The best architect in Amman and Jordan: how to choose and 9 questions before signing

Choosing an architect in Jordan: why the questions come before the signature

Choosing the architect is a decision that shapes your house, its cost and your peace of mind over a year or more of working together. Most of the problems owners describe afterwards were not caused by weak design, but by expectations that were never discussed before signing: who draws, what the quote includes, how many revisions, who follows up on the permit. This is a list of 9 questions to ask any architect in Amman or any governorate before you sign, and honest answers matter more than perfect ones.

1. Are you registered with the Jordan Engineers Association, and is the office licensed?

Registration with the Jordan Engineers Association is a condition for practicing, and the Association's stamp on the drawings is a condition for the permit. Ask for the registration number, and ask which licensed engineering office will submit the permit file: the architect's own office, or another office they work with? Both are acceptable, but you need to know the answer in advance so you do not discover at submission that the file needs a third party with extra fees.

2. Have you done projects similar to mine?

A villa on a sloping plot in Amman is different from an 8-apartment building, and both are different from a clinic or a restaurant. Ask to see work of the same type, and distinguish between 3D visualizations and built buildings. An architect who designed houses that were actually built can tell you about construction problems and how they were solved. If every piece of work is a beautiful image with not one completed building, ask why. The architect may be early in their career, which is not a flaw in itself, but you should know it.

3. Who will actually draw the plans?

In some offices the owner meets the architect whose name is on the door, then the work is done by a draftsman or a junior engineer the owner never sees. Ask clearly: who draws the preliminary layout, who reviews it, and who attends review meetings with me? An honest answer is not a flaw, but you need to know who you are dealing with when questions come up mid-project.

4. What exactly does the quote include, and what does it not?

Ask for the quote in writing with a list of deliverables: preliminary layout, floor plans, elevations, sections, visualization (and how many views), construction drawings, schedules, coordination with the structural and MEP engineers, permit drawings. Then ask what is not included: interior design, garden design, kitchen design, other engineers' fees, Association and municipality fees. A quote that states its exclusions is more honest than one that promises everything.

5. How many revisions are included, and how are extras charged?

Every design gets revised, and that is normal. The question is how many revision rounds are included at each stage, and what counts as a round: does moving a door count the same as replanning the whole floor? And how are extra revisions priced? A clear agreement here prevents the most common dispute between owners and architects. On your side, collect your comments into one round instead of sending them piecemeal, which saves both parties time.

6. What is the expected timeline for each stage?

Ask for an approximate schedule: preliminary layout, full design, construction drawings, permit file. Durations are usually given with the word usually, because they depend on the speed of your decisions too. What matters is that a schedule exists, and that the contract says what happens if either side is late.

7. How do you coordinate with the structural and MEP engineers?

A building needs at least four disciplines, and the architect usually coordinates between them. Ask: do you have a structural engineer you work with, or do I choose one? Who checks that the drawings match before stamping? Who is responsible if a column ends up in the wrong place on site? The answer tells you whether the architect works within a team or hands over drawings and considers the job done.

8. Who follows up on the building permit, and who supervises construction?

A permit from Greater Amman Municipality or a local municipality goes through rounds of comments, and someone has to handle them. Ask whether permit follow-up is included, whether it is the licensed office's job, or whether it is your responsibility. Ask the same about construction supervision: does the architect provide it, with how many visits, and at what fee? A project without architectural supervision is built the way the contractor understands it, not the way it was drawn.

9. What does the contract look like, and how do we communicate?

Ask for a written contract that states the scope, deliverables, timeline, fees and payment stages, number of revisions, and the terms under which either side can end the work. Then agree on how you communicate: regular meetings, a messaging group, email for important decisions. A lot of misunderstanding comes from decisions made in a phone call and never written down.

Warning signs during the meeting

• A price quoted before seeing the site plan or hearing your needs.
• A promise of a fast permit or of getting around the zoning.
• Refusal to provide a written list of deliverables.
• A portfolio made entirely of visualizations with not one built project.
• Talking about style before talking about the plot and the budget.
• Fees clearly below the Jordan Engineers Association minimum.

How to compare architects after the meetings

Put the nine answers in a simple table for each architect. Do not choose on price alone, and not on images alone. Choose the one who understood your plot and your needs, wrote down what they promised, and was honest about what they do not provide. An architect who tells you this is not part of my work deserves more trust than one who says yes to everything. And remember that the first meeting shows you the communication style you will live with for the whole project: did they listen, and did they ask about the plot before showing their work.

If you are preparing a project in Jordan and want written answers to these questions for your specific project, ask for a first consultation.