TLDR (Summary)
The best scheduling for architects is Plutio ($19/month).
Architecture practices juggle client meetings, site visits, consultant calls, and contractor coordination. Calendly books a slot, but the meeting has no client context. Plutio books meetings and attaches them to the client record so you have project history before the call starts.
Architecture projects run months to years. Meetings without client context waste the first 10 minutes getting oriented. Meetings with context start productive.
Architects using Plutio save 3-5 by eliminating back-and-forth emails and arriving at meetings with full project context.
For additional strategies, read our guide to managing multiple projects.
What is scheduling for architects?
Scheduling for architects means booking client meetings, site visits, and consultant calls in a way that connects to your project work - not just putting appointments on a calendar.
Architecture projects run for months. A client meeting in month six references conversations from month one. If scheduling just books slots, spending the first 10 minutes of every meeting re-establishing context. What did we decide about the kitchen layout? Where are we on permit status?
Calendly vs client-connected scheduling
Calendly lets clients book from your availability. The meeting lands on your Google Calendar: "Meeting with Sarah Johnson, 2pm Tuesday." No project reference, no history, no context. You look up Sarah before the meeting, try to remember which project, open your files to refresh yourself.
Plutio books the same meeting but attaches it to Sarah's client record. Open the meeting, see her project status, recent messages, active tasks, outstanding invoices. The meeting starts with context instead of catching up.
The site visit problem
Site visits need more than a calendar slot. Which project? What's the address? What are you checking? Who's meeting you there? Calendly handles none of this. Plutio attaches site visits to projects with location, agenda, and attendees connected.
Scheduling for architects isn't about booking meetings - it's about showing up prepared without manual prep work.
Meeting preparation overhead
Before every client meeting, you open their folder, find recent drawings, check email for their last questions, review the project budget. Fifteen minutes of prep for a 45-minute meeting. Multiply by four meetings a day and you've lost an hour to prep that connected scheduling eliminates by putting context at your fingertips. Preparation time compounds across weeks and months, consuming hours that could go toward design work instead.
Why architects need connected scheduling
Architecture practices lose 3-5 hours weekly to meeting coordination that could be automated - plus prep time that connected scheduling eliminates.
The email ping-pong problem
"What times work for you?" "Tuesday 2pm or Thursday 10am." "Tuesday 2pm works, let me check with my spouse." "Actually, can we do Wednesday?" Three days of emails to book one meeting. With 10 active clients, spending hours weekly just finding meeting times.
Booking links eliminate this. Send your availability, client picks a slot, done. But Calendly booking links aren't enough for architecture practices because...
The context problem
You have a meeting with the Johnsons at 2pm. Quick: which project? What phase? What did you discuss last time? What decisions are pending? If you can't answer instantly, you need to look it up. Looking up client history takes 5-10 minutes per meeting. Five meetings a day, that's an hour of prep work.
Plutio eliminates the lookup. Meeting attaches to project, project shows status, recent messages, and pending items. You don't prep - you open the meeting and context is there.
The double-booking problem
Site visit Tuesday at 10am. Consultant call Tuesday at 10am. Both booked separately because site visits are in your calendar and consultant calls are scheduled by email. Plutio syncs with Google Calendar and Outlook - all commitments visible, no conflicts.
Connected scheduling saves hours weekly on coordination and arrives you at every meeting prepared instead of catching up.
The no-show problem
Client books a meeting and forgets. You clear your schedule and wait. Nobody shows. Manual reminders help but require remembering to send them. Automatic reminders at 24 hours and 1 hour before cut no-shows by half without any effort from you.
The travel time problem
Site visit at 10am, consultant call at 11am. Looks fine on the calendar. But the site is 45 minutes away. Without buffer time, you're late to the call or rushing through the site visit. Scheduling with built-in buffers prevents these conflicts.
Scheduling features architects need
Architecture scheduling needs booking links, calendar sync, and project connection - not just appointment slots.
Must-have features
- Booking links: Clients pick from your available times without email back-and-forth
- Calendar sync: Two-way sync with Google Calendar or Outlook so nothing double-books
- Project attachment: Meetings connect to client records and projects
- Buffer time: 15-minute gaps between meetings for travel or notes
- Meeting types: Different durations for consultations (1 hour) vs check-ins (30 min)
- Reminders: Automatic email reminders 24 hours and 1 hour before
Nice-to-have features
- Video links: Auto-attach Zoom or Google Meet links
- Location field: Site address for in-person meetings
- Intake questions: Ask what the meeting is about when booking
- Team scheduling: Clients book with specific team members
The must-have is project attachment. Booking links are commodity - every scheduling app has them. What matters is whether the meeting connects to client context.
Why project attachment matters most
Calendly has booking links. Acuity has payment collection. Every scheduling app has reminders. None of them attach meetings to client records with project status, messages, and files visible when you open the meeting. The feature that matters is context - and only project-connected scheduling provides it.
Calendar blocking for focus time
Mark Wednesday mornings as unavailable for meetings - reserved for design work. Blocking shows on your availability so clients can't book during focus time.
Scheduling pricing for architects
Standalone scheduling runs $10-15/user/month. Combined with client management, you pay for two apps that should be one.
What architects typically pay
- Calendly: $10-15/user/month for team features
- Acuity: $16-46/month depending on features
- HubSpot Meetings: Free with HubSpot CRM ($45-800/month)
Add client management (HoneyBook $19-79, Dubsado $20-40) and you're at $30-100/month with scheduling and clients in separate places.
Plutio pricing (January 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Scheduling, client management, projects, invoicing
- Pro: $49/month: Add team calendars, client portals, advanced permissions
- Max: $199/month: Advanced reporting, white-label portals, unlimited team
The ROI calculation
If connected scheduling saves 4 hours monthly on coordination and prep at $125/hour, that's $500/month in recovered time. Calendly at $15 + Dubsado at $30 = $45/month but still requires manual context prep. Plutio at $19/month eliminates both costs and connects everything.
Scheduling ROI isn't about the subscription cost - it's about the prep time you eliminate when meetings connect to clients.
The prep time cost
Disconnected scheduling means prep time. 10 minutes before each meeting looking up the client, finding their project, remembering where you left off. Five meetings a day, that's 50 minutes of daily prep. Connected scheduling eliminates that prep entirely - open the meeting, context is already there. At $125/hour, 50 minutes daily is $100/day in recovered capacity.
Free scheduling isn't free
Calendly has a free tier. Google Calendar is free. Neither connects meetings to clients with project context. The time cost of prep and context-switching makes "free" scheduling expensive when you calculate actual hours lost to looking things up before every meeting.
Why Plutio is the best scheduling for architects
Plutio schedules meetings and attaches them to clients. When the meeting starts, you see their project status, messages, invoices, and files - no lookup required.
Meetings attach to clients
Client books a meeting through your link. Plutio creates the meeting and connects it to their client record. Open the meeting → see their active project, recent messages, pending items. The context is there.
Calendar sync prevents conflicts
Connect Google Calendar or Outlook. Personal appointments block your booking availability. Plutio meetings appear on your calendar. Two-way sync means one view of all commitments.
Meeting types match your practice
Create meeting types: Initial Consultation (60 min, free), Design Review (45 min, $150), Site Visit (90 min, location required). Each type has its duration, price (if applicable), and required fields.
Automatic reminders reduce no-shows
Plutio sends reminders at 24 hours and 1 hour before the meeting. Customize the message. Include project details or meeting location. Reduce no-shows without manual reminder emails.
Team visibility on schedules
See your associate's calendar alongside yours. Know when they're in meetings before assigning urgent tasks. Clients can book with specific team members for their projects.
Video conferencing built in
Connect Zoom or Google Meet. Plutio adds the video link automatically when meetings book. No manual link generation, no forgetting to include it.
Plutio doesn't schedule faster than Calendly. Plutio schedules with context - every meeting attached to the client it's about, ready to go without prep.
Meeting notes stay with the client
Take notes during the meeting. Notes attach to the client record and the meeting. Six months later when the client calls with a question, search their record and find what you discussed. No digging through notebooks or scattered documents.
Follow-up tasks from meetings
Meeting reveals you need to send revised drawings by Friday. Create the task right there, attached to the meeting and the project. Task shows in your to-do list with the context of where it came from.
Invoice for meeting time if needed
Paid consultations: meeting completes, you click "invoice," Plutio creates an invoice for the meeting duration at your rate. For retainer clients, meeting hours log to their project. Billable meetings become billable invoices.
How to set up scheduling in Plutio
Setting up scheduling in Plutio takes 20 minutes. You'll set availability, create meeting types, and share your booking link.
Step 1: Set your availability (5 minutes)
Go to Settings → Calendar. Set working hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, or whatever fits your practice. Block lunch hours if needed. Your working hours become your bookable availability.
Step 2: Connect your calendar (2 minutes)
Link Google Calendar or Outlook. Plutio automatically imports your existing calendar events and blocks that time from booking. New Plutio meetings sync back to your calendar.
Step 3: Create meeting types (10 minutes)
Add meeting types for your practice: Initial Consultation (60 min), Project Check-in (30 min), Site Visit (90 min). Set buffer time between meetings - recommend 15 minutes minimum for travel time or notes.
Step 4: Share your booking link
Copy your personal booking link. Add it to your email signature. Send it instead of "what times work for you?" Clients pick an available slot, meeting books automatically.
Step 5: First meeting books
Client books a time through your link. You get notified. Meeting appears in Plutio and syncs to Google Calendar. Open it and the client context is already attached.
Setup takes 20 minutes. From then on, every meeting books without email coordination and arrives with context attached.
Adjusting as you learn
After a month, you might find 45-minute design reviews need 60 minutes, or that Tuesday mornings are your best focus time and shouldn't allow bookings. Adjust your meeting types and availability based on real experience. Scheduling setup isn't one-and-done - it evolves with your practice.
Meeting templates for architecture practices
Meeting templates standardize scheduling so every meeting type has the right duration, questions, and follow-up.
Initial consultation template
Duration: 60 minutes. Intake questions: Project type? Approximate budget range? Timeline? Address (for site visits). These questions gather context before the meeting so you arrive prepared.
Design review template
Duration: 45 minutes. No intake questions - you already know the project. Attach to existing client when booking. Include video link for remote reviews.
Site visit template
Duration: 90 minutes (includes travel buffer). Required field: Site address. Attendees field: Who's meeting you there? Notes field: What to observe/document.
Contractor coordination template
Duration: 30 minutes. For construction phase calls with GCs, subs, or consultants. Quick check-ins that shouldn't eat an hour.
Paid consultation template
Duration: 60 minutes. Price: $200 (or your rate). For prospects exploring whether to hire you. Payment collects at booking.
Templates cut 5 minutes from every booking. Set them once, every meeting of that type follows the same structure.
Customizing templates per client
Templates set defaults. Override them for specific clients: the Johnson project needs 90-minute design reviews because decisions take longer. Create a client-specific meeting type or just adjust duration when booking. Templates provide structure without rigidity.
Client scheduling through portals
Client portals let clients book meetings and see upcoming appointments without emailing you.
Self-service booking
Add a "Schedule Meeting" button to client portals. Clients click, see your availability, book directly. No email request, no waiting for you to respond with times.
Upcoming meetings visible
Clients see their scheduled meetings in the portal. Date, time, video link if applicable. Clients don't have to dig through email to find the details.
Rescheduling and cancellation
Allow clients to reschedule or cancel within your rules (e.g., 24 hours notice). Clients handle changes themselves, you get notified. Reduces admin back-and-forth.
Meeting history
Past meetings show in the client portal. Useful for clients who want to reference when you met, especially for billing questions. "We had 6 meetings this phase" - visible to both parties.
Portal scheduling reduces email volume. Clients book, reschedule, and reference meetings without your involvement in every request.
Notification preferences
Clients choose how they want meeting reminders: email, text, or both. Some clients check email constantly and want 24-hour email reminders. Others need day-of text messages or they forget. Let clients set their preference in their portal settings.
Migrating scheduling to Plutio
Moving from Calendly or Acuity to Plutio takes 30 minutes. Upcoming meetings stay where they are - you migrate the booking link going forward.
Step 1: Set up Plutio scheduling
Follow the setup steps above. Create your availability, meeting types, and booking link in Plutio.
Step 2: Keep existing meetings in old calendar
Meetings already booked through Calendly stay there. They're on your Google Calendar, Plutio syncs the calendar, no conflicts. Let existing bookings complete normally.
Step 3: Update your booking link
Replace your Calendly link with your Plutio link in: email signature, website, proposal templates, anywhere clients book. New bookings go through Plutio.
Step 4: Cancel old subscription when ready
Once existing Calendly bookings complete (usually 2-4 weeks), cancel that subscription. All new meetings book through Plutio with client context attached.
What about recurring meetings?
Recurring meetings set in Calendly need to be recreated in Plutio. For ongoing client check-ins, create them as recurring meetings attached to the client project. One-time setup, then they continue automatically.
Migration isn't data transfer - it's switching where new bookings land. Existing meetings finish normally, new meetings book with context.
Training your team
New scheduling setup means everyone needs the new booking link. Send your team: here's your personal booking link, here's how meetings attach to clients, here's where notes go. Five-minute overview because Plutio's scheduling is simpler than Calendly's - fewer options, more direct connection to client records.
Updating client expectations
Let clients know you have a new booking link. Add it to your email signature, mention it on your next call, include it in your next invoice email. Most clients adapt without noticing - they click a link and pick a time, same as before, just a different interface.
