One of the most frequent questions homeowners ask is: “What will it cost to get permit drawings?” While it’s tempting to look for a flat “per page” price, architectural fees for a remodel are based on the complexity, size, and level of detail required for your specific project. It’s like asking a travel agent, “How much does a vacation cost?”, as the answer is – it depends – depends on location, duration, preference etc.
To maintain competitive integrity and follow industry standards, designers generally avoid public “price lists.” In the DMV area, professional design fees for major additions and renovations are typically calculated as a percentage of the total construction cost. This ensures the fee scales with the intensity of the design work. However, for smaller or less complex projects—such as a simple deck or a minor internal wall removal—a fixed lump-sum fee may be more appropriate. Below is a breakdown of the design process and the investment involved.
1. The “Invisible” Portion of Design: Research & Discovery
Before the first line is drawn, a significant amount of work happens behind the scenes. This phase (called Programming Analysis or PA) is critical for ensuring your project is legally and technically viable.
- Zoning Analysis: We research local ordinances in your specific jurisdiction—whether it’s Fairfax, DC, or PG county. This includes verifying setbacks, lot coverage limits, and height restrictions. Historic Districts have their own set of requirements to work through.
- Building Code Research: We evaluate the project against the International Residential Code (IRC) and local county or city amendments to ensure the design meets safety standards from the start.
- Technical Research: For complex projects, we may need to research specific material assemblies, moisture management techniques, or energy-efficiency requirements (R-values) specific to our climate zone.
2. The Three Phases of Design
When you hire a designer, you are paying for a multi-stage process that ensures the final build is safe, legal, and functional.
- Schematic Design (SD): This is the brainstorming phase. We take field measurements of your existing home and create rough sketches to explore layouts and options, explore designs that blend well with your existing home and meet the aesthetic and functional needs. After all, no one wants to see an eyesore added on to their house.
- Design Development (DD): Once a design is chosen, we refine the “look and feel” and ensure it can be built to last. This is where the technical research begins to merge the aesthetic vision with constructibility. We design the foundation, wall, floor and roof assemblies to meet the various demands on the structure (water, moisture, wind, heat, cold and seismic, if applicable). Other work done here is selection of materials, utilities etc.
- Construction Documents (CD): This is the Permit Set. These are the technical drawings used for bidding, permitting, and construction. They include enough detail a contractor needs to build accurately, while giving contractor enough leeway to build efficiently using their judgement and experience.
3. The Design Team (Consultants)
A complete design often requires input from specialists. Depending on your project’s scope, you may need:
- Structural Engineer: Essential if you are adding square footage to house, removing load-bearing walls, adding a second story, or changing a roofline.
- MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing): Required for large projects or new builds, where new systems must be integrated. In my experience, most remodel home projects do not need this service.
- Civil Engineer: Often required for additions that increase “lot coverage” or involve significant site grading and drainage plans.
4. Understanding the Fee Structure
For a typical remodel in the DMV, total design and engineering fees often range between 8% to 20% of the total construction budget. This fee is generally distributed among the design team as follows:
- Design Services: Roughly 70% to 80% of the total fee. This covers zoning/code research, the SD/DD/CD phases, and consultant coordination.
- Structural Engineering: Usually 10% to 15% of the fee. Licensed engineered drawings are a must for any load bearing components of the project.
- Specialty Consultants (MEP/Civil): Another 15-20% of the fee, but is only required in complex residential projects. Most residential remodel do not need this service.
Just remember, to understand the fees is liking asking a travel agent – “how much does a vacation cost?” – the answer really depends on many factors.
5. Can I save on these fees?
We have seen homeowners explore workarounds to avoid professional design fees, such as drafting their own plans or using “stock” plans found online. While most local jurisdictions allow homeowners to submit their own drawings for home remodeling projects, be sure you know what you are getting into. Without a deep understanding of current building codes and DMV-specific zoning nuances, “DIY” plans could face multiple rejection cycles at the permit office. Similarly, relying solely on a contractor’s sketch without an independent set of Construction Documents leaves you vulnerable to either illegal construction or expensive “change orders” during the build. Ultimately, the money saved upfront is often spent several times over in construction errors and permit revisions.
Investing in the “Front End” saves on the “Back End”. Detailed plans and thorough code research help in several ways:
- Legal construction that meets building and zoning codes
- Speedier permits with less comments and revisions from the county
- Reduced likelihood of “change orders”—costly surprises that occur during construction
