Architect, draftsman or contractor's free naqsha?
In Lahore you will meet three kinds of offer. A registered architect designs the house around your brief and signs the drawings. A draftsman can produce drawings, often quickly, but is not a registered architect. Some contractors offer a free naqsha as part of their construction deal.
The free naqsha may look like a saving, but it is usually a standard layout adjusted to your plot, and the contractor's priority is building, not design. A registered architect gives you independent drawings that any contractor can price, which keeps you in control. Whoever you choose, approval authorities normally require drawings signed by a registered architect and structural drawings by a PEC-registered engineer.
Questions to ask an architect
Ask every candidate the same set of questions. You are looking for clear, confident answers and a sense of how they work, not just a polished portfolio.
- Are you registered with PCATP, and can I see your registration?
- Which completed houses can I visit or see photos of?
- Who will actually work on my project day to day?
- How many design options and revision rounds are included?
- Which structural engineer do you work with, and are they PEC-registered?
- Will you prepare and follow up the approval file?
- Do you offer site visits during construction, and how many?
- How do you share drawings and record decisions?
What a good architect contract covers
An architect contract does not have to be long, but it must be clear. It should name both parties, describe the project, list the design stages and what you receive at each one, and link payments to those stages rather than to dates.
It should also state how many revisions are included and how extra changes are handled, whether structural and services drawings are included or separate, what support is given for approval and during construction, and who owns and may reuse the drawings. If something you discussed is not written down, ask for it to be added.
