Before You Design Your Custom Home: Get Clarity on What's Actually Possible

Custom homes in the South Sound are complex—rising costs, strict permitting, and site constraints can derail even the best ideas. This guide helps you understand feasibility, true costs, and critical checks before you commit to land or design.

Don't buy land or start design until you've verified the five checks that determine if your project is actually buildable.

“Being our first project, Andrew was our guide through this incredible complex and bureaucratic endeavor! We are really pleased and thankful with his services and highly recommend him to anyone!”
— Sergio C

The #1 Project Problem: Projects Going Over Time and Over Budget

We see it constantly: homeowners rushing into design before the research is complete. It's like a doctor starting surgery without diagnosis, or building a house on a bad foundation.

This Feasibility Report gives you a clear process to move through the Research Phase with confidence. If you follow this framework, you'll reduce project risk, avoid costly mistakes, and move forward informed—not guessing.

After working with custom home clients throughout the Puget Sound for over a decade, the pattern is clear: the clients who verify feasibility first are the ones who stay on budget and avoid expensive surprises.

What You'll Get:

1. Summary Checklist Once you've checked all the boxes, you'll know you're ready to move to the Analysis Phase.

2. The Strategic Design Roadmap See exactly where you are in the journey from Research → Design → Permitting → Construction.

3. Building Cost Estimator A simple DIY worksheet to estimate your investment based on current South Sound market rates ($350-$1000+/sqft depending on finish level).

4. Questions to Ask Your Architect The RIGHT questions that reveal whether an architect will protect your financial and legal interests—not just create beautiful drawings.

5. Who Protects the Asset? Understand the critical difference between Design-Build (builder-led) vs. Independent Architect (you-led) structures.

6. The 5 Feasibility Checks Do NOT buy land until you've verified these:

  • Zoning & setbacks (your buildable area could shrink 30%)

  • Critical areas & buffers (wetlands, slopes, eagle nests)

  • Utility infrastructure (bringing power 100ft can cost $15K+)

  • Soils & geotech (bad soil = foundation costs double)

  • Legal access & easements (confirm no one has rights to your land)

7. Project Readiness Slider Assess where you are on 8 critical questions—from "Outline your situation" to "What does this home mean to you?" You need to be at 10/10 on ALL scales before moving to design.

8. Next Steps How to book a complimentary consultation to discuss your specific project.