I don't know what's normal, but my architect spent a lot of time in our house as well as discussing lifestyle issues, etc. IMHO, much better communication that way than in a written questionnaire. But the proof is in the pudding...if you are happy with the results, so be it.

No site visit? Did he at least request a topographical map?

Do you like the work that you have seen?
If you already have the floor plan, did he deliver/Do you like it?

An architect could charge for many hours of preliminary meetings and then you take a look at the plans and realize that there is a lot to be desired.

Maybe your project is not that complex. Maybe the way he do things just works (otherwise his work would not be considered "well regarded").

I am going to say that you could give him a chance and if he does not deliver, then be honest with him, tell him that the result is not what you expected and that its probably due to the little time he spent with you figuring out your needs.

Now, about visiting your current house: We rarely do that. Most meetings are at our office but there are exceptions: When we are remodeling. The Only way he should have taken a look at your house is if if you specifically told him that you want the same thing.

One of the problems you run into as a designer is the client constantly making changes because nothing was defined or put in writing at the beginning of the project. The questionnaire is the designer's bare minimum of getting your requirements in writing.

I would suggest that you develop your own programming document and give that to the designer. You should be able to do that in 2-3 days if you know what you want and how your house should function.

Start with an overall description of the house with the number of rooms by name and their function. Then describe the relationship between the rooms.

Once you do that, go through the house room-by-room and describe, in detail, how each room should function, the features it should have, and the type of finishes.

Make numbered lists for each room such as -

Master bathroom shall be attached to the master bedroom and shall have the following features:

1. Dual sinks
2. Walk-in shower with no door.
3. Jetted soaker tub.
4. Water closet shall be separated from main bath area and shall have pocket door.
5. Wall in back of sinks shall be glass tile from counter top level to ceiling. Color as selected by Owner.
6. Counter top shall be soapstone.
7. Floor shall be plank style porcelain tile. Color as selected by Owner.
8. Shower shall be full Kerdi system.
8; Shower floor shall be black pebble type tile.
9. Shower walls shall be porcelain tile from shower base to ceiling. Tile size and color to be selected by Owner.

10. Bathroom walls shall have 40-inch high 12x24 inch porcelain tile wainscoting. Color to be selected by Owner.
11. Bath towel bar shall be ladder type and heated.
12. Plumbing valve fixtures shall be Kohler with brushed nickel finish.
13. Sinks and toilet shall be Kohler color as selected by Owner.

etc., etc.

You should be as interested in the house design as you expect the designer to be; and if you're not getting the attention to detail you want - then be proactive and create your own programming document.

I created a programming document for the architect who designed my new house. The document is 13 pages in length and gave the architect defined design features that he could essentially use as checklist to make sure the house had all of the design elements that I wanted.

It's a winning design strategy as it give everyone a common basis for the design, and should reduce changes later in the project as the basis of design is defined and in writing. This will serve as a reference document for the remainder of the project, and should be given to the builders to bid from in addition to the plans.

It gives the builders confidence that the owner knows what they want and also gives the builders a reference source from which they can ask questions as they formulate their bid.

The scope of a designer's services is usually limited by the amount of the fee. I'm not going to say you get what you pay for but from the typical designer fee I have seen mentioned in this forum, I wouldn't expect it to include more than a questionnaire which, by the way, is not necessarily a bad thing nor is it unusual. I often get a wish list from a client that is too long and disorganized to be of much use. Understandably the most difficult aspect of a design process is the need to start with the larger issues and proceed to the smaller ones. I also find that I learn more in face to face drawing reviews. The advent of email has made normal interactions more efficient but not for the design process - that requires personal interaction. Of course, phone conversations are still the worst way to communicate design ideas.

As for visiting your old residence, unless you recently built or renovated it, the primary reason to see it would be to get an idea of your personal style and taste although that may have changed over time. A better source might be photos from houzz with notes. At that stage of a project I would be spending time on the new site with and without the owners. The first drawing would be a site diagram.

I realize it is tempting to use the restricted professional title "architect" in a general way but when referring to a specific individual it is best to use the term accurately because, in general, the scope of an architect's work is greater than that of a designer, if for no other reason than the higher level of responsibility and liability architects are held by courts. As a sole practitioner architect, to protect myself against the inevitable construction errors, regardless of fault, I would not contract for design services if construction observation was not included. I doubt a home designer provides those services or carries liability insurance. For those and other reasons I would not be able to design 4 to 5 projects a year without a partner or associate which would greatly increase my overhead and my client fees.

I don't mean to change the subject of the thread; there are plenty of other threads here that have discussed designer fees and scope of services. My point is that the scope of design services offered by any kind of designer are naturally limited by the costs incurred and the fees available.

We filled out an extensive questionnaire about how we lived and what we wanted in the house. At the end of the process, I thought, "wow, this guy now knows more about me than some of my best friends." There was also a Wish List feature to be divided into 3 categories, must have/would like/and "it would be nice" Our list was short, but mostly Must Haves. Not so much with regard to features, but because we'd had the land for many years, we knew the kitchen belonged in the NE corner, the dining room was in the SE corner, etc. We had nothing like the above specs regarding toilet brand or type of tile, figured that would come later. It was an interesting process, and the house fits us extremely well. It's not what the average person or family is looking for, but it fits us.