Start here
Do not start by asking for architect recommendations.
Start by deciding whether you need an architect, a residential designer, a design-build firm, permit drawings, a GC, or a budget check. Provider search comes after path clarity.
First move
Pick the problem, then pick the professional.
ADU or garage conversion
Often starts with feasibility, site rules, and permit-ready plans before a full architect engagement.
AdditionHome addition
Needs early scope control: structure, setbacks, city review, and whether design ambition justifies an architect.
RemodelWhole-home remodel
A designer may be enough for layout and finishes; structural moves push you toward architect or engineer support.
CustomCustom home
This is usually architect territory. Trying to cheap out here is how budgets learn violence.
PlansPermit drawings
If design is settled, you may need clean code-aware drawings more than a full design process.
QuizNot sure yet
Use the routing quiz to decide who to talk to first before you burn weeks in the wrong inbox.
Decision table
The clean comparison
If this table feels too blunt, good. The soft version wastes homeowner money.
| Path | Best for | Watch out | Ask first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed architect | Custom homes, complex additions, hillside lots, design-led remodels, high-value projects | Can be overkill for simple permit drawings or budget-first ADU work. | Will you be architect of record, and what is excluded from your fee? |
| Residential designer | Remodel layouts, additions with clear constraints, homeowner-friendly design help | License boundaries matter; structural and code complexity may need architect/engineer support. | Who signs, stamps, or coordinates the permit set if the city asks? |
| Design-build firm | Owners who want one team handling design, pricing, and construction | Less independent pricing leverage. The same team is designing and selling the build. | When do I get a realistic construction number, and can I keep the plans? |
| Permit drawing team | ADUs, garage conversions, as-builts, small additions, settled designs | Not the same thing as a full architectural design process. | What city comments do you handle, and what requires outside engineering? |