Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why do I need construction drawings?
- First, so that you can understand and visualize exactly how the design comes together.
- Most people need financing from a bank. They will need drawings from you to appraise the home's value, so they can determine how much to loan you.
- If you live in a subdivision that has a Homeowners' Association (HOA), you will need to submit your Preliminary Drawings for design approval.
- Potential contractors will use my Pricing Drawings to work up a bid to build your project.
- Your city or county permitting department will require drawings that illustrate exactly what it is that your contractor intends to build, to be sure that it meets current building codes. Two sets of the Permit/Construction Drawings (the final product I provide to you) are what your builder submits to them, along with the permit applications and applicable permit fees. The permitting department keeps one set on file and returns the second set with the building permit to the builder; this set stays on the job site, and the contractor actually works from it to build your house or addition. During construction, various inspectors will visit the job site and reference the drawings, comparing them to what the contractor is building to ensure everything is being constructed as approved.
2. Why would I hire a Home Designer as opposed to an Architect?
- Many Architects do only commercial work or multi-
family residential projects (apartment buildings, townhouses, condominiums). The only single- family residential work they're typically interested in would be high- end, high- square- footage homes. Architects are also involved in selecting the builder, supervising the project, and selecting materials. I work with you to design the home itself, but when it comes to choosing elements like crown molding, doorknobs, or toilets, I leave that to you and the builder. - Please consider an Architect if you…
…are building a substantial home (6,000 sq. ft. or higher).
...expect a third party to help you in interviewing and selecting a contractor.
...plan to build in this area but don't live locally, and need someone to act as your representative for homeowners' associations, builder selection, and permitting.
...want the person who designed your home to make site visits during construction.
...need the designer to help you select finish materials such as floor tiles, cabinets, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc.
...intend to be your own General Contractor, but are not a builder by trade (this is rarely a good idea, so I generally pass on these sorts of projects; see question #8 below).
...wish to employ a non-
...are building something multi-
- Please consider a Home Designer if you…
...wish to build a single-
...feel comfortable with selecting the contractor yourself.
...have confidence in the builder doing a good enough job that you won't need the designer "checking up" on him or her.
...plan to use traditional 2x framed walls, concrete block, ICF or SIPS.
...will work directly with the builder and their vendors to choose materials and interior finishes for your home.
I will decline a potential project if I feel you'd best be served by an Architect. Remember, my primary service is to provide you with a detailed, accurate set of plans; these drawings will be accepted and used by the Permitting Department and by your contractor in the same way that an Architect's drawings would be. However, my involvement in the project concludes when these drawings are handed to you or your builder. In contrast, an Architect continues to participate in many ways until the construction is completed.
3. Do you design anything besides custom homes?
- Sometimes. Although the primary focus of Northstar is custom homes, I will occasionally design whole-
house renovations, additions, in- law suites, attached and detached garages, and various other residential single- family construction projects. Please call or e- mail with your specific needs, and I'll let you know if I can help. (If your project is multi- family, commercial, or institutional, you'll need to call an Architect instead.) These types of projects are taken on a case- by- case basis, depending on my custom home design backlog. Also, many smaller projects (like deck additions, putting a roof on a porch, finished basements, etc.) can easily be drawn by a drafter for less money than if you’d hire me.
4. What about a site plan?
- For new home construction, a civil engineering firm or surveyor usually prepares the site plan, which is also called a "Plat." If you're interested in adding to your home and can provide me with a copy of your existing site plan that shows your current house, property lines, and building restriction lines, I can create an Addition Location Plan as part of your permit drawing set for the addition. This will be required by your city or county's Building Department for a permit. It’s your responsibility to obtain your current site plan and give it to me to create this Addition Location Plan — usually, you received a copy when you purchased your property.
5. How much will this cost me?
- All of my work is custom, which means that your plans will not be sold to anyone else; they're for you only. We should have an initial Zoom video meeting so I can learn about your ideas, preferences, and requirements before throwing a price at you (and I assume you'd like to meet me first to be sure I'm someone who can understand and interpret your ideas). After our meeting, I'll review records of similar past projects to determine the expected range of hours I anticipate will be needed to complete your project. For example, I may say that, compared to past houses, your house will take approximately 100-
120 hours to draw, or that your addition will take approximately 80- 90 hours. I charge $120.00 an hour and will bill you after the Preliminary Conceptual Drawings have been presented to you, then after I've developed them into the Pricing Drawings. The final payment is due upon my delivery of the Permit/Construction Drawings. I require a retainer along with the signed contract before I begin any work, and I will credit that retainer to the bill for the Preliminary Drawings. - Since each client is unique, I can't give a flat fee for "a 2,500 square foot house" or "an average two-
story addition". My estimate of hours is only that, an estimate. I'm usually pretty close, but there are times when a project takes longer than I predicted. It's generally because the client requests more revisions than usual, didn’t understand that what they liked in a front elevation inspiration photo wouldn't provide the square footage they need, or because the client grows the scope of work and wants two additions instead of one, for example. They may also be debating between two architectural styles and may change their minds about what they wanted in the first place midstream. - Drawings for a complicated addition or renovations to an existing home can take just as much time, if not more, than drawings for a new home of the same size, so don't be surprised at my estimate for addition drawings. The design and drawing process is actually more complicated and time-
consuming. First, it takes many measurements and photos of the existing structure to figure out how it was put together. I'll need to figure out how to attach the new construction to the existing building, how to make the addition harmonize with the existing residence both inside and out, and to design it all around your existing well, septic field, and building restriction lines. The kicker is that any area being renovated or new construction must meet current codes, even if the rest of the home does not. So there may be more time needed to document the existing areas and how they need to be renovated to incorporate the adjacent new construction seamlessly.
6. Why should I hire you when I can buy a set of house plans from a plan book?
- Plan book companies can sell plans for the same house to hundreds of customers all over the country and make back the money they paid to their designers many times over. When I design a home, I'm creating it only for you; it’s tailored to the topographical conditions of your building site and designed in accordance with local building codes and your Homeowners’ Association’s covenants. I won't make more money by selling it to anyone else. Besides, the reason people call residential designers in the first place is that they've spent hours online and haven't found the exact combination of architectural design elements they need in an already-
designed set of plans. We will truly collaborate; I want to hear all of your ideas.
7. How do we get started?
- Please call 352-
760- 1729 or e- mail jhamilton@northstar- na.com to schedule a brief initial meeting. Typical custom home project initial meetings are conducted via Zoom or Teams. Initial meetings for additions or renovations are at your home so I can get a sense of the existing structure and the site. We can also exchange some basic information via email after the initial phone call (you’ve probably been doodling! I’d love to see what you’ve drawn), and then have a video meeting if that’s more convenient.
8. I plan on being my own builder. What do you think?
- Very few people should even consider this! The money you think you'll save by being your own builder will most likely be eaten up in problems you'll encounter during construction -
- problems that a qualified builder has the expertise to foresee. There are so many decisions to be made by the contractor, so many issues and questions that may arise, that you wouldn't even conceive of them until they're staring you in the face and holding up the project. - Homeowners who think it's just a matter of making a few calls and lining up subcontractors invariably regret their decision not to have a builder at the helm of their project. There are many trades people whose schedules you will need to coordinate in the process of getting your job done; most likely at least one of them will not show up when you think they will, and then everybody's schedules will be thrown off. A subcontractor may not feel an obligation to you, the one-
job homeowner, that he feels to his repeat clients, and if one of his regular contractors has an emergency job, he will most likely put you on the back burner. Please don't let your hours of watching HGTV give you false confidence that you will be able to construct a problem- free custom home, sunroom or master suite addition to your home - remember that they edit out the problems on their shows! - Some homeowners with little or no experience who think they can save money by acting as their own builder expect to use me as their "safety net", calling for advice during construction. While I would love to help each client as much as possible, I don't have the time to serve as a construction monitor. Even though I've been licensed in this profession since 1979, I no longer act as the building contractor of record. Of course, some homeowners with extensive construction experience will do just fine acting as their own builder. I'd be happy to work with these people; expect lots of questions from me before I agree to take on your project, though. I'll decline involvement unless I'm confident you can manage it yourself.
9. Will I need a Professional Engineer (P.E.) to seal my plans?
- Very likely. It depends on your local building official and how complex your structure will be. Building codes have become increasingly complex, particularly over the past five years or so. If you have large or many glass and window openings, a P.E. will definitely need to design the lateral wall bracing and sign off on it. Other definite examples for engineering involvement are structural slabs, conventionally framed cathedral roof framing, and brick or stone supported by interior beams and columns.
- I have established relationships with a few local structural engineers who will work with us on your design. After our initial meeting, I can give you an idea of whether you'll need one. The P.E. will bill you separately from me, and their fee is not included in my estimate to you. After I've completed your Preliminary Drawings and you've approved them, I can show them to one of the engineers I work with, who can then contact you with an estimate of the cost of their services.
10. Do you do 3D drawings?
- Yes. All my work is designed in 3D to conceptualize the components' interfaces and functionality.
11. Are you licensed to design my house or addition?
- Yes. No special licensing is required to create plans for single-
family new homes or additions. Northstar is a Florida LLC and carries not only general liability insurance but also professional liability insurance (also known as "Errors and Omissions" insurance). Honestly, you could draw plans for your own custom home or addition. However, the vast majority of homeowners don't know the codes or don't have the time to learn them, so they can't create drawings detailed and accurate enough for the city or county's Plan Review department even to accept. Days of "I drew my floor plan on a napkin and gave that to the building department" are over!
12. Will you build my project too?
- Nope, sorry, I just create the plans. It's up to you to select a builder. I can give you the names of some contractors I've worked with and had good experiences with, if you're looking for recommendations. Keep in mind, though, that the decision is yours, and I assume no liability if your relationship with a builder I recommended turns sour. (FYI, various local builders and realtors refer people to me and vice versa, but there's no "finder's fee" or "kickbacks" when I do so. If a builder or realtor expects me to pay them for a referral, I'm no longer interested in dealing with them.)
13. How do I pay you?
- For initial retainers, sent to me with your signed proposal, a personal check is typical. Progress invoices will be emailed to you as a PDF attachment and can also be paid by check. Zelle payments are also accepted, provided there is no additional fees. If you’d like to pay cash, no problem! Terms are Net 15, except for the final payment, which is due upon delivery of the final drawings.
- Payment is billed at the several phases of the design process. The major phases are schematic design, design development and construction drawings. Incremental payment may also be billed within these major phases due to the amount of complexity of the drawings and the amount of back and forth revisions by you.
14. Do you have a favorite architectural style?
- I'm glad to design in whatever architectural style a client might have as their own dream house.
Click here to return to the Home Page
Quality design, craftsmanship and performance
Copyright © 2026 -
"And the rains fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock." Matthew 7:25