Updated October 2026
Hire the architect first, before you buy a lot or call a contractor. The architect tells you what the property can hold, then designs it, permits it and supports construction. The rest of the team follows from that.
The short version
- Confirm the architect’s license with the California Architects Board (cab.ca.gov). Confirm the contractor’s with the CSLB (cslb.ca.gov).
- California requires a written contract for architectural services, with scope, fee basis, termination terms and the architect’s license number.
- Licensed contractors must carry a $25,000 license bond (since January 1, 2023).
- On a home improvement job, a contractor’s down payment is capped at 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less.
- Pick for relevant work: a townhouse developer needs someone who has drawn townhouses, not only kitchens.
Who you need, and when
- Architect. Leads the project from the first zoning check through construction.
- Engineers. Structural on almost every project; civil for grading, drainage and lot splits; energy (Title 24) for every new building. The architect usually brings and coordinates them.
- Surveyor. Needed for subdivisions, hillside lots and tight setbacks.
- General contractor. Brought in once drawings are far enough along to price. Early pricing on larger jobs saves redesign.
How a project runs
Most projects at YDS move through four phases:
- Feasibility. What the zoning, state law and site allow, and roughly what it costs.
- Design. Layouts, massing and materials, refined until the plan works.
- Permits. Planning and building submittals, plan-check corrections, consultant coordination.
- Construction support. Answering contractor questions, reviewing submittals, site visits.
The same structure applies whether it’s a small-lot subdivision, a multifamily building, a clinic or a restaurant. What changes is the code path and the number of reviewers.
What to ask before you sign
- Have you permitted this project type in this city or county?
- Who on your team will do the work, and who answers plan check?
- Which consultants are included, and which do I hire directly?
- What is the fee basis, and how are extra services billed?
Red flags: no written contract, no license number, a contractor asking for a large deposit before work starts, or anyone promising a permit date the city hasn’t committed to.
How we use it
At Randolph Complex, two homes sit over a three-car garage on a Los Angeles hillside lot. A site like that needs structural, civil and survey input from the start, so we bring the consultants in during feasibility rather than after design. At Arcadia Medical Office Building, three stories of clinic suites, the same phases apply with a different code path.
An elevated sanctuary in the hills of Los Angeles.
Have a lot in mind?
Send us the address and we’ll tell you what it can hold. Book a free consultation → · Follow @ydsarch on Instagram
