A Design Agreement is our formal commitment to work together through the design development phase of your project. It establishes the framework for transforming your vision into detailed architectural plans, specifications, and material selections that will become the foundation for your construction proposal.
Design development is a significant professional service that requires dedicated resources, specialized expertise, and substantial time investment. The Design Agreement ensures you receive complete, construction-ready plans and specifications while protecting both parties'interests before committing to the larger construction contract.
Most contractors skip formal design development and jump straight to estimates based on basic measurements and assumptions. Our comprehensive design process ensures your final proposal is accurate, complete, and reflects your exact vision rather than generic assumptions
about what you might want.
You'll receive complete architectural plans, detailed specifications for all materials and finishes, 3D renderings of your completed space, comprehensive material selection documentation, and construction-ready drawings and a “Fixed Price Proposal”. Essentially, everything needed to build your project exactly as envisioned.
Design investment varies based on project complexity and scope. It covers all architectural work, 3D rendering, material selection guidance, specialty coordination, and project management throughout the design phase.
You keep everything we've created - all plans, specifications, 3D renderings, and material selections. Many clients use these professionally developed documents to get accurate pricing from other contractors or to build the project themselves over time. The design investment reflects the value you receive regardless of who builds it.
Typically 6-12 weeks depending on project complexity and your decision-making timeline. Simple projects might take 6-8 weeks, while complex whole-house remodels or custom homes could take 10-12 weeks. We'll provide a specific timeline based on your project scope.
You're an active partner in design development. This includes attending milestone meetings, making material selections within agreed timelines, providing feedback on design options, and communicating any concerns or desired changes promptly. Your engagement directly impacts the timeline and final results.
Absolutely. Design development is iterative, and refinements are expected. Minor adjustments are included in our process. Significant scope changes that affect the original parameters may require timeline or investment adjustments, which we'll discuss before implementing.
You'll have a dedicated design team assigned to your project, including architectural designers, a project coordinator, and access to specialty consultants for lighting, cabinetry, and other elements as needed. You'll know exactly who's working on your project and how to reach them.
Design development includes multiple review points and refinement opportunities. If you're not satisfied with the direction, we'll adjust our approach. Our goal is your complete satisfaction with the final design, and we build revision cycles into our process to ensure we achieve that.
Yes, that's the goal. The design process works within the budgetary framework we established during your budgetary guidance phase. If design elements exceed those parameters, we'll discuss alternatives or adjustments to stay aligned with your investment comfort level.
We develop permit-ready drawings as part of the design process. If you proceed with us for construction, we typically handle permit applications and approvals. If you build with others, you'll have professional drawings ready for permit submission.
We're experienced with local building codes and design accordingly. If jurisdictional changes are required, we handle those adjustments. Minor code-related modifications are included in our service; major changes due to unexpected code interpretations would be discussed separately.
Absolutely. We'll show you sample plan sets, 3D renderings, and material specification documents from similar projects (with client permission). This helps you understand the quality and completeness of deliverables you'll receive.
Additions are welcome, and we'll assess how they affect timeline, design development, and budget implications. We prefer to address scope additions early in the process rather than after design completion, as this allows for better integration and planning.
Very detailed. Every finish, fixture, and material will be specified with manufacturer, model numbers, colors, sizes, and installation requirements. You'll have complete documentation that any contractor could follow to build exactly what you've designed.
We specify current materials and pricing during design. If significant market changes occur before construction, we'll discuss options including alternative materials, adjusted specifications, or updated pricing. Our goal is to maintain your design intent within budget realities.
Our process is designed as an integrated approach where design and construction expertise work together. If your architect or designer is open to this approach, then yes we will be happy to work with them.
Life happens, and we understand. If you need to pause, we'll document progress and can resume when you're ready. Extended pauses may require timeline adjustments and material specification updates to reflect current availability and pricing.
Our design team includes construction professionals who ensure every design element is practical and buildable. We don't create beautiful drawings that can't be executed - we design with construction realities in mind from the beginning.
This shouldn't happen if we've followed our budgetary guidance framework properly. If there are discrepancies, we'll review the design elements that may have contributed and discuss modifications to align with your investment parameters before finalizing any proposal.
The design investment reflects work performed and deliverables provided. If there are performance issues on our part, we'll address them professionally. However, the investment covers professional services rendered and documents delivered, which have value regardless of your ultimate satisfaction.
Once design development is complete, we have everything needed to provide an accurate, comprehensive fixed-price construction proposal. The detailed plans and specifications eliminate guesswork and ensure the proposal reflects exactly what you want to build.
That's possible, but consider what's included in each proposal. Our pricing reflects the quality, communication, project management, and warranty service that come with our comprehensive approach. Lower prices often mean lower service levels or hidden costs that
emerge later.