Working with an architect: How to design a custom home that works

Working with architects isn’t just admiring renderings

It’s a relationship. One that works better if you’re clear, responsive, and don’t pretend you don’t own 47 tubs of LEGO.

This isn’t a full manual. Just a short guide to help you avoid mistakes, have more productive meetings, and actually end up with a house you want to live in.

Start with how you live, not what you saw online

Before you sketch layouts, zoom out.

Is this your forever home or just a five-year stop along the way? Work from home or stuck on 405 every day? Got kids, pets, or parents? Collect wine or cars? Addicted to Costco? Music? Art? Tinker in the garage? Do you host dinner parties or hide from people?

Your lifestyle drives the layout. A good architect will help, but only if you’re honest about how you live and how you want to live later.

Turn that chaos into rough needs

Once you’ve brain-dumped your lifestyle, translate it into basic needs.

How big is the house? How many bedrooms, baths, floors? Do you need an office? A gym? A playroom? A scullery? A soundproof drum cave?

Don’t worry about getting it perfect. You just need a baseline. Otherwise you’ll walk into your first meeting and forget something critical to your lifestyle like a music room.

And think budget. Early and honestly. No one wins when you plan for your dream house but only budgeted for a nice shed. Leave a buffer. Surprise fees, rising costs, and $8,000 steel beams love to show up uninvited.

Borrow from what works

You don’t have to start from scratch. Walk through open houses. Visit friends and family. Pay attention to what feels good in a space and what doesn’t.

What worked for them? What do they wish they’d done differently? Everyone has a “we should’ve added more outlets” story. Steal their hard-earned lessons.

And if you want to see real-life floor plans, not just pretty photos, here’s a simple way to get full architectural drawings for free:

👉 How to Get Floor Plans Online—It’s Easier Than You Think

The more real examples you look at, the better you’ll be at spotting what you actually want.

Meeting #1: Walk the lot and share your needs

Start at the site. You and your architect should walk the lot together.

You’ll look at slope, sun, noise, views, wind, traffic, and neighbors. That dream layout might need to shift because of a tree, a hill, or a zoning rule from 1984. Good architects design with the land, not just on top of it.

This is also when you share your needs and initial ideas. Be honest and open. Your architect will start unpacking site constraints like setbacks, easements, height limits, tree protections, view corridors, etc. Every lot has its baggage.

Meeting #2: Sketch floor plans

Ideally, this is an in-person brainstorm. Your architect might call it a “charrette” to sound fancy.

Stay flexible. Maybe that guest room needs to double as an office. Maybe the powder room gets moved because of plumbing. Architects bring value by challenging assumptions and spotting stuff you didn’t think about.

After productive debate, you’ll sketch a rough layout that balances your lifestyle, constraints, and budget.

Go home. Sleep on it. Walk through your routine in your head. Run it by friends. Post it on r/floorplan if you’re feeling brave. You’ll probably make changes a few times and that’s normal.

Refine the floor plan

This is where the back-and-forth begins. You’re thinking about flow, light, privacy, noise, storage, transitions, and vibes. It’s a lot.

Be specific with your feedback. “We need more space” isn’t helpful. “We need a Peloton zone and a standing desk in the office” is.

And batch your thoughts. Don’t text your architect one idea at a time like you’re live-tweeting your brain. They’re juggling other clients and context switching is brutal.

Side quest to get energy credits

Under Washington’s 2021 energy code, every new home needs a certain number of energy efficiency credits based on square footage.

Bigger house = more credits. You earn them by picking energy-smart features like heat pumps, better insulation, or solar panels.

Figure this out early with your architect so you’re not scrambling to meet code later (or ripping out your gas water heater in a panic).

Think about HVAC systems

Don’t wait until the end to figure out where the ducts and vents go.

Do you want radiant floors? Forced air? Mini-splits? Floor vents? Ceiling vents? Central AC? No AC? These choices affect ceiling height, duct runs, wall space, and window placement.

Where will your HVAC, water heater, and electrical panels go? In the garage? The attic? A mechanical room? Your architect can design around it, but only if they know up front.

From floor plan to 3D model

Once the layout feels right, you’ll start on elevations and 3D modeling. This is when your home starts to look like an actual building.

You’ll pick rooflines, window shapes, and argue over siding. Modern? Farmhouse? Northwest Contemporary? Craftsman?

The floor plan and 3D model need to work together. It’s normal to tweak the layout slightly to get the massing right. Your architect will help merge both seamlessly.

Bring in engineers early

When your plans are 80–90% there, it’s time to loop in civil and structural engineers.

Civil = drainage, grading, utilities, demo

Structural = beams, load paths, roof, how the house stays up

These folks are always busy. We waited 2 weeks for civil and over 6 for structural. Bring them in early or risk delays later.

Submit for permit

Once everything’s dialed, your architect will bundle the plans, elevations, and engineering drawings into a permit set.

Some cities process permits fast. Some take their sweet time. Bellevue averages 3-6 months. Expect revisions, fees, and some bureaucratic ping-pong. Stay on it or risk getting stuck in the void.

Final thoughts

Want a home that actually fits your life? Skip the trendy finishes. Focus on how you live. Be honest. Be responsive. Stay flexible.

Your home should fit you. Not the other way around.

You don’t need to know how to design a house. You just need to be a good partner to the person who does.