Design & Preconstruction
Custom Design Coordination
Space planning, layouts and floor plans developed with a licensed architect or designer and coordinated with how the project will actually be built.
Overview
Design coordination is the work of turning what you want from a home or building into drawings that a permit reviewer, an engineer and a trade partner can all read the same way. It starts with space planning – how rooms relate, where light comes from, how people move – and ends with a set of floor plans and elevations ready for engineering and permitting.
A licensed architect or qualified designer produces the drawings. Our role is to keep the design tied to construction reality from the first sketch: flagging spans that will need engineering, layouts that fight the plumbing, or details that will be expensive to build, while there is still time to change them on paper.
If you already have an architect, or a full set of drawings, we work from what you have. We review the plans for buildability and missing information, and coordinate any revisions with the design professional who prepared them.
Who it’s for
- Owners planning a custom home who want design and construction coordinated from the start
- Homeowners planning an addition or a layout change who need a clear floor plan before pricing
- Business owners fitting out a space who need a layout that works for staff, customers and code
- Owners who already have an architect and want a builder involved during design rather than after
- Anyone holding an older or partial set of plans that needs to be updated before permitting
What’s included
Typically included
- Initial program discussion: rooms, sizes, adjacencies, priorities and must-haves
- Review of existing drawings, surveys and site constraints that shape the layout
- Space planning and alternative layout studies with the design professional
- Floor plan development through schematic and permit-ready stages
- Coordination of elevations, sections and key details with the architect or designer
- Buildability and cost feedback on layout decisions as the design develops
- Handoff of the design to structural, MEP and civil engineers and tracking of their comments
- A single record of design decisions and open questions so nothing is lost between meetings
Common exclusions
- Architectural or engineering fees, which are set by the design professional’s own agreement
- Engineering drawings and calculations (structural, MEP, civil), coordinated as separate scopes
- Interior finish design and material selections, unless included as a separate scope
- Permit and plan-review fees charged by the building department
- Surveys and soil testing needed to inform the design
Every proposal lists its own inclusions and exclusions in writing.
Materials, design options & upgrades
How pricing works
Design coordination is priced per project. The estimate is based on the size and type of the building, how far the design needs to be developed, how many layout alternatives you want to study, and whether we are starting from nothing or from an existing set of plans.
The design professional’s fees are typically set out in their own agreement and shown separately so you can see what is design and what is coordination. When design coordination is part of a complete project, it is priced within that project’s budget rather than added on top.
What changes the cost
- Project size and the number of distinct spaces to plan
- Whether the work is new construction, an addition or a renovation of existing conditions
- The level of drawing development needed (concept only, schematic, or permit-ready)
- Number of layout alternatives and revision rounds
- Complexity of the site: setbacks, flood zone elevation, easements or HOA design standards
- How complete and current any existing drawings are
- Number of engineering disciplines that must be coordinated
If this work is part of a larger project, it’s priced within that project’s budget — please don’t add separate estimates together. Read the pricing guide.
Typical stages
Program and priorities
We document how you want to use the space, what matters most, and the constraints already known – budget range, site, existing structure.
Space planning
The design professional develops layout studies; we review each for structure, plumbing and cost implications.
Schematic design
A preferred layout is developed into floor plans and basic elevations that are clear enough for early pricing.
Design development
Dimensions, wall types, openings and key details are resolved, and engineers begin their work from the coordinated plan.
Permit drawings
Architectural and engineering sheets are assembled into a consistent set for submission to the building department.
Construction handoff
Open questions are closed and the final set becomes the basis for the construction scope and schedule.
What affects the schedule
- How quickly decisions are made on layout options and revisions
- Availability of a current survey and any existing drawings
- The number of engineering disciplines involved and their review cycles
- HOA or condo architectural review, which may require its own submission before permitting
- Changes requested after design development, which ripple into engineering and pricing
Questions & answers
Do you have your own architects?
No. Architectural work is done by licensed architects or qualified designers we bring in, or by the professional you already work with. We coordinate their work with engineering, budget and construction so the drawings describe something that can be built as intended.
I already have plans. Can you still help?
Yes. Many projects start with a set of drawings. We review them for completeness and conflicts, price from them, and coordinate any needed revisions with the professional who prepared them.
When should the builder get involved in design?
As early as possible. Layout decisions set most of the structural, mechanical and finish costs, and changes are far cheaper on paper than after engineering or permitting.
Will I see the cost of the design before construction is priced?
Yes. Design and coordination are scoped and priced up front, separately from construction, so you can decide how far to take the design before committing to a build.
Start here
Planning custom design coordination?
A short form — three steps, a few minutes. Share plans or photos if you have them. We’ll review it and follow up using the contact details you provide.