On this page
- Classes of registration
- Client-architect agreements
- Conflicts of interest
- Continuing professional development
- Informing and agreeing on client access to project material
- Obligation to inform client
- Professional fees and costs
- Professional Indemnity Insurance
- Protection of adjoining property – section 93 insurance requirements
- Supervision of unregistered employees
Classes of registration
Architects are registered in one of 2 classes of registration:
- Practising
- Non-Practising
When registering for the first time, an architect must be registered in the Practising class. An architect is eligible to be registered in the Non-Practising class if they are already registered and they do ‘not intend to carry out work as an architect’.
Client-architect agreements
Written agreements between architects and clients must be entered into prior to the provision of architectural services. These agreements are commonly called a ‘client-architect agreement’ (CAA) and they must contain specific information.
Conflicts of interest
Architects have obligations to disclose any conflict of interest (COI) between themselves and current/former clients.
Continuing professional development
The Victorian Architects Code of Professional Conduct requires architects to maintain suitable skills and knowledge. The ARBV refers to this as a requirement for ‘continuing professional development’ or ‘CPD’.
The requirement applies to architects registered in the practising class (architects (practising)).
Informing and agreeing on client access to project material
Both the architect and client are protected if they have an agreement that covers the client's access to:
- project documents
- files
- data.
Obligation to inform client
Architects have obligations to keep clients informed, with reasonable promptness and with accurate and unambiguous information.
Professional fees and costs
Regular statements of account (commonly called ‘invoices’) must be provided by architects to clients unless the client expressly agrees otherwise, and fees and costs must not exceed the structure defined in the client-architect agreement (CAA).
Professional Indemnity Insurance
Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) covers an architect against any claim made during the period of insurance for alleged negligence or breach of duty arising from an act, error or omission relating to an architect’s professional services.
Protection of adjoining property – section 93 insurance requirements
This guideline focuses on section 93 of the Building Act 1993 (Vic.) which sets out the insurance requirements applicable when protection work is required to be carried out. “Protection Work” is defined in the Building Act as work that is carried out to shore up, underpin or protect an adjoining property when building work is being carried out.
Supervision of unregistered employees
Companies and partnerships approved under the Act which provide architectural services must ensure that a director or partner is responsible for the work and that it is carried out under the supervision of an architect.
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