If you're running a project with a separate architect and builder, the handover between design and construction is worth checking deliberately before work starts, rather than assuming it will sort itself out once everyone is on site. A short list of questions at this stage closes most of the gaps that otherwise surface partway through the build.
This isn't about distrusting either party — it's about making sure two separate businesses, who may never have worked together before, have actually agreed how they'll coordinate.
Ask who is responsible for what, in writing
Get clarity, ideally in the appointment documents themselves, on who is responsible for design compliance, who is responsible for construction quality, and — critically — who is coordinating structural engineering input if a separate engineer is involved.
Ask what happens if a design detail turns out to be impractical to build as drawn — is that the architect's responsibility to redesign, or does it become a site decision? Knowing the answer before it happens avoids an argument about it in the moment.
Check the builder has actually seen the design early
A builder who first sees full drawings at tender stage has had no chance to flag anything impractical earlier, when it would have been cheap to adjust. Involvement earlier in the process, even informally, is worth asking about specifically.
- Has the builder reviewed the drawings before pricing, not just been handed a tender pack?
- Have any buildability concerns been raised and addressed before the contract is signed?
- Is there a mechanism for the builder to raise a concern during construction without it stalling the job?
Confirm the query route before the first query happens
Ask both the architect and the builder to confirm, separately, what they understand the process to be for raising and answering a site query. If the two answers don't match, that's a gap worth closing before it causes a delay.
A good answer names a specific person, a specific method (usually written, with a marked-up drawing where relevant) and a reasonable turnaround time. A vague answer is a sign this hasn't actually been agreed yet.
Check drawing version control is in place
Ask how drawing revisions are issued and how the builder confirms they're working from the current set. This should be more robust than 'I'll email the latest version' — ask specifically how superseded drawings are marked or withdrawn so there's no ambiguity on site.
If you're personally holding or forwarding drawings between the two parties, be extra careful about this — it's easy to unintentionally become the bottleneck or the source of confusion if version control passes through you informally.
Ask what happens if the two sides disagree
It's worth asking, before it happens, how a genuine disagreement between architect and builder — over whether a detail is buildable, or whether a change is a design issue or a site issue — actually gets resolved. Some appointments name the architect as contract administrator with authority to make that call; others leave it looser.
Knowing this in advance means that if a disagreement does arise, there's already an agreed process to fall back on, rather than the two professionals working it out for the first time while you're standing in the middle.
Common questions
What's the single most useful thing to check before starting?+
That there's a named, agreed process for site queries between architect and builder, with a clear turnaround expectation. This one thing prevents more delay than almost anything else in a design and build split.
Should I get involved in every query between them?+
Generally no — you'll slow things down and risk becoming an unintentional bottleneck. Ask to be copied on anything significant, but let the agreed process run rather than routing every query through yourself.
What if my architect and builder have never worked together before?+
That's common and not a problem in itself, but it makes agreeing the process explicitly even more important, since neither side can rely on established habits from previous jobs together.
Ask us to set up the query and drawing process with your architect
We agree roles, drawing version control and a clear query route with your designer before construction starts.