Residential Architectural Services
A Homeowner’s Guide to Understanding Architectural Services
1.0 PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
This guide is intended for homeowners considering architectural services who want a clearer understanding of what an architect does, how residential architectural projects are typically structured, and how decisions, responsibilities, and levels of involvement evolve over time.
Its purpose is to explain, in clear and practical terms, how residential architectural services are generally organized and what role the architect plays at each stage of a project—from early discussions through design and construction. The goal is clarity, not complexity, and to support informed conversations before architectural services are defined.
Residential architecture is a professional service, not a commodity. Architectural work involves listening, analysis, professional judgment, coordination, and design authorship applied progressively as a project develops. This guide describes the general professional framework under which those services are provided, including common project phases and the architect’s role during both design and construction.
This guide is not a contract and does not define project-specific scope, deliverables, responsibilities, or fees. Those details vary by project and are addressed separately. Instead, this document is intended to provide context and establish a shared understanding so expectations are aligned before work begins.
2.0 THE ARCHITECT–HOMEOWNER RELATIONSHIP
A successful residential project depends on a clear, professional relationship between the homeowner and the Architect. Architecture is inherently collaborative, requiring communication, trust, and informed decision-making throughout the process.
The Architect’s role is to listen carefully, ask the right questions, and apply professional judgment, experience, and design skill to translate the homeowner’s goals into a coherent architectural response. This includes evaluating constraints related to site conditions, zoning regulations, building codes, budget considerations, and constructability, while guiding decisions as the design develops.
Architectural services involve professional authorship and judgment—not simply the production of drawings. Design decisions are developed progressively, and their implications become more defined and consequential as a project moves from early exploration toward construction.
The homeowner’s role is equally important. The homeowner provides vision, priorities, constraints, and direction, and is responsible for making timely decisions and reviewing work as it is developed. Residential architecture is personal by nature, and meaningful homeowner participation is essential to achieving a result that reflects how the home is intended to be used and lived in.
Each party contributes expertise appropriate to their role. The homeowner makes choices about goals and priorities; the Architect applies professional judgment to translate those choices into coordinated design and documentation. Clear communication and timely, consolidated feedback support informed decisions and a smoother process.
This guide is intended to support a productive working relationship by establishing a shared understanding of roles, responsibilities, and expectations before architectural services begin.
3.0 HOW ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS ARE STRUCTURED
Residential architectural projects are organized into a series of phases. This structure reflects how architectural decisions are developed, evaluated, and resolved over time.
Early phases focus on understanding goals, exploring options, and identifying constraints. As a project advances, decisions become more detailed, more interconnected, and more difficult to change. Later phases focus on refining those decisions, coordinating requirements, and translating design intent into documents that can be reviewed, permitted, priced, and constructed.
Phases provide natural points for review and approval before moving forward. This allows design direction to be confirmed, risks to be identified early, and expectations to remain aligned as detail increases.
Typical Project Phases
Most residential projects follow a progression similar to the following:
Pre-Design (PD): Exploration of goals, priorities, constraints, and feasibility before design decisions are made.
Schematic Design (SD): Development and refinement of overall layout, massing, spatial relationships, and architectural direction.
Design Development (DD): Refinement of the approved schematic design into a coordinated architectural solution, with key relationships resolved to support documentation.
Permit Documents (PDOC) / Construction Documents (CD): Documentation phases in which design intent is translated into drawings and written information. Permit Documents demonstrate general regulatory compliance. Construction Documents develop the same design intent to a higher level of coordination and resolution to reduce ambiguity during construction.
Construction Administration (CA): The phase in which the Architect may remain involved during construction to interpret design intent and observe progress for general conformance with the documents, depending on the services selected.
Understanding this structure helps set realistic expectations about timing, decision-making, and the respective roles of the homeowner and Architect at each stage.
Not every project includes every phase. The phases included—and how fully they are developed—depend on the needs and goals of the project.
4.0 LEVELS OF ARCHITECTURAL ENGAGEMENT
Not every residential project requires the same level of architectural involvement. Project goals, complexity, regulatory requirements, budget considerations, and the desired level of clarity during construction all influence how architectural services are structured.
Architectural services are therefore offered at different levels of engagement. These levels are not about design importance or value; they describe how thoroughly decisions are developed, how much documentation is produced, and how long the Architect remains involved as the project progresses.
Conceptual Architectural Services
Conceptual Architectural Services focus on exploration and feasibility.
At this level, the Architect helps clarify ideas, identify constraints, and evaluate options. Design work is intentionally exploratory and illustrative, allowing possibilities to be considered before commitments are made.
Conceptual services are well-suited for early planning, long-term visioning, or situations where the homeowner is not yet ready to proceed toward permitting or construction. They are not intended to support regulatory approval, pricing, or construction execution.
Permit Architectural Services
Permit Architectural Services focus on regulatory approval and general project definition.
At this level, the Architect prepares documents suitable for zoning and building permit review. Design decisions are resolved to the extent required for approval by the Authorities Having Jurisdiction.
Construction-level detailing, coordination, and interpretation are intentionally limited. As a result, many construction-phase decisions are typically resolved during construction.
Full-Phase Architectural Services
Full-Phase Architectural Services provide full architectural engagement from early design through construction.
At this level, the Architect assumes primary architectural authorship and professional responsibility for design development, coordination, documentation, and interpretation during construction, depending on the services selected.
This level of engagement is most appropriate for projects involving a high degree of customization, complex coordination, elevated performance goals, or a desire for continuity between design intent and construction execution.
Selecting the appropriate level of engagement depends on project goals, complexity, regulatory requirements, tolerance for ambiguity during construction, and desired continuity through completion.
The Residential Construction Quality Guide explains how higher quality goals often require greater documentation, coordination, and professional involvement.
5.0 CONSULTANTS AND SPECIALTY DISCIPLINES
Residential projects sometimes require coordination with licensed specialty consultants. Consultant involvement is project-specific, not automatic.
Consultants may be involved when a project includes conditions or systems that extend beyond the Architect’s licensure or scope of responsibility. Common examples include structural engineering, civil engineering, mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineering, and other specialty disciplines such as geotechnical or energy consulting.
Consultant involvement varies by project and is influenced by the selected level of architectural engagement. The specific consultants involved, their scope, and how they are engaged are determined on a project-specific basis.
When consultants are involved, the Architect serves as the primary point of architectural coordination, integrating consultant input into the overall design. Each consultant retains professional responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of their work.
6.0 DRAWINGS, DOCUMENTS, AND LEVELS OF RESOLUTION
Architectural drawings are prepared at different levels of resolution depending on their purpose and the stage of the project. Resolution refers to how fully design decisions have been developed and documented—not whether a project can proceed.
Documentation exists along a continuum. As a project progresses, drawings become more detailed, more coordinated, and more specific.
Conceptual Drawings are exploratory and illustrative.
Permit Documents demonstrate general regulatory compliance and define permitted scope while leaving many decisions unresolved.
Construction Documents develop the same design intent to a higher level of coordination and clarity to reduce reliance on interpretation during pricing and construction.
Using drawings beyond their intended level of resolution does not prevent construction, but it does shift where decisions are made and increases reliance on field interpretation.
Understanding levels of resolution helps homeowners make informed choices about documentation, clarity, and tolerance for ambiguity.
7.0 PERMIT APPROVAL VS CONSTRUCTION EXECUTION
Zoning and building permit approval are important milestones, but they do not define how a project will be constructed.
Regulatory approval confirms general compliance with applicable requirements. It does not indicate that all design decisions have been resolved or that the documents are fully coordinated.
Construction execution requires decisions related to materials, assemblies, interfaces, sequencing, and coordination. When fewer decisions are resolved before construction, more interpretation occurs in the field.
Both approaches can lead to a completed project. The appropriate approach depends on project goals, complexity, and desired clarity of intent throughout construction.
8.0 ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL DELIVERABLES
The examples below are provided to illustrate the type and level of resolution of documents commonly associated with different levels of architectural engagement. They are intended to help homeowners understand how documentation typically evolves as a project progresses.
Actual services, deliverables, and documentation vary by project based on scope, complexity, and level of architectural engagement. Not all items listed below are included in every project, and additional or fewer items may be appropriate depending on scope, complexity, and circumstances.
Conceptual Architectural Services — Illustrative Examples
Conceptual deliverables are exploratory and illustrative. They are intended to support feasibility evaluation, option testing, and early decision-making—not regulatory approval or construction.
Examples may include:
Conceptual site diagrams illustrating general building placement and orientation
Schematic floor plans showing overall spatial organization and adjacencies
Massing studies or diagrams illustrating scale and form
Conceptual exterior elevations expressing general architectural character
Diagrams or sections illustrating spatial relationships
Written observations or feasibility commentary
These materials communicate design intent at a high level and remain subject to change.
Permit Architectural Services — Illustrative Examples
Permit-level deliverables are prepared to demonstrate general zoning and building code compliance and to define the permitted scope of work. They are developed to the level required for regulatory review.
Examples may include:
Site plans illustrating building location, setbacks, and zoning criteria
Floor plans showing general layouts and room configurations
Exterior elevations illustrating height, massing, and exterior configuration
Building or wall sections as required for zoning or code review
Drawings identifying areas of demolition, alteration, or new construction
General notes and code-related information required by reviewing authorities
Permit Documents define what is approved but intentionally leave many detailing, coordination, and construction decisions unresolved.
Full-Phase Architectural Services — Illustrative Examples
Full-Phase deliverables are developed to a higher level of resolution to clearly communicate architectural design intent and to reduce reliance on interpretation during pricing and construction.
Examples may include:
Coordinated architectural site plans
Fully dimensioned floor plans
Exterior and interior elevations defining materials and proportions
Building sections, wall sections, and architectural details
Interior architectural drawings for elements such as kitchens, bathrooms, and millwork
Interior finish documentation and material palettes
Written architectural specifications
Clarifications and supplemental documents issued during bidding and construction
These documents are prepared to support permitting, pricing, coordination, and construction of the design intent when Comprehensive Architectural Services are selected.
How to Use These Examples
These examples are intended to illustrate how documentation evolves as architectural engagement increases—not to define minimum deliverables or guarantee specific outcomes.
Understanding differences in documentation resolution helps Owners make informed decisions about:
The appropriate level of architectural engagement
Desired clarity during construction
Tolerance for interpretation and field decision-making
The specific deliverables for any project are established in the Proposal / Agreement.
9.0 CONSTRUCTION AND THE ARCHITECT’S ROLE
Construction is the phase in which design intent is translated into physical form. It is also the phase in which questions, clarifications, and unforeseen conditions most often arise.
When included in the Scope of Services, Construction Administration provides professional interpretation of the construction documents and general observation of the work for conformance with design intent.
Construction Administration is not construction supervision. The Architect does not control construction means, methods, sequencing, or safety. Those responsibilities remain with the contractor.
Construction Administration is valuable because construction inevitably involves interpretation, coordination, and real-world conditions that cannot be fully anticipated. Professional involvement during construction helps identify issues early, provide timely clarification, and support informed decision-making.
10.0 CHANGES, REVISIONS, AND DECISION-MAKING
Architectural design is an iterative process. Change is a normal part of the process, particularly early on.
As projects advance, decisions become more interconnected and more difficult to change. Later-stage changes often require additional coordination and effort.
Clear, consolidated feedback and defined approval points support efficient progress. Understanding how decision-making evolves helps homeowners participate confidently and avoid unintended consequences.
11.0 ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND SCOPE ADJUSTMENTS
Residential projects evolve. Existing conditions, regulatory review, and homeowner priorities can introduce new wants and needs that were not foreseeable at the outset.
Scope adjustments allow services to remain aligned with actual project needs. Identifying these adjustments openly helps maintain clarity, transparency, and a productive working relationship.
When additional services are needed, they are discussed openly so expectations, effort, and timing remain aligned.
12.0 CONCLUSION
Residential architecture is both a creative and a technical process. Successful projects are shaped not only by drawings and documents, but by clear communication, thoughtful decision-making, and alignment between goals, expectations, and professional involvement.
Architectural services are developed over time. Early conversations help clarify priorities, identify constraints, and establish an appropriate level of engagement. As a project progresses, decisions become more detailed and interconnected, making early alignment especially valuable.
This guide is intended to provide a clear framework for understanding how architectural services are structured, how decisions are developed, and how the Architect and homeowner work together throughout the process. It is not about prescribing a single approach, but about helping homeowners understand their options and make informed choices.
An important role of the Architect is to help homeowners navigate these choices—explaining trade-offs, clarifying implications, and recommending an appropriate level of architectural engagement based on the project’s goals, complexity, and desired outcomes.
Used alongside the Residential Construction Quality Guide, this document supports informed, intentional decision-making and helps establish a productive working relationship from the outset.
If you choose to move forward, the next step is to define project-specific services and expectations. This guide is intended to help you approach that step with clarity, confidence, and a clear understanding of how architectural services support the successful realization of your home.