What I actually do while the house is being built, and why 'supervise' is the wrong word for it.
Should my architect supervise the build? It's the right question with the wrong verb, and it matters because this is the stage people are most tempted to cut. The tender came back high, this part of the fee hasn't been spent, and removing it is the only saving that doesn't change the drawings. I understand the logic — I'd still rather explain why it's the wrong cut than watch it happen quietly.
An architect doesn't supervise a build. Your builder runs the site — the program, the trades, the safety — and none of that can be handed to somebody else. What I do is administer the contract.
Hundreds of small decisions come up on site that no drawing can fully anticipate. Being there for them is what keeps the finished house resembling the one you agreed to. It's also what your builder wants — questions answered quickly, by the person who knows why the decision was made.
Being there for the small decisions nobody could have drawn is what keeps the finished house resembling the one you agreed to.
This step produces a build that keeps matching its drawings — regular site visits with written notes, the builder's questions answered with proper detail, variations and progress claims assessed independently, and a record of every decision.
You don't have to become an expert in something you'll only do once. Your builder does this every day and you don't, and having someone alongside you who speaks the language means you can ask any question and get an answer you can act on.
You can build without me, and plenty of people do — it saves a fee, and on straightforward work it's fine. What it costs is having the person who knows why a decision was made in the room when it comes up again.
I visit on an agreed rhythm, with extra visits around the moments that can't be undone — setout, frame, waterproofing, and just before the linings go on. I answer the builder's questions with drawings rather than guesses, assess variations and progress claims independently, and write down what was agreed each time. You get a short report after every visit, so you always know where your house is up to. And if the fee is more than you want to spend, tell me and we'll reduce the number of visits rather than pretend the role is smaller than it is.
Not supervise — administer. Supervision implies control of the site, the trades and the safety, and that sits with your licensed builder, where it belongs. What I do is observe that what's being built matches the contract documents, and instruct on quality, materials and performance. If anyone offers to supervise, ask what they mean and what you'll get in writing afterwards.
Not always, and I'd rather be straight with you. If the scope is modest, the documents are complete and you have a builder you know well, you can run it yourself and people do. Where I'd want to be there is structural alteration, character controls, detailed joinery, and anywhere you wouldn't feel confident assessing a claim.
It's a defined service — issuing the construction documents, visiting site to observe that the work matches them, recording site meetings, reviewing shop drawings, determining variations and assessing progress claims. The short version is that somebody independent is looking after your interests the whole way through.
On a house it's a regular rhythm rather than a constant presence, set as a number in your agreement so both sides know. On top of that I add visits around the moments that can't be undone: setout, frame, waterproofing, just before the linings go on. If the fee is tight, reduce the number of visits rather than the scope of the role.
Often it's cheaper upfront, and it's a legitimate way to build. What you give up is independence: under one roof, the person assessing a variation and the person claiming it work for the same business. That doesn't make anyone dishonest. It just means the claim and the assessment aren't separate.
If you would rather start small, the First Sketch Session is two hours at your place. You keep the sketches, and there is no obligation afterwards.
