What’s Included in Architectural Services? A Guide to the AIA B101 Standard

Ask a homeowner what an architect does, and most will say some version of “draws the floor plan.” That’s one deliverable out of dozens. Professional architectural services—as defined by the American Institute of Architects’ B101 standard agreement, the framework used by most licensed architecture firms in the United States—are a structured, five-phase process that runs from the first concept sketch through the final walk-through on your finished home.

Understanding what’s actually included in this process matters for two reasons. First, it explains why architectural fees are structured the way they are. Second, and more importantly for a Georgia project, it clarifies exactly where an architect’s responsibility ends and a general contractor’s begins—a distinction that protects your budget and your legal standing throughout construction.

What Is the AIA B101 Agreement?

The AIA B101 is the standard owner-architect agreement published by the American Institute of Architects. It’s the most widely used contract framework for architectural services in residential and light commercial work, and it defines architect services as a sequence of five phases—not a single deliverable. When a firm quotes “8% to 15% of construction cost” for architectural fees, that percentage is compensation for all five phases below, not just a set of drawings.

Working from a B101-structured agreement gives a Georgia homeowner two protections that an informal arrangement doesn’t:

• Defined scope: each phase has specific deliverables, so there’s no ambiguity about what you’re paying for at each stage.
• Defined sequence: you approve each phase before the next begins, which means your budget is locked in progressively rather than discovered all at once at the permit stage.

The Five Phases of Architectural Services, Explained

Phase 1: Schematic Design (SD)

Schematic Design is where your project starts to take shape—literally. This phase translates your goals, budget, and site conditions into a conceptual layout.

What we do:

• Evaluate your lot’s topography, orientation, and zoning constraints—critical in North Georgia, where slope and tree cover vary significantly from lot to lot.
• Develop initial floor plans and massing studies based on your program (bedroom count, living spaces, garage, outdoor areas).
• Align the emerging design with your target construction budget before investing in detailed drawings.

What you get: preliminary floor plans, site placement diagrams, and a rough massing model—enough to confirm the direction is right before committing to the next phase.

Phase 2: Design Development (DD)

Design Development takes the approved concept and adds the technical substance: materials, systems, and structural logic.

What we do:

• Refine dimensions, room layouts, and exterior elevations in detail.
• Coordinate with structural engineers to confirm the framing and foundation approach—particularly important on sloped or soil-variable Georgia sites.
• Coordinate with MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) consultants to route systems before they’re locked into the drawings.
• Select and specify key materials, fixtures, and finishes at a level of detail sufficient for accurate pricing.

What you get: detailed floor plans, exterior elevations, preliminary structural and MEP coordination drawings, and outline material specifications.

Phase 3: Construction Documents (CD)

Construction Documents are the technical, permit-ready blueprint package. This is what your county’s Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) reviews, and what your general contractor prices and builds from.

What we do:

• Produce the complete, stamped drawing set: architectural plans, structural calculations, and MEP drawings coordinated into a single buildable package.
• Prepare IECC energy compliance documentation required for permitting in every Georgia jurisdiction.
• Address specific local requirements—overlay district standards, tree protection ordinances, and setback compliance—directly in the drawing set.

What you get: the full, permit-ready construction document set, including structural and energy compliance documentation—the package your contractor will bid from and your AHJ will review.

Phase 4: Bidding & Negotiation

With Construction Documents complete, the project moves from design into procurement: selecting the general contractor who will physically build the home.

What we do:

• Distribute the Construction Documents to a shortlist of qualified, Georgia-licensed general contractors.
• Review incoming bids for completeness and consistency, flagging scope gaps or unrealistic pricing.
• Advise you on contractor qualifications—licensure status, insurance coverage, and experience with projects of similar scale and complexity in your specific county.

What you get: a comparative bid analysis and a vetted recommendation, so you select a contractor based on an apples-to-apples comparison rather than raw price alone.

Phase 5: Construction Administration (CA)

Construction Administration is the phase most homeowners underestimate—and the one that does the most to protect the investment made in the previous four phases.

What we do:

• Conduct periodic site visits throughout construction to observe progress against the approved drawings.
• Review contractor submittals and material samples for conformance with the design intent.
• Respond to field questions and issue clarifications when real-world conditions require a decision the drawings didn’t anticipate.
• Review the project at substantial completion and help confirm readiness for final inspections and Certificate of Occupancy.

What you get: ongoing oversight that catches discrepancies between drawing and construction while they’re still inexpensive to correct—before they’re built into the walls.

The Five Phases at a Glance

Architects, Not Builders: Why This Structure Protects You

“Kteam Architects designs your home, prepares the documents required to permit it, and helps you select a qualified Georgia-licensed general contractor to build it. We do not pour concrete, frame walls, or act as your contractor. During Construction Administration, that separation is exactly what protects you: the person confirming the work matches the design has no financial stake in the pace or cost of construction. We’re not reviewing our own work—we’re verifying someone else’s, on your behalf.”

— Kteam Architects

This distinction is easy to overlook until it matters. A design-build firm that both designs and constructs your home reviews its own construction work—there’s an inherent conflict in that arrangement, even when the firm is acting in good faith. An independent architect performing Construction Administration has no incentive to overlook a discrepancy, because the firm confirming the work isn’t the firm being paid to fix it later.

Why the Full Scope Matters More in Georgia

Each of the five phases carries specific weight in a Georgia project:

• Schematic Design is where site-specific issues—slope, soil, tree canopy, sun orientation—are identified before they become expensive surprises later.
• Design Development is where local zoning constraints, including setback schedules and Impervious Surface Ratio (ISR) limits common in Fulton, Cherokee, and Forsyth counties, are built into the design rather than discovered at permitting.
• Construction Documents must satisfy the specific Authority Having Jurisdiction reviewing your project—requirements that vary meaningfully between, for example, the City of Atlanta and unincorporated Fulton County.
• Bidding in the Atlanta metro benefits from an architect’s familiarity with which contractors have a track record in your specific jurisdiction and site conditions.
• Construction Administration is what catches the gap between drawing and execution—the single largest source of budget overruns on custom projects.