Custom Design

While the word “architect” has become something of a generic title, we believe that there is tremendous value in hiring a licensed, registered architect, architectural firm or a highly experienced architectural designer. The value that a well designed building project can bring is irreplaceable. Over the years, we've seen literally hundreds of building plans pass through our office. Many of these plans have been designed by “non architects” or architectural designers without much creative ability. If a building project is poorly designed but well built, the value is still significantly limited. Once a poorly designed building has been constructed, it is then far too late to change it. For this reason, we firmly believe that establishing a proper and reasonable budget for design services is critical.

Design budgets can vary considerably depending on the complexity of the project and the level of involvement the designer has in your project. Many designers will, after numerous meetings and at least one visit to the building site, produce a set of “working drawings”. Working drawings are complete enough to obtain a building permit and to construct the frame of the building. Once the building has been erected, there are several other areas of design that must be considered. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, the kitchen, bathrooms, built-in cabinetry and the electrical system. We have relationships with designers who will design those specific areas of the building for you, thus limiting the amount you spend on design services overall. We can also guide you through certain details that will further enhance the appeal of your home.

Licensed, registered architects or architectural firms will typically offer two options. The first option would be to develop the working drawings and specifications in a high level of detail for a fixed fee. The other option is to engage the architect to oversee the entire building project from start to finish. This option is the most costly but could be well worthwhile, depending on your needs and of course, budget. The fee for this service is typically based on a percentage of the overall cost of construction.

Specifications are a critical part of the design process for many reasons. The primary reason being that there is an overwhelming amount of building materials on the market to choose from. By establishing a detailed set of specifications, you can communicate your building product choices to your builder in a clear and concise format. Detailed specifications are also critically important to the bidding process. If you submit a well designed set of working drawings to several builders without a detailed set of specifications, you can rest assured that you will receive quotes varying considerably in cost. The only way to obtain “apples to apples” quotations from builders is to submit working drawings AND detailed specifications upon which the recipient can base his or her price. We cannot emphasize enough how important detailed specifications are to the bidding and building process.

We have well established relationships with numerous architects, architectural firms and architectural designers. Once we've had the opportunity to discuss your project with you, we can then establish which design professional would best suit your needs and budget.