The 8 Steps Of Draft On Site’s Custom Home Design Process

23 Jul The 8 Steps Of Draft On Site’s Custom Home Design Process

Are you considering Custom Home Design for your next build, but want to know more about the process? Looking for more information about how we work? 

Here is a summary of the steps that make up Draft On Site’s Custom Home Design process.

The 8 Steps In Our Custom Home Design Process 

1. Consultation 

The first part of our Design process is getting to know you. We will sit down with you to discuss your wants, needs, life, and style. This is important as it guides our Design. We want to make sure your home is everything you are dreaming of – and fits with your lifestyle! 

2. Site selection or visit 

Once we know more about you, we want to learn a bit more about the site for your home. If you already have a property, we will arrange to send a Land Surveyor to visit it and document as much as possible. If you have a few places in mind, we do a little research and can weigh in on your choice, if asked to. Do not have any space in mind yet? We can still continue our Research process if you know the City and size of the lots you are considering. This will allow us to give you an idea of which Zones and/or neighbourhoods may be suitable for the type of house you want to build. At this point, we will give you preliminary budget guidelines and schedule based on industry averages.  

3. Design pitch

Once we know what you would like to achieve, where the Lot is and what the Zoning allows, we begin designing. After our team has put together our ideas for your home, we will call you in for a meeting to pitch you what we have created. If there is anything you do not like or that you would like but do not see in our pitch, let us know! We have a no-ego approach, so you do not have to worry about speaking up, we want this to be a home you are happy with. 

4. Preliminary planning 

Once we have a design that you and our team have both signed off on, we enter the preliminary planning phase. This is where the Preliminary Design package comes together so we can discuss your project with other professionals who need to be brought in, including Builders and Interior Designers: this is called Integrated Design. We often will develop a VR Model of the Structure of the House so that you and the Professionals can walk through the House and make sure it will all work. This will allow the Builders and Interior Designers to start developing your preliminary budgets based on the Preliminary Design and revisions to the Design can happen if the quotes come back outside of the ranges anticipated. This also allows you time to secure any financing you need. 

5. Drafting the Permit Package 

We will then move into the Permit Package phase. During this part of the process, we send the plans for your home out to all of the Professionals on your Project, like Engineers, to get their drawings and calculations so that we can integrate them into your Plans. At the same time, we finish our drawings, adding all of the details and measurements that are required for a Permit and for Construction. These will then serve as the blueprint for all the other professionals working on your project. 

6. Making selections  

This is the most exciting point for many of our clients. This is where you get to look at our suggested furnishings to select the ones you like best. Have a hard time imagining what elements will look like in your completed home? No problem! We can create a 3D virtual version of your home, allowing you to see what your completed space will look like. 

7. Permits and approvals 

The final step before you can begin building is getting your Building Permits and approvals in place. You should never demolish or build – and no real professional will start construction – without Permits. Wondering why that is the case? Stop Work Orders can have very serious consequences for homeowners if you build without Permits in place. 

8. Construction 

With the design work done, you are ready to start construction! Sit back and enjoy this step in your Custom Home Design process. Of course, if any issues arise during the construction process, we will be there to help sort through them.