A WhatsApp AI agent for architects and engineering firms: what do you do, how much, and can we meet, answered before the enquiry goes cold
A new-build or renovation enquiry is worth a lot and usually arrives as "hi, do you do house extensions, how much?". The partner who could answer is on site. By the time someone replies, the client has messaged two other firms. An agent takes the enquiry, asks the qualifying questions, and books the first consultation, without ever giving design or structural advice.
Quick answer
A design or engineering firm's agent explains the services and typical project types, describes fee structures in the general terms you publish (percentage, lump sum, hourly, with a consultation to quote), asks the qualifying questions (project type, location, size, stage, budget range, timeline, whether plans or permits exist), books a consultation, lists the documents to bring, and hands over anything technical, any fee negotiation and any existing-client matter to a professional.
The split
| Let the agent handle | Keep with a person |
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Professional advice from an AI in a firm's name is a liability question, not a convenience one. The agent's job ends at "the consultant will advise at the meeting". Our Acceptable Use Policy and platform refuse regulated advice regardless of instructions.
The qualifying questions
- What type of project (new build, extension, renovation, fit-out, structural assessment)?
- Where, and roughly what size?
- What stage: idea, land purchased, plans drawn, contractor appointed?
- Budget range, if known.
- Timeline or deadline.
- Are there existing drawings, a title, or a permit?
Six answers turn a vague enquiry into a consultation the professional can prepare for. The agent asks one at a time, records them in the lead card, and books the meeting. The general pattern is in lead qualification questions.
Talking about fees
Publish what you are comfortable saying: "Architectural fees are typically a percentage of construction cost or a lump sum agreed after the first consultation, which is [free / RM amount]." The agent repeats that and nothing more. It does not estimate a project's fee; a wrong number from an assistant is worse than no number.
Setting it up
- Knowledge. Paste the website (services, portfolio, about), the fee-structure paragraph, the document checklist and the consultation policy.
- Instructions. Role, tone (professional, plain), the no-advice line, the six questions, the consultation offer, and the existing-client handover.
- Booking or intake. Set the appointment types and hours, or the intake questions the agent asks in order.
- Handover. Name the topics that go to a person; the agent flags the chat and stops replying until you hand it back.
- Test. Send twenty real messages before customers do; the checklist is in the pre-launch test.
ReplyKit connects your number through Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform. You sign in with your Facebook business account from the dashboard, pick or create the number, and it is live in a few minutes: no pairing, no phone that has to stay online, and no linked-device restriction risk. Replies to customers who message you carry no Meta fee inside the 24-hour service window; reminders and follow-ups sent outside it go as approved templates at Meta's per-message rate. Details in why ReplyKit runs on the official platform.
Existing clients
Existing clients message the same number with project questions. Instruct the agent to recognise a project reference or client name from a list you give it and hand over immediately with a short acknowledgement, so the project team, not the assistant, replies. Keep intake and delivery on separate numbers if volume justifies it; see the dedicated number guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI agent give architectural or engineering advice?
No, and it must not. It takes the enquiry, qualifies it and books a consultation. Advice comes from the professional.
Can it quote fees?
It repeats your published fee structure in general terms. Specific quotes come after the consultation.
What questions does it ask a new enquiry?
Project type, location and size, stage, budget range, timeline, and existing documents.
How does it treat existing clients?
Recognises them from your list and hands over to the project team immediately.
Is it appropriate for a professional firm?
As an intake assistant with a clear disclosure and a hard line on advice, yes. Many firms already use a receptionist for the same role.
Intake done, advice kept with you
Qualified enquiries and booked consultations, no advice given. 7-day free trial.
Sources and further reading
- Harvard Business Review, The Short Life of Online Sales Leads (Oldroyd, McElheran, Elkington, 2011) · firms that responded within an hour were about seven times more likely to qualify the lead
- ReplyKit Acceptable Use Policy · what we refuse to automate
- Personal Data Protection Department, Malaysia (PDPA 2010)
ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. This article is general guidance for enquiry handling at a professional firm, not legal or professional-practice advice. Check your professional body's rules on client communication and advertising.