Home / Sample hiring file
Sample hiring fileSee exactly what you get, start to finish.
Every client receives a file like this: the brief, the checks, the full comparison and our recommendation. This one is fictional, so you can see the level of detail before you hire us.
Garage conversion to a one-bedroom unitSample file HF-0000 · Alder Creek (fictional town) · The Okafor household (fictional)
Fictional example · not a real client or firmProject brief
Written from the discovery call and documents, corrected and approved by the owners before any firm was contacted. Quotation marks show the owners’ own words.
- What they want
- Convert a detached two-car garage into a one-bedroom unit for a parent moving in.“Mom needs her own front door, but close enough that we can help.”
- Why now
- Parent moving in within the year; owners want drawings ready for a builder by early summer.
- Property
- Owner-occupied single-family lot; detached garage built 1990s (owner’s understanding).
- What exists
- Boundary survey from purchase (2019); phone photos; no garage drawings.
- Construction budget
- $90,000–$120,000 (owner’s estimate, unverified).
- Professional-services budget
- $5,000–$7,000 for design and engineering (owner’s range).
- Hiring stage
- Spoken to one firm informally; no proposals.
- Service wanted
- Design only. Owners already have a builder they trust.
- Site visits
- Wants the lead designer to visit and measure in person.
- Decision-makers
- Both owners; parent consulted on layout.
Selection priorities, in the owners’ order
- Recent conversion or ADU experience in this county
- Clear about what is and isn’t in the fee
- Fee within the professional-services range
- Can start within three months
- Same person visits, designs and answers questions
Existing-document inventory
- Boundary survey (2019) · PDF, 2 pagesReceived
- Garage and yard photos · 18 imagesReceived
- Original house plans · Owner checking with county recordsAwaiting
- Builder’s rough budget · Email from builderReceived
Brief approved by both owners · Mar 9 (fictional)
Candidate checks
Each check shows its source, the date and the result. “No public actions found” means exactly that, on that date, at that source. It isn’t a guarantee.
CompletedAwaiting confirmationUnavailableNot applicable
Firm B
- License — official recordCompletedState licensing board lookup · Mar 14 · active; no expiry issue shown
- Disciplinary recordsCompletedSame board, public actions · Mar 14 · no public actions found on that date
- Business registrationCompletedSecretary of State business search · Mar 14 · active
- ReferencesCompleted2 of 2 confirmed by phone · Mar 15–16
- Professional liability insuranceAwaiting confirmationCertificate requested Mar 15 · not yet received
- General liability insuranceAwaiting confirmationRequested Mar 15 · recorded separately
- Proposed project leadCompletedNamed in proposal; met at interview Mar 18
- Interest and availabilityCompletedConfirmed by email Mar 12 · can start in April
Firm A
- License — official recordCompletedState licensing board lookup · Mar 14 · active
- Disciplinary recordsCompletedSame board · Mar 14 · no public actions found on that date
- ReferencesUnavailable1 confirmed · 1 no reply after two attempts (Mar 15, 17)
- Professional liability insuranceCompletedCertificate supplied by firm Mar 13 · coverage not interpreted
- Consultant responsibilitiesAwaiting confirmationStructural engineer “by others”: who engages them? Asked Mar 16
- Contractor licenseNot applicableNot applicable: firm does not build
Firm C
- License — official recordAwaiting confirmationCannot check until architect of record is named · asked Mar 13
- Contractor licenseCompletedState contractor board lookup · Mar 14 · active
- Business registrationCompletedSecretary of State business search · Mar 14 · active
- ReferencesAwaiting confirmationContacts requested Mar 13
- Interest and availabilityCompletedConfirmed by phone Mar 11
Proposal comparison
What each firm commits to in writing, with the document reference. Red marks an exclusion; amber marks a question still open. The lowest fee is not automatically the best value.
| Item | Firm A $4,800Small residential studio · 1 licensed architect | Firm B $5,900Residential practice · 6 staff | Firm C $7,400Design-and-build company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs the project | Principal architect (licensed in project state) | Named project architect, licensed in project state | Staff designer; architect of record not yet named |
| Relevant experience | 2 garage conversions in 3 years. Firm supplied · 1 of 2 references confirmed | 5 conversions or ADUs in this county in 3 years. Firm supplied · 2 of 2 references confirmed | Many conversions; mostly as builder. Firm supplied · references pending |
| Site visits and measurements | One site visit. Owner supplies existing measurements. Proposal §2.1 | Measured survey of garage included, two visits. Proposal §2 | Included, as needed |
| Design stages | Schematic design → permit set | Schematic → design development → permit set | Design → permit set → construction pricing |
| Engineering and consultants | Structural engineering excluded (“by others”, no amount). Proposal §4 | Structural engineer included (named). Energy compliance included. Proposal §3.4 | Structural included. Energy compliance not stated |
| Permit-review support | One round of responses to review comments | Up to two rounds of responses | Responses until approval (firm’s wording) |
| Construction-phase services | Not offered | Two site visits during construction, then hourly | Offered if they also build. Design fee partly credited if you build with them. |
| Revisions included | 1 round, then hourly | 2 rounds | 3 rounds |
| Additional-service charges | $165/hour | $185/hour; changes quoted before work | Not stated |
| Owner-supplied information | Existing measurements; survey | Boundary survey, if the county requires an update | Not stated |
| Fee and payment stages | 50% at start · 50% at permit set | Four stages: 25 / 25 / 35 / 15% | 40% at start · 60% at permit set |
| Schedule and dependencies | 8–10 weeks to permit set | 10–12 weeks; depends on survey | 12–14 weeks |
| Unanswered questions | Who prepares energy-compliance documents? | Is utility-upgrade design included? | Name and license of architect of record |
Firm A · $4,800
- Who runs the project
- Principal architect (licensed in project state)
- Relevant experience
- 2 garage conversions in 3 years. Firm supplied · 1 of 2 references confirmed
- Site visits and measurements
- One site visit. Owner supplies existing measurements. Proposal §2.1
- Design stages
- Schematic design → permit set
- Engineering and consultants
- Structural engineering excluded (“by others”, no amount). Proposal §4
- Permit-review support
- One round of responses to review comments
- Construction-phase services
- Not offered
- Revisions included
- 1 round, then hourly
- Additional-service charges
- $165/hour
- Owner-supplied information
- Existing measurements; survey
- Fee and payment stages
- 50% at start · 50% at permit set
- Schedule and dependencies
- 8–10 weeks to permit set
- Unanswered questions
- Who prepares energy-compliance documents?
Firm B · $5,900
- Who runs the project
- Named project architect, licensed in project state
- Relevant experience
- 5 conversions or ADUs in this county in 3 years. Firm supplied · 2 of 2 references confirmed
- Site visits and measurements
- Measured survey of garage included, two visits. Proposal §2
- Design stages
- Schematic → design development → permit set
- Engineering and consultants
- Structural engineer included (named). Energy compliance included. Proposal §3.4
- Permit-review support
- Up to two rounds of responses
- Construction-phase services
- Two site visits during construction, then hourly
- Revisions included
- 2 rounds
- Additional-service charges
- $185/hour; changes quoted before work
- Owner-supplied information
- Boundary survey, if the county requires an update
- Fee and payment stages
- Four stages: 25 / 25 / 35 / 15%
- Schedule and dependencies
- 10–12 weeks; depends on survey
- Unanswered questions
- Is utility-upgrade design included?
Firm C · $7,400
- Who runs the project
- Staff designer; architect of record not yet named
- Relevant experience
- Many conversions; mostly as builder. Firm supplied · references pending
- Site visits and measurements
- Included, as needed
- Design stages
- Design → permit set → construction pricing
- Engineering and consultants
- Structural included. Energy compliance not stated
- Permit-review support
- Responses until approval (firm’s wording)
- Construction-phase services
- Offered if they also build. Design fee partly credited if you build with them.
- Revisions included
- 3 rounds
- Additional-service charges
- Not stated
- Owner-supplied information
- Not stated
- Fee and payment stages
- 40% at start · 60% at permit set
- Schedule and dependencies
- 12–14 weeks
- Unanswered questions
- Name and license of architect of record
Questions before signing
Everything still open, who it’s for and where it stands. Before signing, we check that each answer appears in the final contract or stays clearly flagged.
- Q-01Is design of the electrical service upgrade included in Firm B’s fee?For: Firm B · Asked Mar 16Open
- Q-02Certificates for professional and general liability insurance.For: Firm B · Requested Mar 15Open
- Q-03Start date in writing if signed by Mar 28.For: Firm B · Answered Mar 17: April 7Answered
- Q-04Does the contract show two rounds of review-comment responses, as in the proposal?For: Owner, at signing · Check final contractOpen
- Q-05Who may use the drawings if the owners later change firms?For: Owner’s attorney · Legal question: referredReferred
- Q-06Who prepares energy-compliance documents?For: Firm B · Proposal §3.4: includedAnswered
Our recommendation
Firm B, subject to two open items
Firm B matches the owners’ first two priorities most closely: five comparable conversions in this county, confirmed by two references, and a proposal that names its structural engineer and energy work instead of leaving them to others.
Its fee of $5,900 sits inside the owners’ $5,000–$7,000 range and it can start in April.
Trade-offs
- Firm A’s fee is $1,100 lower on paper, but it excludes structural engineering and measuring the garage. Priced in, Firm A comes to about $10,450.
- Firm C offers construction-phase services, but its architect of record isn’t named yet and its fee is above the owners’ range.
Still unknown
- Whether Firm B’s fee covers the electrical service upgrade design (Q-01)
- Firm B’s insurance certificates (Q-02); coverage questions go to an insurance professional
Signing checklist
- License rechecked within 7 days of signing
- Proposal commitments match the contract
- Open items answered or written into the contract
- Owners’ attorney has reviewed the contract
- Documents handed over to Firm B
The owners make the decision. A person on our team reviews every recommendation before it is sent.
How to read it
- Quotation marks are the owner’s own words. Everything else is our summary, which the owner corrected and approved.
- Every check carries one of four statuses and a source and date.
- Every proposal figure points back to the section of the proposal it came from.
- Open questions stay open until they are answered or written into the contract.
What it doesn’t do
- Judge whether a design scope is technically adequate
- Interpret insurance coverage or review the contract as a lawyer
- Promise how a firm will perform, what the build will cost, or when a permit will be issued
Want a file like this for your project?
Share a few details. We’ll reply to arrange a short project-fit call and tell you plainly whether our service suits your project.
There is no charge for the first conversation. Paid only by you. No architect commissions.