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Before You Hire a Designer…
Building a home is exciting, but it is also a complex process. There will be important decisions, unexpected challenges, and moments when the next step is not immediately clear. Being informed will not remove every difficulty, but it will help you ask better questions, understand your options, and make decisions with greater confidence.
Before your first conversation with an architect, it helps to understand a few basic realities about the process. The following three considerations can help you set realistic expectations, identify your priorities, and begin the project with a clearer sense of direction.
1. The Design Triangle: Time, Cost, and Quality
Every project is shaped by three connected priorities: time, cost, and quality. You can usually emphasize two, but the third will need to adjust.
When quality is the priority, more time is needed to explore, test, and refine the design, which increases the design fee.
When time is the priority, the work must be completed within a compressed schedule, often requiring more concentrated effort and a higher fee.
When cost is the priority, fewer options can be explored, fewer revisions can be made, and the scope or level of detail may need to be simplified.
Think of preparing a meal. A thoughtful, well-prepared meal takes time, quality ingredients, and attention. If it needs to be ready sooner without sacrificing quality, additional help and more concentrated effort may be required, which increases the cost. If keeping the cost low is the priority, the meal may need to be simpler. Design works the same way.
This is not about cutting corners. It is about understanding that good design takes time to develop, test, and refine. The earlier the priorities are established, the easier it becomes to make clear decisions about where time and money will provide the greatest value.
2. Align the Vision With the Budget
It is easy to fall in love with the ideas: large windows, natural stone, custom cabinetry, exposed structure, and carefully detailed interiors. Each choice may feel manageable on its own, but together they can move the project beyond the available budget. A good design process does not ignore that reality. It helps determine which ideas matter most and where simpler solutions will work just as well.
For early planning in Oregon and Washington, a straightforward new home may begin around $250–$350 per square foot, while a thoughtfully designed custom home may fall closer to $350–$550 or more per square foot. Highly detailed homes, difficult sites, and projects in expensive urban markets may exceed those ranges. These figures generally refer to construction costs and may not include land, design fees, engineering fees, permits, utility connections, site work, financing, furnishings, or contingency.
Think of furnishing a room with a fixed budget. You can fill it with more pieces, but each one may need to be simpler and less expensive. Or you can choose fewer pieces and invest more in their quality, comfort, and craftsmanship. A home works the same way. More square footage spreads the budget across a larger area, while a smaller, more efficient plan can leave more room for better materials, natural light, thoughtful details, and long-term durability.
Establishing a realistic construction budget early does not limit good design. It helps direct the available resources toward the parts of the home that matter most.
3. Structural Design & Permitting Timelines
A common question is: “We submitted for permits. When can we break ground?” The important thing to understand is that permitting is only one part of the process. Before a project can be submitted, the design, construction documents, and structural engineering must first be completed.
For a new home, the design and documentation phase in my studio may take anywhere from 1 to 5 months. The timeline depends on the size and complexity of the project, the level of custom detailing, how quickly decisions are made, and whether interior selections are included. Cabinets, finishes, appliances, plumbing fixtures, lighting, and hardware all require time to evaluate and coordinate. Structural engineering may add another 1 to 2 months, and more complex projects can take longer.
Permit review begins only after the architectural drawings, engineering, and any additional documentation required for the specific project type are complete. Depending on the jurisdiction, permitting may take from 1 month to a year. Land-use review, historic or archaeological requirements, environmental conditions, correction cycles, and reviewer workloads can all affect the schedule. For a new custom home, the timeline from the beginning of design to the start of construction can range anywhere from approximately 9 to 20 months, depending on the project and jurisdiction.
Additions and remodels are not always faster. Existing buildings introduce unknown conditions, structural limitations, and code questions that may require closer review. In some cases, an addition can take longer to permit than a new home.
Summary:
The goal is not to discourage you from designing a meaningful project. It is to give you a realistic understanding of the time and cost involved, so you are not surprised or discouraged when a project remains in permitting for several months rather than being approved within a week.
The timelines shared here are based on my experience with different project types and jurisdictions over the years. They are intended as general planning ranges, not guarantees. Some parts of the process can be managed or accelerated, while others depend on factors outside the designer’s control.