Residential Design

Click through our residential portfolio to review the different projects. There are custom homes, renovations, additions and space planning.

Please note that these plans have been slightly modified for website images. View the pdfs below that show the actual construction drawings on 24×36 plots.

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FAQ

Q61: How do you document non-standard framing in older residential additions?

A: 1970s additions often used balloon framing with unique fire blocking and joist configurations unlike anything in modern construction. We identify these conditions by visual inspection and physical probing, documenting all framing details in photographs, plan callouts, and building sections for your structural engineer and contractor.

Q62: Why might an ADU septic field be missing from site documentation?

A: Septic systems are typically buried and only partially documented in county health records, creating design and permitting risk for ADU projects. We pull health department records and supplement with field probing to locate all tanks, distribution boxes, and drain field limits, plotted on the site plan with setback distances.

Q63: Why might a kitchen island location be documented incorrectly?

A: Island placement requires triangulated measurement from multiple reference walls to accurately capture position, toe-kick clearances, and traffic path widths. We measure from three wall surfaces with laser instruments and document all clearances in elevation views, cross-checked before being committed to CAD.

Q64: Why were plaster wall thicknesses documented incorrectly?

A: Plaster walls in pre-1960 homes vary significantly in thickness based on lath type and number of coats, and standard assumptions lead to framing offset errors during renovation. We take core samples at representative locations to measure actual total thickness and record findings in a finish schedule for your contractor.

Q65: Why might knob-and-tube wiring be missing from residential as-built drawings?

A: Abandoned knob-and-tube wiring carries no active current and leaves no visible trace, making it invisible without a circuit tracer. We use non-contact tracing equipment to locate all wiring in accessible wall and ceiling cavities, documenting paths relative to structural grid lines for demolition planning and electrical upgrade design.

Q66: How do you identify attic access that does not meet current code minimums?

A: Older attic scuttles are frequently smaller than the IRC minimum clear opening and create compliance issues during renovation permits. We locate and measure every ceiling access opening, compare dimensions against applicable code minimums, and flag non-compliant locations with corrective size requirements on the attic plan.

Q67: Why might crawlspace access be missing from residential documentation?

A: Crawlspace hatches located in closets or exterior foundation walls are routinely overlooked in standard interior surveys. We walk the complete foundation perimeter checking all interior and exterior faces for access openings, documenting location, clear opening dimensions, and crawlspace clearance height at each point.

Q68: Why might a bay window seat height be documented incorrectly?

A: Bay window seat heights involve a compound measurement tracing foundation projection, floor framing, finish floor, and window sill — conditions that must be followed continuously from exterior grade to interior finish. We produce a full building section through each bay condition, measuring glass-to-glass widths, seat depths, and foundation projection dimensions.

Q69: Why might fireplace throat dimensions be documented incorrectly?

A: Fireplace throat and smoke chamber dimensions are vertical conditions that change from firebox to flue and are rarely accessible for standard tape measurement. We use laser instruments to take full-height sections through the chase, recording throat width, damper location, smoke shelf dimensions, and flue connection size for permitting and relining work.

Q75: Why might deck ledger attachment conditions be documented incorrectly?

A: Ledger connections are structural conditions required for permit approval, yet the bolt pattern, rim board condition, and thru-wall flashing are often not visible without physical inspection. We produce a full elevation of the ledger to house connection with existing bolt spacing, rim board dimensions, and observable flashing conditions documented and photographed.