To make sure you get the pest person for your project, you may want to interview a number of architects to determine their compatibility with you and your project goals.

10 Questions to ask when selecting a residential architect:

1. Do you have a valid architect license?
   An architectural license does not determine their competency as a designer.  It can be, however, an indicator of their level of professionalism and commitment to developing themselves within their trade.

2. How long have you been practicing? 
   Amount of experience may not determine their competency as a designer.  However, it may reflect their skill in predicting construction costs, addressing building code and zoning requirements, understanding construction means and methods, etc.

3. What percentage of your practice is residential? 
   Residential architecture is a niche that requires a very specialized body of knowledge not found in other building types.  Just because they do excellent commercial or institutionalarchitecture, doesn't mean they know how to design your home.

4. Of the services that you provide, what percentage is performed by you versus your employees? 
   A key factor in the success of your project is your comfort level in communicating your goals to the individuals doing the work.  If a significant portion of the work is done by an employee, ask to meet that person as well.

5. How will your fees for my project be determined, and what services will they cover? 
   Understand which services are not included in the base fee. Often additional fees are charged for revising the drawings to meet budgets, overseeing construction, design review committee requirements, etc.

6. May I see examples of your previous projects that are similar to my project? 
   Look for experience with projects consistent with the scale of your project.

It is wise to check the references that each architect provides and ask the following questions:

1. Were you pleased with the architect's services and your working relationship with the architect?

2. What problems surfaced during the project and how did the architect handle them?

3. How well did the architect adhere to required schedules and budgets?

4. Would you hire the architect again?