Architect or civil engineer - Who is the right choice and when?

Hello everyone,

I have been a "silent" reader for quite some time and have already learned a lot here. Many thanks for that ;). I understand that it makes sense to involve an architect for new construction and to employ them up to service phase 8. However, I have difficulties understanding exactly what the difference is compared to a civil engineer. When comparing the offers on various websites, the services offered look very similar to me as a layperson. I can imagine that an architect offers advantages if you want an unusual house shape or something similar. But what about if you have no special demands on the house shape? For example, for us, the sensible use of the plot, the interior floor plan, and the installed technology are much more important. A completely "normal" house with a gable roof would not bother us either. Does it make a difference for us as builders whether we plan with an architect or a civil engineer? Can one say when one is better than the other and vice versa? Or are there services / service phases that only one of the two offers?

Thanks for your support!

Cheers, Johnny

I can only say that an architect primarily designs houses, obtains quotes, awards contracts, supervises construction, and handles acceptance. In short. And this also applies to ordinary houses with gable roofs. Just like ours. I don’t know what a civil engineer does, but an architect isn’t just for show. Although most (ours definitely) act like artists. You have to be able to handle that.

I understand that it makes sense to involve an architect for the new construction and to employ them up to service phase 8.

I am very pleased about that.

However, I have difficulties understanding exactly what the difference to a civil engineer is.

These are different fields of study, even though some architects have also studied civil engineering. But for a highway bridge, for example, you need so little architectural study content that you specialize away from what you do not want to apply. Neurologists do not operate on joints, but otherwise are doctors just like their orthopedic colleagues.

Or are there services / service phases that only one of the two offers?

The service phases of the HOAI apply across the board. For a single-family house, you only need service phases 1 to 8, and preferably an architect (who, as mentioned, is not rarely also a civil engineer).

In many (also small) architectural firms, both species work together or divide the tasks accordingly.

described the subject area comparison at the doctor’s perfectly. So if they are specialized in single-family houses, after many years of professional experience there is often no difference to be found.

Good morning,

thank you very much for the answers.
I did not mean to say that the architect is only good for show-offs. I just meant that I assume an architect has better drawing skills than a civil engineer. The other points you mentioned are also offered by civil engineers – at least that is what we were told.

Can you briefly explain to us why the architect is the better choice? The background is: The civil engineering firms we have contacted so far have all offered a free initial consultation (about 1–2 hours) to discuss our requirements. With the architectural firms (to be fair, there have only been 2 so far), we only received a standard email with general statements like: "Medium to high standard – 3200–3500 euros per m²." For anything further, phase 1 of the service would already have to be "booked." Getting a feeling for different architects and first cost estimates can get quite expensive…

Much more important than the focus of the education are other aspects: love for one’s work, interest in the customer, interest in the project, communication skills... this can be either a civil engineer who very much enjoys building private houses, or an architect.