For architects & planning offices

Client brief written and complete before the first meeting

Structured online form for room programme, budget, timeline and wishes. HOAI LPH 1-compliant documentation as proof — no more handwritten notes missing when extra-cost disputes arise.

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Which fields are included?

~2 Std saved per new project through pre-filled briefing

You know it from the first meeting

Meeting notes instead of documentation

Room programme, budget and timeline end up on a notepad. Weeks later you argue whether 180 m² or 220 m² were agreed — your notepad versus the clients' memory.

Requirements change without baseline

Clients selectively remember their wishes. Without a written baseline from LPH 1 every design change becomes an extra-cost dispute — and you have no documented evidence for justified additional fees under HOAI.

First meeting wasted on basic questions

You spend two hours asking about room count, basement yes/no, PV system, accessible bathroom — all things the client could have answered on their phone beforehand. The meeting is lost for actual design conversation.

How Questee moves the brief forward

  1. 1

    Customise template, send link before first meeting

    Pick "Client brief HOAI LPH 1" from the template library. Enable or disable modules (new build, renovation, fit-out). Send the link via e-mail — the client fills in before the meeting, you arrive prepared.

  2. 2

    Client answers structured on smartphone

    Conditional logic hides irrelevant questions: no basement planned, no basement questions shown. Mandatory fields (budget, gross floor area, completion date) are marked. Draft saving available — the client can answer at their own pace.

  3. 3

    Signed PDF summary as evidence

    After submission the client automatically receives a PDF summary of all answers. You have the same document in your Questee inbox — timestamped, GDPR-compliant. Evidence for extra-cost disputes under HOAI.

What planning offices actually need

Not a generic form builder — fields and logic designed around HOAI service phases.

Room programme module

Predefined room types (living, sleeping, bath, office, plant room) with area input and priority level — directly usable as design brief.

Budget and cost-target capture

Total budget, equity share, financing status — structured input so you can realistically frame the cost target per DIN 276.

Timeline and milestones

Desired move-in, planning permission deadline, demolition of existing structure — all schedule-relevant data in one place, before the first meeting.

File upload (plot, images, pre-design)

Clients upload land surveys, site plans, inspiration images or pre-designs directly in the form — no more e-mail attachment chaos.

GDPR-compliant storage in Germany

All responses and files on German servers, encrypted at rest. Retention periods configurable. No US transfer — relevant for client data including property and financial details.

Automatic PDF documentation

Every submitted response generates a timestamped PDF — for your project file and as HOAI evidence in fee disputes.

This is what the brief looks like for your clients

Live preview of the client brief template — fillable, not a mockup.

Template: bauherren-briefing-hoai

"Since we send the briefing form before the first meeting, clients arrive with concrete numbers. Conversations are sharper, and I have not once argued "didn't we agree on that" since — the PDF is in front of both sides."

Markus Ehrhardt Principal, Ehrhardt Architects · Architekturbüro Ehrhardt, Stuttgart

Scales with your project count

Free for first tests (3 forms). Pro for active offices — unlimited briefings, 10,000 responses/month, PDF export included.

Free

3 forms, 250 responses/month

Pro

Unlimited, 10,000 responses/month, AI included

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Questions from planning practice

Does the completed brief count as a legally binding performance basis under HOAI?
The briefing form does not replace an architect's contract, but creates a written, timestamped baseline for the preliminary investigation (LPH 1 HOAI §34). Courts and arbitration panels treat such documents as evidence of what was agreed at project start. Combine the brief with your written contract for maximum protection.
What if the client changes requirements after submitting?
Every change is a new submission — with its own timestamp and PDF. In the Questee inbox you see both versions side by side and can document delta changes. This creates a complete change history serving as evidence for additional fees under HOAI.
Can clients upload large files (land surveys, existing floor plans)?
Yes — up to 25 MB per file, 100 MB total per submission. Allowed types: PDF, DWG, DXF, JPG, PNG, DOCX. ClamAV scans every file automatically. Downloads run via signed tokens — no direct links that could be accidentally shared.
Can I adapt the form for different project types (new build vs. renovation)?
Yes — conditional logic shows or hides fields based on selected project type. Those choosing "renovation" see questions about existing structure, energy certificate and listed building status. Those choosing "new build" see questions about plot, services and development plan. One form covers both cases.
Does data storage comply with GDPR when clients enter property and financial data?
Questee hosts exclusively in Germany (Frankfurt, ISO 27001 certified), signs a data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR, and has no US subprocessors (relevant post-Schrems-II). Financial data and property details qualify as personal data under GDPR — German server storage and the DPA document form the legally compliant basis.
How long are client responses stored?
You configure the retention period per form. For architectural services we recommend at least 10 years (commercial retention §257 HGB, tax §147 AO). An automatic retention policy deletes expired data with audit trail — no manual tracking needed.
What does Questee cost for a small architecture office with 10-15 projects per year?
Pro is €9/month on annual billing — regardless of how many client forms you send. With 15 projects that's 60 cents per briefing. For comparison: one unnecessary extra-cost dispute costs you more hours than a full year of Questee.

Client brief set up in 5 minutes

Start template, choose project type, send link before first meeting. Free trial, no contract.

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