ANTOINETTE:
Hi, and welcome. I’m Antoinette Trimble, a registered architect, and this is Allison Tsao, an organisation development practitioner. We both support architects in professional learning and development focused on relationship and communication skills.
ALLISON:
This video is part of a series developed with the Architects Registration Board of Victoria to help registered architects communicate more effectively with their clients.
ANTOINETTE:
Under the Victorian Code of conduct Record Keeping a key obligation under Clauses 6(6) and 15. This covers keeping records of written acceptance of the client architect agreement, variations, correspondence and meeting notes.
So today we’re looking specifically at how to document variations, and how to proactively record verbal conversations and decisions so nothing falls through the cracks.
ALLISON:
This is one of the areas where architects most commonly find themselves exposed when disputes arise. Good documentation is your best protection — and it costs very little to do well. Let’s get into it.
ALLISON:
A variation is any change to the agreed scope, timeline, or cost of the project. And the rule here is simple: if it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen. Clause 6(6) of the Victorian Architects Code of Professional Conduct expressly requires written records to be kept.
ANTOINETTE:
So in practice, every variation needs three things in writing: what has changed — whether that’s scope, time, or cost; what the impact is; and written approval from the client before the work proceeds. Not a nod in a meeting. Not a verbal ‘yes’ on the phone. Written confirmation.
ALLISON:
And it doesn’t have to be a formal document. A short email is enough. Something like — “To confirm our conversation today: you’ve asked us to add an additional toilet in the garage. This is outside the agreed brief. This requires X consultant input. The additional fee is $X, and it adds two weeks to the programme. Please reply to confirm your approval before we proceed.”
ANTOINETTE:
That email does two things at once. It confirms the impact of the change ( time, cost and scope)— and it creates a clear record that the client approved it. If any of those things later become a dispute, you have the answer in the client file.
ANTOINETTE:
The second area is verbal conversations — and this is where a lot of architects leave themselves exposed without realising it. Decisions get made in meetings, on site visits, on the phone. They feel clear in the moment. And then three months later, the client or contractor remembers it differently.
ALLISON:
This isn’t about anyone being dishonest. People genuinely remember conversations differently, especially over long projects with a lot of moving parts. A written record removes the ambiguity entirely.
ANTOINETTE:
The habit to build is simple: after every significant conversation — a meeting, a site visit, a phone call — send a brief follow-up email the same day. It doesn’t need to be long. Three dot points is enough. “To confirm what we discussed today: we agreed to proceed with Option B for the kitchen. Drawings to be updated by Friday. Please let me know if this doesn’t match your understanding.”
ALLISON:
That last sentence is important — inviting the client to correct the record if they disagree. It signals that this is a shared record, not just your version of events. And if they don’t respond, you have a documented paper trail showing they were given the opportunity.
ANTOINETTE:
Site instructions are the same. If you direct a builder to change something on site, follow it up in writing. A site instruction that isn’t documented is a dispute waiting to happen.
ALLISON:
To recap — every variation to scope, time or cost needs written client approval before work proceeds. And every significant verbal conversation should be documented. These two habits, done consistently, protect you and build enormous trust with clients.
ANTOINETTE:
A verbal agreement remembered differently by two people is a dispute. A short email, confirmed and unchallenged, is a shared understanding you can both rely on. Keep it simple, keep it consistent. Thanks for watching.
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