Choosing who designs your home extension or renovation is one of the most consequential decisions you'll make — and one of the least guided. Most homeowners make the choice through personal referrals, online searches, or the recommendation of someone who also has a financial interest in the outcome.
It's not a bad way to find candidates. It's a poor way to make a final decision.
The reality is that design professionals vary enormously in their experience, their specialisation, their fee structures, their relationships with council, and their ability to produce documentation that builders can price accurately. Choosing the wrong one doesn't just affect the aesthetic outcome of your project — it affects your budget, your timeline, and your approval pathway.
Architect, designer, or draftsperson — what's the difference?
The first question to settle is which type of design professional your project actually needs.
A registered architect has completed a university degree in architecture and a period of supervised practice, and is registered with the Architects Registration Board in their state. Architects are trained to work across the full range of design complexity, from spatial planning to technical documentation to council engagement.
A building designer or draftsperson is not required to hold architectural registration but can legally prepare and submit residential building documentation in all Australian states. Many building designers are highly experienced and deliver excellent results on residential projects, particularly extensions and renovations where the design brief is well-defined.
The right choice depends on your project. A complex two-storey addition with structural challenges, heritage considerations, or a difficult council approval pathway may genuinely benefit from an architect's deeper design and technical capabilities. A well-defined ground-floor extension to a standard suburban home may be equally well served by an experienced building designer at a significantly lower fee.
The mistake many homeowners make is assuming that "architect" automatically means better. In some cases it does. In others, it means higher fees for a level of design input the project doesn't need.
What to look for specifically
When evaluating any design professional for your project, the key factors are:
Relevant residential experience. Has this person designed projects similar to yours in scale, type, and location? A designer whose portfolio is mostly commercial fitouts or large custom homes may not be the best choice for a single-storey heritage extension. Ask to see recent comparable work and talk to past clients if possible.
Knowledge of local council requirements. Council planning requirements vary significantly across local government areas. An architect or designer who regularly works in your council area will understand the specific overlays, setback rules, height limits, and discretionary assessment criteria that apply to your site — and will design to those parameters from the outset rather than learning them mid-process.
The quality of their documentation. The detail and precision of construction drawings directly affects the accuracy and comparability of builder quotes. Vague or incomplete documentation forces builders to make assumptions, leading to wide price variations and frequent mid-project surprises. Ask to see examples of the documents they produce for construction — not just the rendered design images.
Their fee structure and what it includes. Design fees for residential projects typically range from 8 to 15 per cent of the construction cost, depending on scope and the depth of services included. Make sure you understand exactly what stages are covered, what's excluded, and what the process is for revisions if the first design doesn't land right.
Their relationship with builders. Some designers have preferred builders they work with regularly. This can be genuinely useful — established working relationships often lead to smoother projects. But it can also create situations where your choice of builder is implicitly or explicitly constrained. Understand whether your designer is truly independent or has commercial relationships with parties in your supply chain.
Red flags worth knowing
A few patterns consistently indicate a poor fit between designer and project:
- Designs that are produced quickly, without adequate site investigation or briefing
- Preliminary cost estimates that seem unusually low for the design complexity
- Reluctance to provide documentation detailed enough for a competitive tender
- A strong steer toward a specific builder before you've had a chance to run a proper process
None of these in isolation is necessarily disqualifying, but each one warrants a direct conversation.
The independent selection advantage
At Haven Advocates, helping homeowners select the right design professional is one of the most consistent ways we add value early in a project. Because we work across a broad range of projects and professionals, we can match your specific brief — your project type, your council area, your budget range, your design aspirations — to design professionals who have a genuine track record of delivering on those parameters.
We don't receive referral fees or commissions from any designer or architect we recommend. Our only interest is in finding the right fit for you.
If you're in the early stages of thinking about building or extending and you're not sure where to start on the design side, book a free consultation with Haven Advocates. Getting the right designer on board at the beginning sets up everything that follows.
