The five roles
- Architect — αρχιτέκτονας μηχανικός
- Designs the scheme: layout, form, elevations, materials. Produces the architectural drawings for the permit file and argues the case in a designated settlement. Must be registered in Greece for permit purposes. You appoint them directly.
- Civil engineer — πολιτικός μηχανικός
- Designs the structure: foundations, frame, and the seismic design. Produces the calculations and signs the structural file, carrying statutory responsibility. You appoint them directly, and no contractor can substitute for this.
- Supervising engineer — επιβλέπων μηχανικός
- Confirms during construction that the work follows the approved design. Frequently the same person as the civil engineer. You appoint them directly, and their independence from the contractor is what makes their sign-off meaningful.
- Surveyor — τοπογράφος
- Produces the topographic survey that every subsequent drawing is built on, and establishes the plot's relationship to boundaries and the cadastral record. You appoint them directly. See topographic survey.
- Contractor
- Builds what has been designed. Responsible for workmanship, temporary works, site safety, procurement and the sequence between trades. This is us, where a main contractor holds the main contract.
Who is responsible when something goes wrong
The most useful thing this guide can give you is a clear answer to "whose problem is this".
| The problem | Usually whose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The structure is inadequate as designed | Civil engineer | They designed and signed it |
| The structure was not built as designed | Contractor, with supervising engineer | Workmanship, and the check that should have caught it |
| The design will not get approval | Architect | The scheme should have been tested against the constraints |
| The boundary on the drawing is wrong | Surveyor | The survey underpins everything |
| A trade left before the next one was ready | Contractor | Sequencing is the main contract's core obligation |
| A material arrived late | Contractor, unless free-issue | Procurement, unless the client supplied it |
| Cadastral or title problem | Client, with their lawyer | Ownership is not a construction matter |
| The client changed their mind | Client | Priced as a variation |
| Ferry cancelled | Shared, managed by programme float | Outside everyone's control |
Why you appoint them directly
Owners sometimes ask whether the contractor can just "handle everything", and there are two reasons to say no.
- Statutory responsibility cannot be delegated. The engineer signs the structural file in their own name. That signature is what your permit rests on, and it exists because they are independently accountable.
- Independence is the point. A supervising engineer employed by the contractor is checking their employer's work. An architect employed by the builder is not arguing your case in a settlement review — they are producing something their employer can build cheaply.
They coordinate all of them, programme their inspections and build to what they produce. We do not employ them, and we do not take a fee for introducing them.
What each one costs you
Professional fees are a separate budget line from construction, and owners routinely forget them.
- Architect — set between you and them, varying with the project and the level of service.
- Civil engineer — for design and, separately, for supervision.
- Surveyor — a defined piece of work.
- Permit fees and statutory contributions — paid by you, separate from all professional fees.
- Any specialist input: geotechnical, licensing consultant, energy inspector for the ΠΕΑ.
How they should work together
The pattern that works, in order:
- Surveyor first, because everything is drawn on their output.
- Cadastral and title checked in parallel by your lawyer.
- Architect develops the scheme within the planning envelope and settlement controls.
- Civil engineer engaged during design, not after it — column positions and wall thicknesses affect the architecture, and engaging them late means redesigning.
- Contractor engaged for a buildability review before the design is frozen. This is where island constraints — access, plant, lead times, salt specification — get caught while they are still free to fix.
- Permit file assembled and submitted.
- Construction, with the supervising engineer inspecting at the points that cannot be checked afterwards.
The most common sequencing error is engaging the contractor last, after everything is designed and permitted. By then the buildability problems are variations rather than design decisions.
What we will and will not do
- We will coordinate every professional, programme their input, build to their design and flag buildability problems early.
- We will suggest architects, engineers and surveyors we have worked with, for you to appoint directly, without taking a fee for it.
- We will not design your structure or offer a structural opinion on a building we are worried about. That is an engineer's to give.
- We will not act as your architect. On a designated-settlement scheme especially, you want your designer independently arguing your case.
- We will not employ your supervising engineer. Their check is only worth something if it is independent of us.
Specialists you may also need
Beyond the five core roles, certain projects bring in others. Knowing they exist prevents the discovery arriving as a delay.
- Geotechnical engineer
- Where ground conditions are uncertain, on a caldera-edge plot, or where a slope stability question exists. Their assessment governs the foundation design. See caldera-edge construction.
- Energy inspector
- Issues the ΠΕΑ. Required for sale and long-term lease.
- Licensing consultant
- For tourist accommodation. Coordinates the licence with the physical building. See tourist accommodation licence.
- Lawyer and notary
- Title, cadastral matters, contracts and the purchase itself. Not a construction role and frequently the one holding the critical path early on.
- Archaeologist / Ephorate supervision
- Where excavation requires it. See archaeological approval.
- Interior designer
- Optional, and on a hotel almost always present. Works alongside rather than instead of the architect.
Questions worth asking each of them
Owners ask contractors hard questions and accept whatever the professionals say. These are worth asking too.
- To the architect: "Have you tested this elevation against the settlement controls, and what did you find?" and "What in this design will be difficult to build on a site with this access?"
- To the civil engineer: "What ground information is this foundation design based on?" If the answer is not a trial pit on your plot, ask why.
- To the supervising engineer: "Which inspections will you attend, and what happens if a pour is ready and you are not available?"
- To the surveyor: "Did anything on the ground not match the record?" This is where unauthorised structures first surface.
- To the contractor: the eleven questions.
Questions people actually ask
Can one person do the architecture and the engineering?
In Greece, some professionals hold qualifications across both, and the roles remain distinct in terms of what is signed. Ask specifically who is signing the structural file.
Do I need a supervising engineer for a small job?
For permitted work, the statutory supervision requirement applies. For non-permitted maintenance, generally not. Your engineer will confirm for your specific project.
Can my foreign architect do the design?
They can lead it, and the permit file must be produced and signed by professionals registered in Greece. Engage the Greek team early rather than at the end.
Should I appoint the contractor before or after the design?
Bring a contractor in during design for a buildability review, and appoint for construction after the design is settled. Engaging them only at the end is how buildability problems become variations.
Who checks that the concrete was poured correctly?
The supervising engineer, at the inspection points — and those have to be programmed rather than fitted around a delivery. Once concrete is placed, nobody can verify what was inside it.