As-built drawings (As-built drawings document existing conditions and are needed for remodels when the original plans are not available). Homeowner requests for changes that are beyond the original scope of the project or occur after certain approvals have already been made. During schematic design for remodels (When the scope is still being defined). Flat Fee When an architect quotes a stipulated sum for a project, he or she is essentially basing the number on gut instinct. If their educated guess is correct, then great! As a homeowner, you can know exactly what your project will cost. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work out. We’ve seen many professionals – not just architects – lowball their quote in order to win the job, and then later realize that they aren’t charging enough to complete the project. At this point, they generally return to the homeowner and ask for more money. Not a conversation you want to be having. ​ Percentage of the Cost of Work Imagine that the total cost of your home is going to be 2 million dollars – this includes everything: construction, finishes, details, maybe even interior design. If your architectural fees are 8% of the total cost, they would come out to $160,000. Charging as a percentage of the total cost of work does make sense in most cases where the architect is providing interior design and specifications and/or construction administration in addition to typical architectural design services. ​ Cost Per Square Foot At the most basic level, this means you’ll pay more for a larger home and less for a smaller home. Initially, it can be more difficult to pin down an exact cost, but once the scope of the project is in place and the square footage has been decided upon, the cost will only vary if there are any significant changes in scope or design after approvals have been given at certain stages of the design process. Areas with different cost per square foot pricing include: New construction (finished square footage) Remodel Garage (generally included in base fee for custom homes) Outbuildings (pool house, barn, etc.) Covered outdoor living If you are doing a remodel, your architect will need a copy of the plans for your existing home. If you do not have a copy of the current plans available, your architect will need to create “as-built” drawings, a fee that should be included in your budget.
  • How does the design process work?
    In Architecture, there are typically 5 phases to design. Programming, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Drawings, and Construction Administration. Let's break them down and explain a little further. ​ Programming Architectural programming — it sounds complicated, but really, it’s just what we call the first step in our design process with custom home and remodeling clients. On the agenda: outlining the scope of our work together, discussing your priorities, and aligning on a vision for your project. ​ You will be asked to consider: What you desire from a lifestyle perspective — how can we create a home that lives for you? Your expectations around time frame and schedule Your vision for the layout of your home, both inside and out What you wish for in terms of character and style of your home The answers to these and other questions will provide insight into uses and living conditions; insights we will use to design a home created specifically for your family and their lifestyle. Of course, our team will have some homework of our own. As part of this initial phase, AJO will gather information on your building site or existing home (if you are remodeling), while getting organized around budgets, building codes, zoning ordinances, and consultants. We can’t emphasize the importance of this step enough. A good custom home program that incorporates all of the above saves time, money, and countless headaches down the road — not to mention, it helps us deliver on the home of your dreams. ​ Schematic Design Once we’re in agreement on vision and direction, the design phase begins. Here, we’ll bring your vision to life through drawings called schematic designs. This is your opportunity to review your plans — to imagine yourself living in them — at different times of day (rings from your coffee mug or wine glass are welcome) as we work to create your vision. Your input into this phase is vital, as you get the first glimpses, and then a more defined look, at how your home will take shape. It is important to establish a clear decision-making process during this phase — and we can help with that, too. ​ Once approved, drawings at this stage are usually sufficient to initiate a neighborhood review process, if one exists, to ensure your plan is aligned with any covenant codes or guidelines. Regardless, we are advocates for you and your vision throughout the entire architectural design process. ​ Design Development In this phase, we translate the schematic design into a more comprehensive and detailed three-dimensional version, which will include input from consultants and additional team members. The end result? Taking your home from a set of ideas to a level of completeness that demonstrates its buildability. ​ Together, we will walk through how the structure, materials and details reflect what was outlined in the schematic design concept. Does it match your goals, or is there still more work to do? Is everything in balance? At the same time, our team will dig deeper into how the systems — think HVAC or lighting, for example — complement one another to help your home work as seamlessly and efficiently as possible. ​ Finally, as we’ve done in previous steps, we’ll again remind you that after the Design Development phase has been approved, any significant changes may warrant additional fees. And once construction has started, design changes, and in particular, structural components of the building, can be quite costly. Speaking up now will save time and potentially expensive changes later. ​ At this point, we will prepare scaled floor plans, building elevations, and site positioning for approval to proceed to the next phase. ​ Construction Drawings Continuing the design process, we’ll finalize the drawings for permit submission and construction — called construction drawings (CDs). These drawings include all of the life and safety requirements required by the building codes and set the parameters for everyone who is tapped to work on your project, from engineering consultants to interior designers, landscapers, and more. ​ Construction Administration This phase is an optional add-on for clients, however in order to ensure you're getting the product we designed it's highly recommended. During this phase, Contractors will likely have questions for the Architect to ensure they're building per the drawing set. For example, questions can arise about a certain detail we designed that they may have an alternate method for constructing and seeing if that's acceptable. Or they may have other companies they've worked with for material specs and would like to ask if using one of those are acceptable. Many questions and concerns can arise during construction that can't be accounted for during the design process. Having the Architect available and present during the build can save the client time and money in the long run.
  • What is the estimated timeline for my project?
    With today’s hot market and ongoing supply chain shortages, setting realistic timelines for architecture and construction is more important than ever for a project to run smoothly. However until we can fully understand your wants and requirements, it can be tough to nail down a timeline. With every project being different in scale, complexity, and how hands on we are in the process, all of these pieces and components affect timeline. The sooner you can lay out and explain you dream to us, the sooner we can in turn give you an accurate timeline for our design services.
  • What is and isn’t included in your fees?
    All of what is included and not included in our fees are outlined in our "AJO Design Process Guide". If you're interested in working together and would like to know more about this, contact us and we'll be happy to dive into that further!
  • What are Additional Services?
    Additional Services (or Add Services for short) are services that are beyond the Basic Service or Original Scope of the Agreement between the Architect and Owner. They may be added and provided at an additional cost at any point in the project. And just to note, Add Services are in the owner's control. Add Services will not be brought in by the Architect unless the Owner is requesting something outside the Original Scope of Work or the Architect deems it necessary for the project. However the Owner will need to sign off and approve before additional services have been performed. Some common examples of Additional Services are: 3D Photorealistic Renderings Interior Design Landscape Design As-Constructed Record Drawings Historic Preservations Furniture selection and layouts
AJO ARCHITECTS Logo_NEW NEW_HORIZ LONG.png

720.312.7700

©2025 AJO Architects, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

bottom of page