How pricing works
Quoted per project scope
Scope drives price. Each project gets a written fixed fee at the proposal stage, set by phase, so the cost is known before work starts.
Also available
Credit $100
Each credit is half the fee and applies toward a full-service package booked within 14 days.
The complete path
Full-service design
The complete path in one agreement, from the first site review to the end of construction. Predesign, schematic design, design development, and construction documents are the core. Permitting support, bidding support, and construction administration follow if you want them. The fee is a written fixed fee set by phase at the proposal stage, so the cost is known before work starts. Where a seal is required, drawings are reviewed and sealed by a licensed professional of record, and structural drawings are prepared by a structural engineer under a separate contract.
- Who it suits
- Owners who want one designer from the first site review to the drawings the builder uses, and through construction if they choose.
- Typical duration
- Predesign through construction documents takes 16 to 24 weeks, for a single-family residence of about 2,000 to 3,500 SF with your approvals within 5 business days: predesign 1 to 3 weeks, schematic design 4 to 6, design development 4 to 6, and construction documents 8 to 12. Permitting then takes 3 to 8 weeks, depending on the jurisdiction. Bidding takes 2 to 4 weeks. Construction administration lasts as long as construction.
What is included
- Predesign: site analysis, code, zoning, and building regulation review, a program document, and a preliminary cost estimate
- Schematic design, usually three options, with sketches, models, plans, elevations, sections, and massing studies
- Material and color palette exploration
- Design development: refined plans, elevations, and sections, preliminary construction drawings, and material, finish, and fixture selection
- Lighting and electrical plans
- Construction documents: construction drawings and specifications, with interior and exterior details
- Coordination with structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing consultants
- Permit set preparation, permit submittal and tracking, responses to review comments, and client representation at hearings as needed
- Two rounds of revisions in each phase
- Optional: bid or pricing packages, pre-bid meetings and site visits, review and comparison of bids, and help with contractor selection
- Optional: construction administration with site visits, requests for information, submittal tracking, and punch list review
Typical deliverables
- Program document
- Schematic design set at 1/4 inch scale: floor plans and elevations
- Massing studies and 3D views
- Design development package for your approval
- Construction document set: plans, sections, elevations, details, and specifications
- Responses to permit review comments
- Closeout documents, if construction administration is chosen
What is not included
- Drawings sealed by MDS
- Structural engineering. The owner hires a structural engineer under a separate contract.
- Mechanical, electrical, or plumbing engineering
- Surveys and soils tests. Predesign recommends them when they are needed.
- Contractor services or construction work
- Permit and impact fees
Sample sheet index
- A-1Cover sheet
- A-2Site plan
- A-3Floor plans
- A-4Elevations
- A-5Sections
- A-6Details
- A-7Schedules
- A-8Notes
Where a seal is required, drawings are reviewed and sealed by a licensed professional of record.
Not sure which professional your project needs? Read:Architect or residential designer: which does your home need?
Other services
- Residential design Concept, schematic design, and design development for custom homes, additions, renovations, outdoor living spaces, and barndominiums.
- Interior design Layout, finishes, and material direction resolved together with the building, not applied after it.
- Site and land analysis A written report on what a lot allows before you buy it or design on it: setbacks, zoning, access, utilities, and constraints.
- Design consultations A working session with a designer on a room or a set of rooms: layout, materials, color, furniture, and lighting. Virtual or in person.