Who are the most common ethics complainants?

• A. Homeowners
• B. Other architects
• C. Contractors
• D. Building officials

Answer: (B)

Ethics complaints most commonly come from peers in the profession. Other architects are in the best position to recognize when standards of practice, conflicts of interest, misrepresentation, or other ethical norms are not being followed. They routinely observe colleagues’ work, contracts, and communications and can compare them to professional rules, making reporting to licensing boards or professional bodies more likely. While homeowners, contractors, and building officials may raise concerns, those reports are more often about outcomes, performance, or code issues than about ethics per se. So, peers—the other architects—are the typical source of ethics complaints.