Frequently Asked Questions
What do you do?
I provide building design and construction drawings for permitting through the city or county planning and building department. I can line up all engineering, title 24 energy reports, truss calculations, soils reports, and so on with colleagues I regularly work with. In short, I can handle the whole building design process/management to getting your project a permit.
Does the city or county require me to get a permit?
Pretty much every construction project requires a permit (even small remodels). You will need plans to apply for a building permit.
How long does it take for the city or county to approve my plans?
During this busy time, it is taking building departments 10-14 weeks to get a permit issued (starting form the date you turn it in). The first review takes about 8-10 weeks. They give a list of corrections/adjustments to the plans (every project gets these). After these are made and turned in it takes about 2 weeks for them to approve it.
How long does the design process take?
Design process varies. If you know exactly what you want, then it can take less than a week to figure out floorplan and elevations. On other large projects it can take months. The long part of the process is getting together all the other items: soils reports, structural engineering, energy reports, etc. This can take 8-10 weeks. You should plan on around 6 months minimum for design/permitting on any new construction/large addition projects. One of the services I do offer is handling all the permitting.
How much do permits cost?
The permit fees vary drastically from project to project. If you reach out to me by email about your project and I can give you pretty good estimates for new construction, ADU's, remodels and additions.
When can I start my project?
Once the plans are approved by the city or county you can start your project immediately.
How long will my project take to build?
This is completely dependent on the contractor you hire or if you are doing the project as "owner-builder". I've seen new custom homes built as quickly as 3 months and small remodels take as long as 6 months. It really depends on how fast you can get contractors lined up.