Architect client document checklist: what to collect before design starts
Most project delays at kickoff are not design problems. They are missing paperwork: a survey the owner thinks is “somewhere in a drawer,” a zoning letter the previous owner received years ago, or a set of original drawings that exist only as a roll of prints in a basement. Until those arrive, you can't confirm setbacks, check what is already permitted, or price the work with confidence. This guide lists what to ask clients for, why each item matters, and a simple way to collect it without a long email thread.
The core checklist
Ask for each document by name. “Send us anything you have on the property” tends to produce a few photos and nothing else.
- Property survey or site plan. Boundary lines, easements, existing structures, and ideally topography. If the survey is old or missing, you learn early that one needs to be ordered.
- Title documents or deed. The deed or title report shows the legal description and can point to recorded easements, covenants, or restrictions that affect what can be built.
- Zoning and permit documents. Zoning letters, variances, certificates of occupancy, prior permits, and any open violations. These tell you what is already approved and what is not.
- Existing drawings or as-builts. Original architectural and structural drawings, prior renovation sets, or MEP drawings. Even partial sets save measuring time.
- Photos of existing conditions. Exterior elevations, each room, the basement, the roof, and any problem areas the client already knows about.
- Program or requirements brief. The client's own list of spaces, uses, must-haves, and nice-to-haves. Written down, it is easier to refer back to than notes from a meeting.
- Budget outline. A range is enough at the start. It shapes every early design conversation.
- Signed agreement. Your signed proposal or owner–architect agreement, kept with the rest of the project file.
Depending on the project, you may also want HOA or condo board rules, prior inspection or engineering reports, and contact details for anyone else involved (contractor, lender, building manager).
Why kickoff documents are slow to arrive
- Clients don't know what they have. Many owners have never seen their survey and don't know whether a zoning letter exists.
- Documents live in different places. The deed is with the closing papers, the old drawings are with a previous owner, photos are on a phone.
- Large files don't fit in email. Scanned drawing sets and photo batches bounce or get split across several messages.
- Nobody tracks what is still missing. A client sends the survey and photos and reasonably assumes they are done.
A simple collection process
- Start from a template. Create one request per project with each document as its own item. Separate items make it obvious which ones are still outstanding.
- Mark what is optional. Not every project has existing drawings or a zoning letter. Marking those optional, and letting the client mark an item N/A, keeps the request from stalling on documents that don't exist.
- Send one link. The client opens it on a phone or computer and uploads each file next to its name. Site photos can be taken with the phone camera straight from the upload page.
- Let reminders do the follow-up. Reminders list only the documents still missing and stop once the request is complete.
- Download the project file. When everything is in, download one ZIP with a folder for each checklist item, ready to drop into your project directory.
How FilesDue handles this
FilesDue includes an Architect project kickoff template with six items: Property survey / site plan; Existing drawings / as-builts (optional); Zoning / permit documents (optional); Photos of existing conditions; Program / requirements brief; and Budget outline (optional). You can rename, remove, or add items for each project — for example, add “Deed or title report” and “Signed agreement.”
Clients don't create an account. Reminders go out on day 2, 5, and 9 after you create the request, then weekly, and each one lists only what is still missing. Clients can pause reminders from the email, and you can pause them from your dashboard. If an upload isn't what you needed — the wrong survey, or a photo that is too blurry to use — you can send the item back with a short reason, and the client gets an email asking for a new file.
Each file can be up to 100 MB, with up to 500 MB per request. The upload page accepts PDF, images (including iPhone HEIC), Word, Excel, CSV, and ZIP files. For CAD files, ask clients to put them in a ZIP or send a PDF export.
Tips for architects
- Send the request as soon as the agreement is signed, so documents arrive while you schedule the site visit.
- Ask for photos of every room, not just the ones in scope. Adjacent conditions often matter.
- Ask for full scans of drawing sets, including title blocks, rather than photos of individual sheets.
- Ask clients to note in the file name or N/A note where a missing document might be (a prior owner, a city records office), so you know who to ask next.
- Keep one optional catch-all item for “Anything else about the property” — it is often where old reports turn up.
Frequently asked questions
Do clients need an account? No. They use the link you send. It is a long, unguessable link tied to that one request.
How many projects can I run at once? Solo ($15/mo) includes 25 active requests; Pro ($29/mo) has no limit on active requests. See pricing for details.
Is there a general template I can adapt? Yes. See our client document request template guide.