Home Design Process
- Complete the "Home Design Questionnaire" and "Home Planning Exercise"
We start with an 25 page "Home Design Questionnaire" that helps us get to know you and identify what you are looking for in each room of your home. It is designed to prompt you to think of important items you might never have thought of, or might have otherwise overlooked. The "Home Planning Exercise" identifies where you would like your rooms to be placed in relation to one another and how you would like your home to be positioned on the property.
- View the proposed building site (lot)
We will look at the lot you're building on so we can capitalize on any view(s) you have and make sure there are no obstacles to overcome in designing your dream home.
- Obtain a parcel map from the building department
If your building site is located within the city limits, you'll go to the city building department. If your building site is located outside city limits, you'll go to the county building department.
- Measure rooms and furniture in current home
You will gain a clearer perspective on room sizes; what you like and dislike; where you want more space and where you want less. You will also see how your current furniture fits into your new floor plan.
- Clip pictures and design items from magazines
A picture is worth a thousand words. Indicate on the picture what you like and why you have saved it. Organize these pictures by room.
- Design rough floor plan and rough exterior elevations & materials
We determine room layout, room sizes and the positioning of the home on the lot. We will revise the plan as much as necessary until you are completely satisfied. Once the floor plan is determined, we will move on to the more cosmetic design elements like the exterior elevations, architectural details, siding, roofing, trim, etc.
- Design specific rooms, interior details and lighting
Specific layout and design of key rooms: kitchen, laundry, bathrooms, closets and any special details in the home. In the kitchen, we will layout the kitchen appliances, cabinets and architectural details. We will also layout the lighting (general, task & accent), switches and outlets throughout the home.
- Computerized 3-D walk-thru
Using Computerized 3-D Design, you will be able to view things as if you are standing inside your home and getting a full view of each room. It is especially helpful to see how the rooms relate to each other, the sizes of windows and doors, the layout of cabinetry, etc.
- Finalize floor plan, elevations, details and have calculations done
Once the plans are approved, energy calculations are completed and the plans go to the structural engineer for foundation & framing calculations. If roof trusses are used, truss layout & calculations are done as well.
- Select interior materials
Choose the type of materials that will be used: tile vs. carpet vs. hardwood flooring, tile vs. solid surface vs. granite countertops, brick vs. river rock vs. marble tiles around the fireplace, etc.
- Blueprint stage
Once your plans are fully engineered, they go to blueprint.
- Submit for a building permit
You can now submit your plans to the building department for a permit.
- Follow plans through "plan check"
Once submitted, we follow your plans through "plan check" at the building department, making any changes necessary, until they are approved.
- Plans are approved and permit is received
Once plans are approved by the building department, you'll receive your permit to build, which means that construction may now begin.