What they do
Architecture firm designing single-family custom homes, renovations and additions, with help choosing a contractor.
Where they work
Reviews and recognition
- Google: 5.0 from 1 review (checked October 17, 2026).
Architect, design-build or builder?
With an independent architect you get drawings first, then bid them out to builders, which takes longer but lets you compare prices on one design. A design-build firm (an architect and builder under one roof) is faster and gives you one point of contact, but you lose the competitive bid. Some builders on our builder list design in house too.
What a custom home architect does
Most residential architects work in the same stages: schematic design (rough layouts and massing), design development (materials, structure and systems), construction documents (the detailed drawings a builder prices and the permit office reviews), help with permits, and often construction administration, visiting the site to check the work matches the drawings. Ask which stages are included in the fee.
Builders who work in the same towns
If you start with an architect, you will still need a builder to price and build the plans. These builders on our list work in the same towns:
- Arlington Designer Homes, Arlington
- August Homes, Tysons
- AZA Builders, Chantilly
- Bella Home Construction, Fairfax
- BODE Residential, Arlington
Questions worth asking
- How many new custom homes have you designed in the last five years, and can I see two?
- How do you charge: a percentage of construction, hourly, or a fixed fee?
- Will you help me pick a builder and visit the site during construction?
- Have you dealt with the permit office for my town?
Check a Virginia architect’s license on the DPOR lookup.
Sources
Last checked October 17, 2026. Something wrong? Ask for a correction.