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Who does what on your home project?
Foundation Series · Episode 3 of 12
Tina Patel & Bart Kolosowski · 15 January 2026
An architect, a builder and a project manager can all be involved—and still be responsible for different things.
Bart and Tina explain the people behind a home build, who works for whom, and why a job title alone does not tell you who will coordinate the design, manage the budget or check the work.
What happens when a duct meets a steel beam?
Tina uses a simple example: a structural design places a beam where the services design needs a duct. Each designer may have solved their own problem, but the two solutions still need to fit together.
That is the value of coordination. A lead designer brings the packages together, identifies conflicts and helps the team resolve them before the ceiling is being built. The role needs to be clear, even if the architect also carries it out.
The project manager has a different focus: helping the client organise the whole team, actions and deliverables. A contractor’s manager may be organising the contractor’s work; do not assume that covers everyone involved in your project.
01
Design intent
What should the finished home do?
02
Structure
How will the building stand up?
03
Building services
How will the systems fit and work?
04
Coordination
Who brings the packages together?
Which specialists does your project need?
The architect develops the overall design. A structural engineer designs the structure; building-services specialists deal with systems such as heating, ventilation and electrical services. Planning and heritage consultants bring more focused expertise where the project needs it.
A quantity surveyor can help with budgets, pricing information and cost control. What any consultant actually provides depends on the agreed appointment, rather than the title alone.
You do not need to copy a large project’s team onto a small extension. Discuss the complexity, risks and gaps in your own project, then agree the appropriate support.
Who checks the work—and what are they checking?
Building control considers compliance with building regulations. That does not replace checking whether the work meets your design, specification and required quality.
Bart explains the role of a clerk of works: an experienced person who regularly inspects the work and flags issues while they can still be resolved. On other projects, inspection duties may sit with the appointed professional team.
The useful question is what checks are included, how often they happen and who acts on the findings. Having several people visit the site is not the same as agreeing a complete inspection service.
Who is your contract actually with?
The main contractor generally organises the packages it has taken on and employs subcontractors to deliver parts of the work. If you buy a kitchen or another package directly, the relationships and responsibilities can be different.
The episode also distinguishes managing the project from administering the building contract. Agree who can issue instructions, deal with changes and assess payments under your chosen contract.
Roles with similar names can have different duties. Ask your team to explain the appointments in plain language, including the relevant principal designer and principal contractor roles.
Three decisions to take into your project
01 Map the responsibilities.
List who designs, coordinates, manages cost and checks the work.
02 Check the scope behind each title.
Ask what is included in the appointment and where the limits are.
03 Resolve gaps before they reach site.
Be clear about who handles conflicts, decisions and instructions.
The full conversation
The Foundation Series is our 12-episode guide to the home project journey. Architect Tina Patel and quantity surveyor Bart Kolosowski work through the decisions, people and processes involved, step by step.
In Episode 3, Bart and Tina unpack the main client, consultant, contractor and inspection roles, so you can ask better questions about the team your project needs.
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