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Architects are regulated professionals. Each province has an association or order that licenses them and keeps a public register, and provincial law sets which buildings must be designed by an architect. Many houses fall outside that requirement, which is why homeowners also work with architectural technologists, building designers and engineers.
This page explains when you need an architect rather than another designer, the rules in Ontario and Quebec, the services an architect provides from first sketch to site visits, how fees are usually structured and how to get the most from the relationship.
Architect, architectural technologist or building designer: who should draw your house plans
The right professional depends on the building, the complexity of the design and what the law requires where you live. For a straightforward addition or a deck, a qualified designer or technologist with solid permit experience may be all you need. For a difficult site, an unusual design or a building beyond the legal thresholds, an architect is the better fit or the only option.
- Architect: licensed to design any building, trained in design as much as construction, and able to lead a project from concept to the end of construction.
- Architectural technologist: skilled at technical drawings, code compliance and construction details; in some provinces technologists hold their own licence or professional title.
- Building designer: a non-architect who prepares permit drawings for houses and small buildings, subject to provincial qualification rules where they exist.
- Structural engineer: designs beams, foundations and framing, and usually works alongside the architect or designer rather than instead of them.
- Interior designer: plans interior layouts, finishes and lighting, but doesn't usually produce the structural or envelope drawings a permit requires.
Who may sign and seal house plans: Ontario's Architects Act, BCIN designers and the OAQ in Quebec
In Ontario, the Architects Act lists exceptions to the requirement for an architect. They include designs for a building of not more than three storeys used for residential occupancy that contains one dwelling unit, or two attached dwelling units each built directly on grade, and for certain other buildings of not more than three storeys and 600 square metres in gross area. Houses in those categories can be designed by others, but independent designers and design firms must be qualified and registered with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, which issues a Building Code Identification Number (BCIN) in categories such as House.
In Quebec, the Loi sur les architectes requires plans signed and sealed by an architect for the construction, enlargement or alteration of a building, with exceptions. The Ordre des architectes du Québec explains that a detached single-family house is exempt if, once the work is done, it has at most one basement level, no more than two storeys and a total gross floor area under 600 square metres. Semi-detached and row houses and small buildings of up to four dwelling units are exempt under similar limits, but with a total gross floor area under 300 square metres. Other provinces set their own thresholds, so check with your provincial association and your municipality.
Residential architectural services: from feasibility study to contract administration
Architects deliver their work in phases, and you can hire one for all of them or only some. A full mandate is a bigger commitment but keeps one professional responsible for the design intent from start to finish; a partial mandate, such as permit drawings only, leaves you or your contractor to resolve questions on site.
- Feasibility and programming: what you need, what the lot and zoning allow, and whether the budget and the wish list line up.
- Schematic design: sketches, floor plans and massing options that settle the layout and the overall look.
- Design development: materials, windows, structure and mechanical systems worked out with the engineers and other consultants.
- Permit and construction drawings: the sealed drawings and specifications a municipality needs to issue a permit and contractors need to price and build.
- Tendering: help getting comparable bids from contractors and reviewing them.
- Contract administration: site visits, answers to contractor questions, review of changes and payment requests, and checks that the work follows the drawings.
How architects' fees are structured for residential projects
Architects commonly charge in one of three ways: a percentage of construction cost, a fixed fee for a defined scope, or an hourly rate, sometimes combined, such as hourly for early feasibility work and a fixed fee for drawings. Each has trade-offs. A percentage tracks the size of the project but rises if the budget grows; a fixed fee is predictable but depends on a tightly defined scope; hourly billing suits small or uncertain mandates, provided there's a cap or regular reporting.
Beyond the architect's own fee, plan for engineers, a survey or certificate of location, energy modelling where it's required, permit fees and expenses such as printing and travel. Ask what's included, how extra revisions and changes after the permit are billed, and when payments fall due.
Working with an architect: the brief, design reviews and decisions that keep a project on track
A good working relationship with an architect comes down to clear information early and firm decisions at the right moments.
- Write a brief before the first meeting: how you live, what isn't working, must-haves, nice-to-haves and a realistic budget.
- Gather the property documents: a survey or, in Quebec, a certificate of location, old plans, zoning information and photos.
- Settle the contract before design starts, including who owns the drawings and how the project can be paused.
- Decide at each phase: approving the schematic design before details are drawn avoids costly redesign later.
- Bring a contractor in early if you can, for pricing feedback while the design can still change.
- Once construction starts, put changes in writing and route contractor questions through the architect if contract administration is part of the mandate.
Zoning, heritage rules and budget: common hurdles an architect helps you clear
Many home projects stall before construction, not over the building code but over zoning. Setbacks, height limits, lot coverage and parking rules decide how big an addition can be, and a project that doesn't fit may need a minor variance or approval from a heritage or design review committee. An architect who knows the municipality can spot these issues during feasibility and prepare the drawings a committee expects.
The other common hurdle is the gap between the wish list and the budget. Ask for a cost check at the end of each design phase, from a contractor or a cost consultant, rather than discovering the gap when bids come in.
Architects: frequently asked questions
Do I need an architect for a house addition?
It depends on your province and on the size and type of the building once the work is done. In Ontario and Quebec, many houses fall within the legal exceptions described above, so a qualified designer or technologist can prepare the plans; beyond those limits, you need an architect. Your municipality's permit office can tell you what it will accept.
Can I hire an architect only for permit drawings?
Often, yes, since many architects accept partial mandates. Without contract administration, though, you or your contractor will resolve questions on site, and bringing the architect back later is usually billed separately.
Who owns the plans an architect draws for me?
Usually the architect keeps the copyright in the design, and you get the right to use the drawings for your project on your property. If you might reuse them or change professionals partway, settle it in the agreement.
When should I contact an architect?
As early as possible, ideally before you buy a lot or commit to a contractor. Early advice on zoning, orientation and what the budget can realistically buy is where an architect adds the most value.
How do I check that an architect is licensed?
Search the provincial register. In Ontario, the OAA's online directory lists architects and licensed technologists along with any discipline history; in Quebec, the Ordre des architectes du Québec's directory lets you confirm a member's right to practise.
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Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Reviewed by Zubair Afzal on September 10, 2026. How we write and check our guides