Does an architect in Ohio need a written contract?

I have never seen a law that requires a written contract. It is advisable to get it in writing to protect both parties and spell out what is to be done.

Chuck

A written contract is protection for both you and your client. I'm not sure WHY you wouldn't want one. Have your attorney draw up a standard services contract and put it in a word processing form. Then you can copy the standard and edit it to suit each situation.

An e-mail acknowledging receipt of the contract and approval of it should suffice. But a signed document is better.

According to the Ohio Architects Board, a written agreement is required to engage the services of an Architect. All of the agreement's requirements are included in the above link.

There is no apparent e-mail clause in the regs. There has been an "e-signature" law in effect since the Clinton administration, however I do not know how that would help with a state regulatory board which chooses to deal only with written, hand-signed documents.

You should contact a lawyer familiar with Ohio case law in this area to be completely safe. A cursory Google Search returns this Construction Attorney, as an example.