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Architect vs BCIN Designer in Ontario: Who Should Draw Your House?
Plans and design Ontario From a builder
Architect vs BCIN Designer in Ontario: Who Should Draw Your House?
Most houses in Ontario are drawn by people who are not architects, legally and well. Some houses should be drawn by an architect. Here is the difference, what each costs in rough terms, and how I would choose.
Short version: A Part 9 house (up to three storeys, 600 square metres) does not need an architect. It needs permit drawings by someone qualified under Division C of the Building Code, which in practice means a designer with a BCIN, an architect, or an engineer, and the owner can draw their own. A BCIN designer is the right choice for most custom homes; an architect earns the fee on a difficult lot, an unusual design, or when you want design leadership through construction.
What the law actually requires
The Ontario Building Code, Division C, Part 3, says who may design a building. For a house, the designer has to be qualified and registered (the BCIN system) unless exempt. The exemptions that matter: an architect or professional engineer practising under their own Act, and the owner of a detached, semi-detached, town or row house with no more than two units who draws it themselves (Articles 3.2.4.1 and 3.2.5.1). The Architects Act requires an architect for buildings outside the Part 9 limits and for some other building types; a typical house is not one of them.
So the legal floor for a custom home is a BCIN designer. Everything above that is a choice about quality, scope and money. The Ontario Building Code page links the current edition; building permit drawings in Ontario lists what the set has to contain whoever draws it.
What a BCIN designer does
Takes your sketches and wishes, produces a permit-ready set: floor plans, elevations, sections, details, a site plan, the energy compliance form, and coordinates the truss drawings and any engineering. Many are former framers, technologists or draftspeople who have seen a lot of houses built. The good ones price as they draw, know the local building department, and turn a set around in weeks. The fee is usually a flat amount per project or per square foot of drawing, and it is a fraction of an architect’s.
The limits: a designer is not trained or insured to lead the aesthetic design of an unusual house, and their qualifications are tied to specific categories (house, small buildings, HVAC and so on). For a straightforward custom home on a normal lot, none of that matters.
What an architect adds
Design. Site response. A building that is more than the sum of its rooms. Architects are trained to solve difficult lots, odd shapes, tight urban infill and demanding clients, and they carry professional liability for the whole design. They can also administer the contract during construction: reviewing the builder’s work, certifying payments, dealing with changes. That is valuable on a complex build and expensive on a simple one.
The fee is typically a percentage of construction cost for full services, or hourly or fixed for drawings only, and it is several times a BCIN designer’s fee. Architects also tend to produce more drawings, which means more to build and more to price. None of that is a criticism; it is what you are buying. Passive House Canada and similar certifications, if you want one, usually mean an architect or a specialist designer.
How I would choose
| Your project | Who I would hire | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional custom home, normal lot, you know roughly what you want | BCIN designer, builder consulted first | Fast, priced as drawn, permit-ready; the money goes into the house |
| Steep, waterfront, rock or tight urban lot | Architect, or a designer with an engineer from day one | The lot is the design problem and needs someone trained for it |
| Unusual design: large spans, flat roofs, lots of glass, modern forms | Architect | The details that make it work are design details, not Code tables |
| You want someone on your side through construction | Architect with contract administration, or a design-build firm | A builder’s own designer cannot referee the builder |
| Owner-builder who can draft | Yourself, with an engineer and a heat loss | Legal, and the cheapest set you will ever get; the building department will tell you quickly if it is not good enough |
Whichever you choose, talk to a builder before the drawing starts. The single most expensive thing in home design is a beautiful set of drawings nobody can afford to build, and both architects and designers produce them when nobody gave them a number. Architect first, or builder first makes the case in more detail.
Questions to ask either one
- How many houses like mine have you drawn in this municipality in the last three years?
- Will you price-check the design with a builder before the drawings are final?
- What is included: site plan, energy compliance, engineering coordination, revisions, permit submission?
- What is your turnaround, and what does a revision cost?
- Who carries the liability if the building department rejects the set?
Related guides on this site
Sources and further reading
Questions people ask
Do I need an architect to build a house in Ontario?
Not for a Part 9 house (up to three storeys and 600 square metres). Permit drawings must come from a qualified designer, usually one with a BCIN, or from an architect or engineer, and an owner may draw their own house under the Code's exemption.
What is a BCIN designer?
A designer registered with the province under the Building Code Identification Number system, qualified in specific categories such as house design, who prepares permit drawings. Most custom homes in Ontario are drawn by BCIN designers.
How much more does an architect cost than a designer?
Several times more, typically a percentage of construction cost for full services. The value is in design leadership on difficult lots and unusual houses, and in contract administration during the build.
Can I draw my own house plans in Ontario?
Yes. Division C, Article 3.2.5.1 exempts the owner of a house with no more than two units from the designer qualification rules. The drawings still have to meet the Code in full, and trusses and anything outside the Part 9 tables still need an engineer.
Have a plan already?
Send it to ICFhome.ca and we will tell you what it costs to build and where the drawing is spending money you may not want to spend.
Reviewed and updated October 2026. Costs are Ontario ranges, not quotes; code references are to the Ontario Building Code in force at that date.
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