Layout and build design, 2D and 3D renderings

Designed by the person who has to build it

Most design problems are not design problems. They are buildability problems that nobody caught on paper — a wall that lands on a beam that isn't there, a bathroom layout that puts a toilet where a joist runs, a window that looks perfect in a drawing and blows the header budget. We catch those at the sketch stage because we frame for a living.

That is the whole reason we offer design as its own service. You get a layout that has already been pressure-tested against real framing, real materials and a real number — before anyone orders lumber.

What you actually get

We scale the drawing package to the project. A deck or a bathroom might only need a dimensioned layout and one or two elevations. A basement finish, an addition or a whole-house remodel usually gets a full set: floor plan, elevations, framing layout and a 3D model you can look at from any angle.

2D drawings are the working documents — dimensioned plans, elevations and sections you can hand to an inspector, a supplier or another trade. 3D sketches and renderings are for you: they turn the plan into something you can actually picture standing in, with real finishes, real light and real proportions. It is far cheaper to change your mind in a rendering than after the drywall is up.

Design only, or design and build

Both are fine. Plenty of people hire us just for drawings and take them elsewhere, or use them to get comparable bids. Tell us at the walkthrough which you want and we price design and construction separately, so you see two clear numbers instead of one bundled one.

Where we stop, honestly

We are carpenters and designers, not licensed architects or structural engineers. When a project needs a stamped structural calculation or an architect's seal to get through permitting — a big beam, a load-bearing wall removal, a complicated addition — we say so up front and coordinate with a licensed engineer rather than guessing. You are better off hearing that at the first meeting than at the permit counter.

Design work we do

• Layout and space planning for remodels, additions and new builds
• Dimensioned 2D floor plans and elevations
• 2D construction and framing drawings for permitting and for the crew
• 3D architectural sketches — quick massing studies to test an idea fast
• Photoreal 3D renderings with real finishes, cabinetry and lighting
• Kitchen and bathroom layout studies, including fixture and clearance checks
• Deck, pergola and outdoor-living layouts sited to your lot and view
• Basement finish layouts worked around ductwork, beams and egress
• Material, color and finish selection boards
• Revisions — we expect two or three rounds, not one
• Coordination with a licensed engineer when a stamped drawing is required