How a project runs
Five phases, each with a fixed fee quoted before it starts. You can stop after any of them. Most of the risk in a residential project is concentrated in the first one, which is why we would rather do that properly than quickly.
- PHASE 01
Feasibility
Before anyone draws a room, we establish what the parcel allows.
WHAT WE PRODUCE
- Zoning position: setbacks, height, lot coverage, floor area
- Whether hillside, coastal, fire-zone or overlay rules apply
- The buildable envelope, drawn on the site
- The permit path for that jurisdiction and what it will require
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
- The property address
- A rough idea of what you want
- Any survey or soils report you already have
A short written summary and a sketch of what fits. Enough to decide whether to proceed, and on what.
- PHASE 02
Schematic design
The plan gets resolved while it is still cheap to change.
WHAT WE PRODUCE
- Two or three plan and massing options, not one proposal
- Elevations and 3D views so you can see it
- A first structural read, so the plan is not undone later
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
- Feedback on options
- How you actually live in the house
An agreed plan and exterior. This is the last phase where moving a wall is free.
- PHASE 03
Construction documents
The set that gets permitted and priced.
WHAT WE PRODUCE
- Dimensioned plans, elevations, sections, details and schedules
- Structural drawings and calculations, stamped
- Civil grading and drainage where the site needs it
- Title 24 energy documentation
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
- Decisions on materials and finishes
- Your builder’s input if one is appointed
A permit set. The same set a general contractor can price without guessing.
- PHASE 04
Plan check
We submit it and we answer the corrections.
WHAT WE PRODUCE
- Submittal to the building department
- Response to the correction letter
- Resubmittal, and any further cycles, through to approval
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
- Signatures, and the permit fees, which are paid to the agency
An approved, stamped set and an issued permit. This is included — it is not billed as expediting.
- PHASE 05
Construction support
Someone who knows the drawings answers the questions.
WHAT WE PRODUCE
- Responses to requests for information
- Revisions and deferred submittals where required
- Site coordination and, where required, structural observation
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
- Your builder’s RFIs
A building that matches the drawings it was approved from.
Fees and timing
- How are fees structured?
- Fixed per phase, quoted before the phase starts. You know what the next stage costs before you commit to it, and you can stop after any phase. Permit and agency fees are paid directly to the jurisdiction and are separate from the design fee.
- Do you charge for the first conversation?
- No. Send the address and what you are thinking about, and we come back with the zoning position and a fee proposal for the feasibility phase at no cost.
- How long does the whole process take?
- It depends on the scope, the jurisdiction and how quickly decisions get made. The design and documentation phases are usually the longest part; plan check adds its own cycle on top. We give a phase-by-phase schedule with the fee proposal rather than a single headline number.
- Do you work with our builder, or do you have one?
- Either. We are a design and engineering office, not a general contractor, so the construction contract is yours. If you do not have a builder we can suggest ones we have coordinated with, and if you do, we work with them.
Send us the address.
Tell us the property and roughly what you want to build. We come back with what the zoning allows, the likely permit path, and a fixed fee for the first phase.