You build what's on the drawings. If the drawings are wrong, incomplete or three weeks late, that becomes your problem on site — abortive work, endless RFIs, redesign, and a programme that slips while everyone argues about whose fault it was. And when the architect also administers the contract or acts as PM, their fairness decides whether your valuations and variations are treated honestly. A good information set is quiet money. A bad one is a slow bleed — and it's usually your bleed.
What poor design information costs you
- Incomplete or late drawings that stop work or force you to guess.
- Errors and clashes you only discover once the materials are cut.
- Poor buildability — designs that look right on paper and can't be built as drawn.
- Constant design changes that ripple through everything you've already done.
- Slow RFI responses while your team stands and your costs run.
When the architect wears two hats
On many jobs the architect also acts as contract administrator or PM — the person certifying payments and ruling on variations. That makes their impartiality your business. A CA who quietly sides with the client on every valuation and extension of time can cost you as much as a bad QS. Before you commit, it's worth knowing whether they play it straight.
The track record that matters
An architect's reliability shows up in the same measures on every project:
- Is the documentation clear, complete and coordinated?
- How often do errors and clashes reach site?
- Do drawings, information and instructions arrive on time?
- Are designs actually buildable, or endlessly revised?
- When they administer the contract, are they impartial between client and contractor?
CIX collects these judgements as structured, moderated reviews from the contractors who've had to build the drawings. Search the architect before you price and programme the job.
Before you build
- Find out who's producing the information and who administers the contract.
- Check them on CIX — a poor record means design-risk and payment-risk you should price in.
- Log every RFI, delay and change in writing from the start.
- Report your experience afterwards so the next contractor builds with their eyes open.
The quality of the drawings decides how much of the job you build twice. Know it before you start. Search an architect now, or add a report on one you've built for.