How to Choose an Architect in Chandigarh (and What to Ask First)

How do you check that an architect is registered?

Under section 37 of the Architects Act, 1972, only a person registered with the Council of Architecture may use the title 'architect'. A first offence carries a fine of up to ₹500, and a repeat can bring up to six months' imprisonment, a fine of up to ₹1,000, or both. In 2020 the Supreme Court held, in Council of Architecture v. Mukesh Goyal, that the Act protects the title rather than the practice: an unregistered person may still draw your house, but cannot call themselves an architect. In August 2026 the Council issued a nationwide notice asking the public to verify registration before hiring.

Registration also matters for approvals in the tricity. In Chandigarh, plans for plots up to 2 kanal are self-certified by an architect registered with the Council, and in GMADA's Mohali sectors, self-certification, where allowed, must be signed by a GMADA-empanelled architect.

• 01Ask for the Council registration number, in the format CA/year/number, and the name exactly as registered.
• 02Check it with the Verify your architect search on the Council of Architecture website, coa.gov.in.
• 03Make sure the registered architect is the person who will sign your drawings, not only the firm's founder.
• 04Check the registration is current: the Act provides for removing a name from the register when renewal fees go unpaid.
• 05Look for the architect's name and registration number on site boards, which the Council asks architects to display.

Why look at built work, not renders?

Anyone can produce a beautiful 3D view. Ask to see a completed, occupied home, ideally to visit one, and ask what went wrong on it and what the studio changed since. A candid answer tells you more than a flawless portfolio. Renders are a promise; built work is a record.

Ask who supervised it, too. Completed homes show how a studio handles local trades and approvals; ours are on our projects page.

What does an architect's fee actually cover?

Architect fees in Chandigarh typically run as a percentage of construction cost or a per-square-foot rate, and the number matters less than the scope behind it. A low fee that covers only a sanction drawing is not cheaper; it is a different, smaller service. Confirm exactly what is included: concept, working drawings, structural and services coordination, and, critically, site supervision.

The gap between a design and the built result is where money is lost. A studio that walks away after the drawings leaves you to bridge that gap alone.

There is no single fixed rate to compare against. The Council's Manual of Architectural Practice, released in 2022 to replace the conditions of engagement and scale of charges under its 1989 regulations, sets out four ways to calculate a fee (lump sum, percentage, unit area and man-hours) and a fee band for different services. Whatever the method, GST at 18% applies on top under the rates in force as of 2026, and a percentage fee needs a written definition of what counts as construction cost.

What should the contract with your architect include?

Put it in writing before any drawing starts. The Council advises every architect to sign a written agreement with the client, and its Manual offers contract formats at three levels: concise, standard and comprehensive. Its professional conduct regulations also require an architect in private practice to tell you the conditions of engagement and agree that they form the basis of the appointment.

The exit clause matters more than most families expect. Many local authorities take an undertaking from the architect who signs the plans that they will stay with the project through construction, and the Council has told architects to inform the authority if they leave.

• 01The architect's name, Council registration number and the plot the agreement covers.
• 02Scope by stage, including whether interiors, landscape and the structural engineer are inside the fee.
• 03The fee method, the payment schedule against stages, GST and reimbursable expenses.
• 04Deliverables at each stage, and how many rounds of revision are included.
• 05Site visit frequency during construction, and who certifies the contractor's bills.
• 06How you may use the drawings, which are protected as artistic works under the Copyright Act, 1957.
• 07What happens if either side ends the engagement, including notice to the approving authority.

Who will actually run your project?

In some firms, the principal you meet is not the person who draws or supervises your home. Ask who will actually run your project day to day, and how often they visit site. A small, senior studio where the named people do the work is usually worth more than a large office where you become a file.

Building from abroad? Ask how the studio reports: weekly fixed-position photos, video walks, and payments only against certified stages.

Why do working drawings matter so much?

The unglamorous drawings, such as wardrobe internals, wall sections, and electrical and plumbing coordination, are what make the built house match the render. Ask to see a working-drawing set from a real project. Its thoroughness predicts how few surprises you will face on site.

A good set is resolved before a carpenter is engaged; our Agarwal Mansion interiors were detailed to the last wardrobe elevation before site work began. Read a few sheets: dimensions that close, materials named by brand and thickness, and a detail for every junction where two trades meet.

What are the red flags when hiring an architect?

Be cautious of anyone who quotes a final cost before seeing your plot, promises an unrealistically fast timeline, cannot show built work, or is vague about supervision. The right architect asks you more questions than you ask them, about how you live, not just what you want.

Be wary of free designs too. The Council's conduct regulations bar architects from preparing designs in competition with other architects without payment or for a reduced fee, outside approved competitions, and they let you consult as many architects as you like while choosing, provided you pay each one you consult. A studio offering a free concept to win the job is working outside those rules.

Watch, finally, for a firm that is not run by an architect but offers an architect's signature for the sanction drawings; the Council has advised employed architects not to sign documents on behalf of non-architectural firms. If you are still weighing your options, our comparison of architect vs contractor vs design-build lays out the trade-offs.