The Full Story

Our Process

We want you to have the feeling of home right from the start.

This is where we get to know each other and explore ideas. It’s all about understanding your vision and goals before we move into the details.

We’ll send you a questionnaire.
We’ll meet to discuss your vision, needs, and style in depth.
You’ll provide a tree and topo survey of your lot (both in CAD .dwg and PDF format) so we can begin designing.

Design

The fun begins!

We’ll present initial design concepts (in 2D and 3D) so you can easily visualize the options.

Design Development (DD)

Now we focus on the details that will turn a house into a home. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to review and provide feedback. In this stage, we will:

Refine the floor plans.
Create a site plan.
Develop the exterior elevations.
Provide an interactive 3D model so you can “walk through” your home.

Once you’re happy with the overall design, we may not need to meet as often. We’ll email revised PDFs for your review, and you can share tweaks or changes by email — but we’re always happy to hop on a call if needed.

Please note: It can take up to 2 weeks for us to incorporate changes.

Prep for Engineer

Now, it's time to prepare the technical details needed for the structural engineer. The City of Austin requires foundation plans, framing, and wind bracing. At this time, we will:

Add dimensions and window and door callouts to the floor plans.
Call out plate heights and roof pitches on the exterior elevations.
Finalize the roof layout, showing slopes, ridges, and valleys.
Add structural sections and construction notes to guide the engineer.

You’ll receive a final review set before we send the plans to engineering.

Important: No major layout changes (like moving walls or windows) should be made after this point, as they can cause delays and added engineering costs.

We’re happy to provide referrals for engineers and will coordinate directly with your chosen engineer.

For City of Austin projects, we’ll also:

Set the house and driveway locations on the site plan.
Submit a Water/Wastewater Service Plan Verification (WWWSPV) form to Austin Water to confirm if your lot needs a new water meter or an upgrade.
Refer you to trusted civil engineers for this separate permit.

Construction Documents (CDs)

While your project is with the structural engineer, we’ll be preparing the final plans for City submission. This means that we will:

Finalize all City of Austin calculations.
Finalize the Site Plan.
Finalize the Floor Plans and Exterior Elevations adding all final notes and details
Create a visitability plan.
Develop a Tree Protection Plan (if required).
Create the Electrical Plan.
Create Interior Elevations.
Create and finalize Details and Sections
Perform a comprehensive plan check.

Our plan check is detailed — our team reviews every page to ensure accuracy so your builder can hit the ground running.

We’ll send you the permit set for final approval so we can move ahead with submission.

Permitting

We’re in the final stretch! Our team works to make this process as smooth and efficient as possible for you. By this point, you’ve probably selected a builder (and we’re happy to recommend one if needed).

We’ll gather any final documents or information needed from you or your builder.
We’ll request your signature on the permit application. Once submitted to Expedited Review:

The City will issue an invoice for the review fees through AB+C online. (AB+C is the City’s online system for managing permits, payments, and inspections. Builders are required to have an account, but you can create your own if you prefer.)
After the fee is paid, the City will schedule a review meeting with our team. We’ll provide an update after that meeting.
Once approved, you’ll receive instructions for your builder to pay for and activate the permit, and you’ll be able to download the stamped plans for use during construction and inspections.

Happy building!