Achieving a desired budget is a group effort and should be addressed early and often throughout the beginning phases of the design and construction documentation. This is how it looks: A client has a budget, we try to design a project close to that budget, then we get a contractor on board early in the design process (if it is a residential project) so that the contractor can apply a much sharper pencil to the current design numbers and then compare with the budget numbers. An architect has a general idea of square footage costs due to experience and history, but a contractor knows the specific unit and labor costs. Along the way, clients are also making normal decisions that affect the budget one way or another. It is our job to try and get all the moving parts to the contractor as soon as possible so that, along with the client’s design wishes, we can make decisions that are in line with the budget. We should have clever ideas on how to make the design work within their finances. Doing this open book, constant communication, as a team involves back and forth communication with everyone until the numbers are acceptable and a design is approved. Commercial projects are more structured and that process is defined by the industry.