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Pilotiko for architecture firms
Three projects in permit drawings, two sites to review and a client who wants a sketch meeting this week: talent isn't the issue, the calendar is.
Pilotiko helps a Quebec architecture firm follow each mandate by phase (sketch, preliminary, permit, tender, site review), book client meetings and site visits on genuinely free slots, keep reserved tasks for registered architects, and see everyone's workload before taking on a new project.
In short
- Each mandate moves through visible phases, with an owner and the permit filing deadline.
- Site review visits are booked like appointments, with the address and travel time built into the buffer.
- A task reserved by the Architects Act only goes to someone with the architect skill, unless a manager visibly overrides it.
- Pilotiko doesn't draw or seal any drawings: it organizes the work around your design software.
Why does an architecture firm's calendar tighten in winter?
Because clients want to build in the warm months: permit drawings get done in winter, municipal filings bunch up in spring, and site review fills summer and fall.
A homeowner who wants an addition in June calls you in January. Between the kickoff meeting, the sketch, preliminary drawings, permit drawings and the city's review time, there's very little slack. Every client meeting pushed back a week pushes the filing back just as far.
In spring, permit applications pile up and questions from municipal staff land back on your desk. In summer, site visits stack on top of design work: one person can have two coordination meetings, a visit in Laval and a drawing revision on the same day. Fall brings tenders and institutional projects planned for the following year.
| Period | Main work | What to protect in the calendar |
|---|---|---|
| December to March | Sketches, preliminaries and permit drawings | Client approval meetings |
| March to May | Permit filings, answers to municipalities | Time to revise after comments |
| June to October | Site review, adjustments, tender drawings | Site visits and their reports |
| October to December | Kickoff of next year's projects, tenders | Real capacity before saying yes |
What does Quebec's Architects Act reserve to architects?
The Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ) sums up the reserved activities: preparing, modifying, signing and sealing drawings (including "preliminary" and "for tender" drawings), certificates of completion, site review reports and attestations of conformity with the architectural drawings, when they concern the construction, enlargement or alteration of a building, as well as reviewing that work on site [1]. Candidates to the profession and firm employees can contribute under the supervision of the architect who signs and seals [1].
Some buildings are exempt. The OAQ offers a decision-support tool based on the type of work, the number of storeys and basements, gross floor area and main use [2]. On the municipal side, the Act doesn't force a city to require drawings; its own by-law sets the documents needed, but any drawings it requires must comply with the Act [3]. The OAQ also states that an architect cannot sign and seal after the fact drawings they didn't prepare [3].
Architecture is on Quebec's list of professions governed by a professional order [6]. Two obligations shape how a firm is run: at least 40 hours of continuing education per two-year cycle, including at least 17 hours of structured activities (category 1) [4], and mandatory professional liability insurance through the OAQ's insurance fund, plus additional coverage for private practice [5].
| Item | Rule or benchmark | What Pilotiko does |
|---|---|---|
| Drawings, including preliminary and tender | Prepared, signed and sealed by the architect [1] | The "seal" task requires the architect skill |
| Site review | Reserved activity [1] | Visits scheduled under a registered architect |
| Exempt building or not | OAQ decision-support tool [2] | A qualifying question logged on intake |
| Continuing education | 40 h per 2-year cycle, 17 h in category 1 [4] | Courses scheduled as calendar absences |
| Liability insurance | Mandatory, through the OAQ fund [5] | Nothing automatic: your file, your documents |
How does Pilotiko organize an architecture practice?
The Professional services template opens Reception and front desk, Clients, Mandates, Meeting room, Management, Accounting and Human resources, with Marketing present in every office. A project waiting on municipal comments stays visible in Mandates; an approval meeting that still needs a date shows up in Clients.
Each mandate breaks down into tasks by phase, with an estimated duration. When a new project comes in, Pilotiko suggests who should take it based on recorded skills, free hours and workload after the task. A signing or site review task requires the architect skill: a technologist or intern won't be offered it unless a manager forces an override, which stays on record.
Client meetings and site visits are booked on genuinely free slots, with a buffer for driving. The meeting room can be set up as a resource, so two meetings never overlap in it. The follow-up agent drafts the minutes to send after a meeting, or a nudge to a client who hasn't approved the sketch; an architect reads it and decides whether it goes out.
Can you take on a new mandate this week?
What objections come up, and how do you answer them?
- "Why an architect? A draftsperson would be cheaper." If the building is covered by the Act, the drawings must be prepared by an architect, preliminary drawings included [1]. The OAQ's decision-support tool lets clients check for themselves [2].
- "I already had drawings done, can you just sign them?" No: an architect can't sign and seal after the fact drawings they didn't prepare [3]. A ready answer on the service sheet saves reinventing it on the phone.
- "The city didn't ask me for anything." The municipal by-law sets the required documents; if it asks for drawings, they must comply with the Act [3].
- "Why am I billed for site visits?" Reviewing the work on site is reserved to the architect [1]; each visit scheduled in Pilotiko leaves a dated record on the file.
What's coming later?
Where should a firm start?
Enter your mandate types and their phases, your team with their skills (architect, technologist, intern), the meeting room as a resource, then open online booking for kickoff meetings. The firm's website, built and hosted by Pilotiko, can present your projects and services with structured data; the AI visibility audit shows how it shows up today.
Further reading: how human approval of AI agents works, and what Law 25 means for your clients' personal information. Related trades have their own pages: interior design, land surveying and renovation. Plans are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
When is an architect mandatory in Quebec?
The Architects Act reserves to architects the drawings for building construction, enlargement or alteration, except for exempt buildings. The OAQ offers a decision-support tool based on the work, number of storeys, floor area and use of the building.
Are preliminary drawings also reserved to architects?
Yes. The OAQ specifies that the drawings covered include "preliminary" and "for tender" drawings, along with certificates of completion and site review reports.
How many continuing education hours must a Quebec architect complete?
At least 40 hours per two-year cycle, including at least 17 hours of structured activities, according to the regulatory obligations published by the OAQ. Booking courses in the calendar keeps them from piling up at the end of the cycle.
Does Pilotiko replace drawing or design project software?
No. Pilotiko organizes mandates, meetings, site visits and team workload. Your drawings stay in your design tools, and nothing is signed or sealed in Pilotiko.
Can an intern be assigned a site review visit?
Not by default: a task requiring the architect skill is only offered to people who have it. A manager can force an override, and it stays visible on the file.
Can clients book their meeting online?
Yes, for services you open to booking, such as a kickoff meeting. They only see free slots of the right length, and the meeting lands in the chosen architect's calendar.
Sources
- Ordre des architectes du Québec, Activités réservées et titre d'architecte (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Ordre des architectes du Québec, Outil d'aide à la décision – Loi sur les architectes (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Ordre des architectes du Québec, Municipalités et Loi sur les architectes : questions fréquentes (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Ordre des architectes du Québec, Formation continue : obligations réglementaires (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Ordre des architectes du Québec, Fonds d'assurance responsabilité professionnelle (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Gouvernement du Québec, Liste des ordres professionnels et répertoire des membres (accessed on October 15, 2026).
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