Architecture enquiry checklist for Australian practices
Is this architecture project worth scoping? Unpaid scoping time is one of the real costs of running a small Australian practice. Archive Design publishes this checklist so principals can see which new enquiries are worth pursuing now, and which need a few more questions first. It is not a scorecard.
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Budget realism
Does the stated budget fall within a plausible range for the scope and location?
A budget set without any cost guidance is the single biggest predictor of scope mismatch later.
Has the client had any prior cost guidance (quantity surveyor, builder estimate)?
A number that's come from research, not a guess, is a much stronger starting point for a workable brief.
Is there a contingency built in, or is the figure a hard ceiling?
Renovation budgets commonly need 15 to 20 percent contingency, per CHOICE's consumer guidance, so a client without any buffer may need that conversation early.
Site red flags
Heritage overlay or conservation area?
Any work at all typically requires a planning permit under a heritage overlay, which adds time and documentation most clients don't expect. See Planning Victoria on local heritage protection for how overlays work in one state.
Bushfire (BAL) rating above BAL-12.5?
Higher BAL ratings mean specific construction and material requirements that affect both design and budget. CSIRO explains BAL assessment.
Known easements, covenants, or party wall issues?
These often surface late if not asked about upfront, and can quietly reshape the buildable envelope.
Steep slope or known site constraints (flooding, contamination, access)?
Each adds real cost and design complexity that a client's stated budget may not have accounted for.
Client readiness
Do they own the site, or is the purchase still conditional?
A conditional purchase changes the urgency and risk of investing scoping time now.
Have they engaged, or budgeted for, the other consultants the project will need?
Surveyor, engineer, town planner, whichever apply. Missing consultants usually means the budget or timeline hasn't been fully thought through yet.
Is there a single decision-maker, or multiple stakeholders with unclear authority?
Unclear sign-off is one of the most common causes of stalled early-stage work.
Timeline realism
Does the expected timeline allow for planning approval lead times in the relevant council or state?
Approval timelines are frequently underestimated by clients new to the process.
Is there external pressure, like a settlement date or a finance-conditional date, that could force rushed decisions later?
Worth surfacing early rather than discovering it under time pressure.
Mostly clear answers with no red flags usually means a straightforward scope. A cluster of unsure answers or red flags doesn't mean walk away, it means these are the questions worth raising in the first conversation before committing time to a full proposal.
For typical fee ranges, see the fee guide. For a first-meeting brief, use the client brief template.
Frequently asked questions
No. It is a checklist, not a scorecard. Optional answers stay in this browser session only and are not sent anywhere.
Four groups: budget realism, site red flags, client readiness and timeline. The aim is to see which new enquiries are worth pursuing now, and which need a few more questions first.
No. Optional Yes, No or Unsure answers stay in this browser session only. Nothing is submitted to Archive Design.
Once an enquiry looks worth a first conversation, send the brief template so budget, site, timeline and stakeholders are on the table before you spend unpaid scoping time.
Archive Design connects homeowners with architects whose work already fits their project. Apply as an architect.
These figures reflect ranges commonly reported across independent Australian industry sources, not an official fee scale (no such scale currently exists, see our fee guide for why). Every project is different. Use this as a starting point for your own scoping, not a substitute for a written proposal.