Where we design · CONIKA

It depends on each place's law. Here it is, place by place: what we design, who signs and what we do not do.

Our design lead is licensed in Colombia. In each place the law decides who signs the drawings: here we tell you what we do in yours before the first call.

Last revised: October 2026.

How to read each place

Each place has one answer for a house and another for other buildings.

  • We design. The law requires no license for that design. We do it in full; the engineering is signed by the engineer you hire.
  • Small ones only. The law exempts only buildings under a certain size. Those we design; larger ones, not for now.
  • With a local architect. An architect licensed in that place leads, signs and files the project, and we design as their consultants.
  • We do not design. The law does not let us take part, not even as consultants. Images and tours, we do.

What we never do

We never sign under a license we do not hold, and outside Colombia we do not present ourselves as architects.

We do not calculate or sign the structure or building systems: that belongs to the engineer you hire.

We do not file permits: you, your builder or the local professional file them.

Colombia

We design the complete project and our design lead signs it.

  • Colombia · A house: We design · Other buildings: We design. In Colombia we design the complete project, at any scale, and our design lead signs it. The engineering is signed by the engineer you hire.

United States

Each state decides. For now we only design what the law exempts from licensing.

  • Alabama · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Alabama, we design your house. Other buildings: only under 2,500 sq ft.
  • Alaska · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Alaska, we design your house or a building with up to four units and two stories. No other buildings for now.
  • Arizona · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Arizona, we design your house. Other buildings: only up to two stories and 3,000 sq ft.
  • Arkansas · A house: No · Other buildings: No. In Arkansas, for now, we do not design: state law only lets state residents design a house without a license.
  • California · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In California, we design your house or a building with up to four units, wood-frame and up to two stories. No other buildings for now.
  • North Carolina · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In North Carolina, we design your house or up to eight townhouses. Other buildings: only shops or offices up to 3,000 sq ft.
  • South Carolina · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In South Carolina, we design your house. Other buildings: only under three stories and 5,000 sq ft.
  • Colorado · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Colorado, we design your house or a building with up to four units. Other buildings: only one-story offices or warehouses for 10 people or fewer.
  • Connecticut · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Connecticut, we design your house. Other buildings: only under 5,000 sq ft.
  • North Dakota · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In North Dakota, we design your house or an apartment building of up to three stories. Other buildings: only up to two stories.
  • South Dakota · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In South Dakota, we design your house or a building with up to four units. Other buildings: only up to 4,000 sq ft.
  • Delaware · A house: We design · Other buildings: No. In Delaware, we design your house. No other buildings for now.
  • District of Columbia · A house: No · Other buildings: No. In Washington, D.C., for now, we do not design: the law requires a D.C.-licensed architect even for a house.
  • Florida · A house: We design · Other buildings: No. In Florida, we design your house, except in Miami-Dade. No other buildings for now. Miami-Dade County. In Miami-Dade County, for now, we do not design: the county requires a Florida-licensed architect or engineer even for a house.
  • Hawaii · A house: No · Other buildings: No. In Hawaii, for now, we do not design: state law requires a state-licensed architect or engineer even for a house, except those costing up to $50,000.
  • Idaho · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Idaho, we design your house or a building with up to three units and three stories. No other buildings for now.
  • Illinois · A house: We design · Other buildings: No. In Illinois, we design your house, except in Chicago and in towns that require a state-licensed architect. No other buildings for now. Chicago. In Chicago, for now, we do not design: the city requires an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer even for a house.
  • Indiana · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Indiana, we design your house. Other buildings: only up to 30,000 cu ft in volume.
  • Iowa · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Iowa, we design your house or a building with up to 12 units and three stories. Other buildings: only one-story shops or warehouses up to 10,000 sq ft.
  • Kansas · A house: We design · Other buildings: No. In Kansas, we design your house. No other buildings for now.
  • Kentucky · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Kentucky, we design your house. Other buildings: only for fewer than 50 people.
  • Louisiana · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Louisiana, we design your house, except in New Orleans. Other buildings: only up to 4,000 sq ft. New Orleans. In New Orleans, for now, we do not design: the city requires a Louisiana-licensed architect or engineer even for a house.
  • Maine · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Maine, we design your house. Other buildings: only one story and under 1,000 sq ft.
  • Maryland · A house: No · Other buildings: No. In Maryland, for now, we do not design: state law only lets the owner or the builder design a house without a license.
  • Massachusetts · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Massachusetts, we design your house. Other buildings: only under 35,000 cu ft in volume.
  • Minnesota · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Minnesota, we design your house or a building with up to three units. Other buildings: only up to 1,500 sq ft.
  • Mississippi · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Mississippi, we design your house. Other buildings: only up to two stories and under 5,000 sq ft.
  • Missouri · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Missouri, we design your house. Other buildings: only under 2,000 sq ft and for nine people or fewer.
  • Montana · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Montana, we design your house or a building with up to seven units. No other buildings for now.
  • Michigan · A house: We design · Other buildings: No. In Michigan, we design your house of up to 3,500 sq ft of living area. No other buildings for now.
  • Nebraska · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Nebraska, we design your house or a building with up to four units. Other buildings: only under 3,000 sq ft.
  • Nevada · A house: No · Other buildings: No. In Nevada, for now, we do not design: state law only lets owners design a house for their own use without a license.
  • New Jersey · A house: No · Other buildings: No. In New Jersey, for now, we do not design: state law requires a state-licensed architect or engineer even for a house.
  • New York · A house: No · Other buildings: No. In New York State, for now, we only design houses up to 1,500 sq ft, except in New York City. Anything else requires a state-licensed architect. New York City. In New York City, for now, we do not design: the law requires a state-licensed architect or engineer even for a small house.
  • New Hampshire · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In New Hampshire, we design your house. Other buildings: only up to 4,000 sq ft, without a concrete or steel frame.
  • New Mexico · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In New Mexico, we design your house of up to two stories or a wood-frame building with up to four units. Other buildings: only for 10 people or fewer.
  • Ohio · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Ohio, we design your house or a building with up to three units. No other buildings for now.
  • Oklahoma · A house: No · Other buildings: No. In Oklahoma, for now, we do not design: anyone licensed in another country, as our design lead is, needs a state license even for a house.
  • Oregon · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Oregon, we design your house. Other buildings: only up to 4,000 sq ft of ground area and 20 ft in height.
  • Pennsylvania · A house: We design · Other buildings: No. In Pennsylvania, we design your house. No other buildings for now.
  • Puerto Rico · A house: No · Other buildings: No. In Puerto Rico, for now, we do not design: the law requires a Puerto Rico-licensed architect or engineer even for a house.
  • Rhode Island · A house: We design · Other buildings: No. In Rhode Island, we design your house. No other buildings for now.
  • Tennessee · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Tennessee, we design your house. Other buildings: only under three stories and 5,000 sq ft.
  • Texas · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Texas, we design your house or a building with up to 16 units and two stories. Other buildings: only up to two stories and 20,000 sq ft.
  • Utah · A house: We design · Other buildings: No. In Utah, we design your house. No other buildings for now.
  • Vermont · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Vermont, we design your house or a building with up to four units. No other buildings for now.
  • Virginia · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Virginia, we design your house or an apartment building of up to three stories. Other buildings: only up to 5,000 sq ft.
  • West Virginia · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In West Virginia, we design your house or an apartment building of up to three stories. Other buildings: only one-story shops up to 7,600 sq ft.
  • Washington · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Washington State, we design your house or a building with up to four units. Other buildings: only up to 4,000 sq ft.
  • Wisconsin · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Wisconsin, we design your house. Other buildings: only under 50,000 cu ft in volume.
  • Wyoming · A house: We design · Other buildings: Small ones only. In Wyoming, we design your house. Other buildings: only up to two stories and for 10 people or fewer.

Mexico

We do not design in Mexico for now: we are reviewing it with a Mexican lawyer.

  • Mexico · A house: No · Other buildings: No. We do not design in Mexico for now: we are reviewing it with a Mexican lawyer. Images and tours, we do.

Canada

Each province decides. In five we design your house; anything larger goes with a local architect.

  • Alberta · A house: We design · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Alberta we design your house or a building of up to four units. Anything larger, with a provincially licensed architect.
  • British Columbia · A house: We design · Other buildings: With a local architect. In British Columbia we design your house or a building of up to four units. Anything larger, with a provincially licensed architect.
  • Manitoba · A house: We design · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Manitoba we design your house and buildings of up to three stories and 600 m² of footprint. Anything larger, with a provincially licensed architect.
  • Ontario · A house: With a local architect · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Ontario we design your house, and a designer registered there (BCIN) takes on the permit. Anything larger, with a provincially licensed architect.
  • Quebec · A house: We design · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Quebec we design your house of up to two stories and 600 m². Anything else, on the team of an OAQ architect, who engages us.

Spain

Every building is signed by a registered architect, and we design under their direction.

  • Spain · A house: With a local architect · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Spain every building is signed by a registered architect you engage, and we design under their direction. Interiors without structural work, directly.

Portugal

The project is signed by an Ordem architect, and we design under their direction.

  • Portugal · A house: With a local architect · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Portugal the project is signed by an Ordem architect you engage, and we design under their direction. Interiors without structural work, directly.

United Kingdom

The law protects the word “architect”, not the work: we design homes and buildings.

  • United Kingdom · A house: We design · Other buildings: We design. In the United Kingdom we design your home or building and the planning drawings; a UK professional reviews the technical part. Up to 18 metres tall.

Switzerland

Each canton decides: Zurich, open; Geneva and Vaud, with a local architect; Ticino, no. The rest, not yet.

  • Geneva · A house: With a local architect · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Geneva a registered architect (MPQ) you engage signs the drawings, and we design under their direction. Interiors with no change in floor area, directly.
  • Ticino · A house: No · Other buildings: No. In Ticino we do not design for now: the profession there requires an authorization a studio from abroad cannot obtain.
  • Vaud · A house: With a local architect · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Vaud a REG-registered architect you engage signs the drawings, and we design under their direction. Minor works without a permit, directly.
  • Zurich · A house: We design · Other buildings: We design. In Zurich we design your home or building and the permit drawings, which you file. Structure, fire safety and energy, with Swiss specialists.

United Arab Emirates

We do not design in the Emirates; images and tours, we do.

  • Abu Dhabi · A house: No · Other buildings: No. We do not design in Abu Dhabi: the law requires a firm classified in the emirate, even to subcontract. Images and tours, we do.
  • Dubai · A house: No · Other buildings: No. We do not design in Dubai: the law requires a firm registered in the emirate, a villa included. Images and tours, we do.

Panama

With a licensed local architect or engineer, who signs; we design as their collaborators.

  • Panama · A house: With a local architect · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Panama a licensed Panamanian architect or engineer leads and signs the project, and we design as their collaborators.

Costa Rica

With a CFIA-registered professional, who signs; we design as their consultants.

  • Costa Rica · A house: With a local architect · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Costa Rica a CFIA-registered professional takes on the project, and we design as their consultants.

Dominican Republic

With a CODIA member, who signs; we design as their consultants.

  • Dominican Republic · A house: With a local architect · Other buildings: With a local architect. In the Dominican Republic a CODIA member leads and signs the project, and we design as their consultants.

Australia

Each state decides: in New South Wales, your house; in Queensland and Victoria, with a local professional.

  • New South Wales · A house: We design · Other buildings: With a local architect. In New South Wales we design your house directly. Apartment buildings, with a locally registered professional.
  • Queensland · A house: With a local architect · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Queensland we design under a QBCC-licensed building designer or a local architect, who signs and files the project.
  • Victoria · A house: With a local architect · Other buildings: With a local architect. In Victoria we design with a locally registered building designer or architect, who signs and files the project.

Visualization: any country

Images, video and tours are not design and carry no signature: we make them for any country, except those under sanctions.

Visualization

Your place is not listed?

We have not researched it yet, so we do not design there yet. Write to contact@conika.co and we will look into it.

This is our reading of each place's law on the revision date, with its sources. It is not legal advice.

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