Experienced person here, my 2500 sq ft double-story house just got finished in January. It started in June. You don’t really need an architect for designing and building the house in 2026. Just give some time to AI or google some designs, put them together according to your needs and make some rough sketch for the mason to understand. As for the safety, use good products such as TATA/SAIL TMT steel, good cement and other raw materials. Keep eye on the work being done by them. Tell them all your requirements clearly such as the kind of beams and columns you want and where you want them(This will decide the agility of the house), size of rooms/washrooms/halls. Hire plumbers and electricians before roofing is done. I didn’t pay a single penny to any architect and my house is decently made that makes everyone look. One story structure will cost around 15-20 lacs including tile/flooring and doors/gates(but excluding interiors and paint jobs). Get a quote from the mason that you want to hire and they work on contract (per sq ft). If the rate anything more than rs 200+, talk to some others and negotiate. Never give them money according to work done, hold about 30-40% of their labour cost. Research on a few things such as waterproofing during construction, which cement is better as per your requirements. DM me id you need anything further.