Choosing an Architect Is a High-Consideration Decision

Choosing an architect is choosing how your building will work, look, and last — and how well your money is spent over a build that may run a year or more. It is not a decision to make on a brochure or a low-priced quote. This guide sets out what to actually check before you commit, so you choose on evidence.

A registered, process-led practice since 1984. Book a design consultation: +233 23 063 0038.

1. Registration — Is the Architect Statutory?

In Ghana, architecture is a regulated profession. Verify this first:

ARC and the Architects Act

Every practising architect must register with the Architects Registration Council (ARC), the statutory regulator under the Architects Act 1969 (NLCD 357). Firms on the standing register require a Principal with the qualifying experience, and ARC publishes a list of firms in good standing. Membership of the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA) is the professional layer above this.

Why It Matters

A licensed architect’s drawings are what the District Assembly expects for a building permit. If the person designing your building cannot register the permit application, you do not have an architect — you have a draughtsman, and the difference shows up at approval stage.

Ask any firm to confirm its ARC/GIA standing. A real practice answers without hesitation.

2. A Real Portfolio — Built, Not Rendered

Renders are easy; built work is the proof. Ask to see:

Completed projects, ideally ones you can visit or that are named.
Projects like yours — a residential specialist for a home, a commercial track record for an office.
Before-and-after on renovation or façade work.

A portfolio of beautiful renders with nothing built is a warning. Built work shows the firm can carry a design through detailing, permit, and construction to a real result.

3. A Clear Process and Fee Basis

A good architect can explain, in plain terms, how your project will move and what it will cost:

Defined work stages — brief, concept, developed design, permit drawings, construction documentation.
An honest fee basis — a percentage of construction cost (the GIA publishes a fee scale as guidance) or a staged fee, agreed up front. Be wary of a firm that quotes a flat percentage or a per-m² figure before seeing your project — the honest answer depends on the work.
A clear line between the fee and the building cost — the building cost comes from a Bill of Quantities, not the design fee. See Architect Fees & the Design Process.

4. Engineering and Coordination

A building is more than its plan. Check that the firm:

Brings registered engineering input (GhIE) where the project needs it — structure, services.
Designs to L.I. 1630 and the Ghana Building Code (GS 1207:2018).
Coordinates the design so the drawings a contractor builds from are complete and consistent — under-coordinated drawings cost you in site variations.

5. Permit and Approvals Handling

Ask whether the firm prepares the permit drawings and handles the approval chain — the District Assembly building permit and the Lands Commission site plan — and whether it manages EPA permitting (L.I. 1652) where a larger project requires it. A firm that hands you the drawings and leaves you to navigate approvals alone is doing half the job.

6. Can They Take It Through to Build?

Decide what you need:

Design only — you take the drawings to your own contractor.
Design plus construction support — the architect reviews the build.
Design-build — design and construction under one accountable team.

A firm that offers the route you need — and is honest about the trade-offs — is the better fit. See Design-Build vs Traditional Procurement.

7. The Working Relationship

You will work with this firm for months. Look for:

They listen — the brief is yours, not a template they reuse.
They are reachable — especially important for diaspora clients designing by video.
They are honest — a firm that tells you what your budget can and cannot realistically deliver is protecting you.

A Lower-Priced Quote Is Not the Whole Picture

The lowest design fee can produce the most expensive building, through under-resolved drawings that generate variations on site. Weigh the fee against the firm’s evidence — registration, portfolio, process, and honesty — not on price alone.

Registered & Accountable

Works within the Architects Act 1969 (NLCD 357) and the Architects Registration Council / Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA)
Registered engineering input (GhIE) where required; designs to L.I. 1630 and the Ghana Building Code (GS 1207:2018)
Permit drawings and EPA permitting (L.I. 1652) handled as part of the service
Established 1984 — a real practice with a portfolio, shared on request

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I verify an architect is registered in Ghana? Ask the firm to confirm its ARC registration and GIA membership. The Architects Registration Council is the statutory body under the Architects Act 1969; a real practice confirms its standing without hesitation.

What’s the difference between an architect and a draughtsman? A registered architect can carry the design through permit and construction, and register the permit application; a draughtsman draws but cannot stand behind the statutory process.

Should I choose on the lowest fee? No — a low fee can mean under-resolved drawings that cost more on site. Weigh registration, portfolio, process, and honesty alongside the fee.

Can an architect also handle my building permit? Yes — see Architects in Ghana. We prepare the permit drawings and handle the District Assembly / Lands Commission process as part of the service.

Talk to Us

Bring us your project and we will show you our credentials, portfolio, and process — the evidence you should ask any architect for. Book a design consultation: +233 23 063 0038.

Architects in Ghana — design and design-build, end to end
Architect Fees & the Design Process — how fees and stages work
Residential Architecture — designing a home
Commercial Architecture — buildings that perform