ᐅ The architect has become emotional and does not want to continue. How should I proceed now?
Created on: 11 Mar 2026 17:41
O
Ohropax
Hello,
I hired an architect in the Stuttgart metropolitan area to design a single-family house and submit the building permit / planning permission application (service phases 1-4). The architect immediately received an advance payment of 15,000 euros without doing anything.
Service phases 1-2 were basically skipped; at least, I did not receive a project schedule, summaries, cost estimates, or a timetable. She basically spent all her time working only on the design.
The first design was unusable! Our budget is 750,000 euros, which was communicated both verbally and in writing. According to three construction companies, realizing the design would have required 1.25 million euros.
So a new design was created, but it contained so many practical mistakes (corridor too narrow, wardrobe not deep enough, kitchen wall too narrow for a sliding door, ceiling heights too low, bathrooms too small), and many more. An unbelievable number of errors, which you wouldn’t normally expect from an architect (at least I didn’t). The design is now in its 10th iteration because we repeatedly had to point out illogical corners, incorrectly placed windows, etc. Many of the changes were contributed by construction companies and included in the design because it was otherwise not suitable.
It was agreed with the architect that the remaining amount of about 15,000 euros would be paid before submitting the building permit / planning permission application. However, this is too risky for us because the architect’s work is very poor technically, and we fear the application will not be approved as is. The architect charged fee zone IV for a simple single-family house and noted this in the invoice. Is that correct?
Our proposal is to pay the 15,000 euros only after approval. The architect has now completely lost it, refuses to submit the application, and demands 12,000 euros for the design.
I actually did the design myself, and she just used the software. I was not advised. She simply implemented things without pointing out poor practicality. As a layperson, I am not familiar with this and expect advice; that is part of the architect’s job, isn’t it?
What should I do now? I am emotionally exhausted...
I hired an architect in the Stuttgart metropolitan area to design a single-family house and submit the building permit / planning permission application (service phases 1-4). The architect immediately received an advance payment of 15,000 euros without doing anything.
Service phases 1-2 were basically skipped; at least, I did not receive a project schedule, summaries, cost estimates, or a timetable. She basically spent all her time working only on the design.
The first design was unusable! Our budget is 750,000 euros, which was communicated both verbally and in writing. According to three construction companies, realizing the design would have required 1.25 million euros.
So a new design was created, but it contained so many practical mistakes (corridor too narrow, wardrobe not deep enough, kitchen wall too narrow for a sliding door, ceiling heights too low, bathrooms too small), and many more. An unbelievable number of errors, which you wouldn’t normally expect from an architect (at least I didn’t). The design is now in its 10th iteration because we repeatedly had to point out illogical corners, incorrectly placed windows, etc. Many of the changes were contributed by construction companies and included in the design because it was otherwise not suitable.
It was agreed with the architect that the remaining amount of about 15,000 euros would be paid before submitting the building permit / planning permission application. However, this is too risky for us because the architect’s work is very poor technically, and we fear the application will not be approved as is. The architect charged fee zone IV for a simple single-family house and noted this in the invoice. Is that correct?
Our proposal is to pay the 15,000 euros only after approval. The architect has now completely lost it, refuses to submit the application, and demands 12,000 euros for the design.
I actually did the design myself, and she just used the software. I was not advised. She simply implemented things without pointing out poor practicality. As a layperson, I am not familiar with this and expect advice; that is part of the architect’s job, isn’t it?
What should I do now? I am emotionally exhausted...
11ant schrieb:
I understood it that the architect here is at most a co-author, but more likely an employee contributing to the original design by the OP. That is exactly my position!
11ant schrieb:
Whatever this mysterious tool is supposed to be, my crystal ball doesn’t see it, you should show it to us. It looked like Allplan, which exports .vpl files.
11ant schrieb:
My advice, as I said Thank you for your offer, I will keep it in mind. The architect now has one week to decide how to proceed.
In any case, I do not see a way for her to unilaterally terminate the contract.
Gerddieter schrieb:
After the building permit / planning permission is granted, the architect is liable for defects in the design. What could these be, for example?
G
Gerddieter12 Mar 2026 19:20The architect must provide a design that complies with building regulations and is eligible for approval. If they fail to do so, they are liable to the client for any resulting damages.
Even if the authority grants a building permit / planning permission, the architect can still be held liable if:
The approval does not automatically relieve the architect of liability.
Examples: violations of setback requirements, zoning plans, state building codes, fire protection regulations, lack of usability, etc. etc. etc...
Even if the authority grants a building permit / planning permission, the architect can still be held liable if:
- the design is objectively unlawful
- or the client suffers damages later due to the error.
The approval does not automatically relieve the architect of liability.
Examples: violations of setback requirements, zoning plans, state building codes, fire protection regulations, lack of usability, etc. etc. etc...
Just to clarify the communication:
You say to her (at least you write it here)
Then you criticize:
It should be noted that you wrote maximum house height, not room height. These are actually two different factors.
No wonder three floors were planned then.
I can’t comment on the invoices or the individual phases of service.
You say to her (at least you write it here)
Ohropax schrieb:
please plan the house as tall as possible so we can see what is feasible.
Then you criticize:
Ohropax schrieb:
then it was simply wrong to ask how tall the rooms are allowed to be,
It should be noted that you wrote maximum house height, not room height. These are actually two different factors.
No wonder three floors were planned then.
Ohropax schrieb:
The three floors could have been avoided from the start because the rooms won’t be tall enough. I mean that the architect should have said from the beginning that three floors are "nonsense."
I can’t comment on the invoices or the individual phases of service.
ypg schrieb:
It should be noted that you are referring to maximum house height, not ceiling heights. These are actually two different things. The house has a roof terrace, and I wanted to know if the height is acceptable or if I should skip it because the neighbor is too close.
Regarding the ceiling heights, the question was whether three floors are still feasible or if everything should rather be spread over "only" two floors.
The architect is obligated to provide preliminary work, and the 15,000 euro deposit was not required.
Legally, the matter seems clear. Either she submits her work and receives a partial payment, or I terminate the contract, find someone else, and claim damages.
You try to be reasonable and transfer 15,000 euros without a legal basis, and then you get treated like this.
Ohropax schrieb:
Legally, the matter seems to be clear. Nevertheless, you should work on the terms you use and clearly communicate what you want.
Room height, building height, to ultimately assess a rooftop terrace – a mind reader would first have to interpret your thoughts.
For many, it’s quite simple: “as high as possible” means, in residential construction, as many floors as possible.
If the architect, acting as a service provider, has a good lawyer and/or can prove what you intended (this would work very well in an interrogation with you), the legal situation might turn into a settlement. Laziness, refusal, and collecting payment is of course not an option, but very poor communication can also be used against you, and that should be legitimate if things are as they are.
By the way, nowadays ventilation ducts are embedded in the ceiling cavities, so there’s no need for dropped ceilings.
I do not want to speak against you now. You just need to be more careful with your words in the future.
And of course, you don’t have to post any plans here. However, there are several statements here that I personally doubt, including the DIY planning.
We only know your statements here, so we can’t make a neutral assessment.
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