Before You Hire a Designer…

Building a home is deeply personal—and undeniably ambitious. It’s exhilarating, yes. But it’s also layered with complexity. Expect moments of frustration and clarity, confusion and delight. Being informed won’t eliminate the challenges—but it will help you navigate them with confidence.

Here are three essential considerations to reflect on before your first conversation with an architect—early truths to help shape better decisions, sharper questions, and more collaborative moments.

If you'd like to go deeper, there’s a downloadable PDF version of this guide at the end. It’s meant to help you walk into that initial meeting grounded, clear, and ready.

1. The Design Triangle: Time, Cost, and Quality

Every project invites a trade-off:

Want it fast and affordable? Quality will need to flex.
Want it fast and beautifully detailed? It will cost more.
Want it done well and on budget? It will take time.

This isn't about laziness or cutting corners—it's about capacity, care, and the reality of iteration. Even with a finite budget, designers (myself included) often invest more time in your project than planned, because we care about how it turns out. Ask yourself: what trade-offs are you're willing to accept?

2. Construction Costs vs. Design Ambition

It's easy to love ideas—materials, lighting concepts, framing details—but they can outpace your budget surprisingly quickly.

Let’s get real:

Yes, I can design a high-end, custom home.
But can your budget hold that vision?

Understanding the cost ranges helps focus your design energy:

In Washington: builder-grade runs ~$220–$350 /sf; custom can be
$350–$550+ /sf.
In Oregon: builder-grade ~$250–$350 /sf; custom $350–$550+ /sf.

Example: A 2,500 sf home might range from $550K at builder-grade to $1.3M+ for thoughtful, custom detailing.

Design thrives within constraints. If you're unsure how to align ambition with budget, I'm happy to help regionally—finding clarity in a rough estimate unlocks creative possibility.

3. Structural Design & Permitting Timelines

“The first draft was submitted last week—when will permitting finish?” This is the question that often takes clients by surprise.

The reality: moving from idea to stamped drawings can be long.

Here’s a clearer picture:

Structural plans & truss design: expect 1–3 months.
Permitting reviews:
- Efficient Washington cities: 2–4 weeks.
- With overlays/land-use triggers: 2–3+ months.
- In Portland: often 6–7 months or more.
Short plats or land divs (WA state law):
- 65 days (no public notice),
- 100 days (with notice),
- up to 170 days (with hearing).

Overall, plan for 2 to 10 months before construction can begin—depending on project complexity and location.

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