Our Design Process
Every Detail Decided Before the First Shovel Hits the Ground.
Our design process is a paid engagement — not because we want to filter people out, but because serious projects deserve serious preparation. Before anything gets built, we eliminate every uncertainty we can find and put a guaranteed number behind the plan.
Most Contractors Give You a Number.
We Give You a Plan.
Every other company will walk your yard, sketch something on a clipboard, and email you a price. It costs them nothing, so they do it for everyone — the curious, the undecided, the ones who'll take that number and hand it to the cheapest bidder. We don't work that way. And the clients who choose us are glad we don't.
When you invest in design with us, you're buying certainty. You'll know exactly what the project costs, what it looks like at scale, and what to expect from the ground beneath your feet — before you've committed to construction. That's not a fee. That's the foundation of a project that goes right.
Design Level 01
The Vision Meeting
For clients who want clarity before they commit to anything.
$500 · 4 hours · applied to your project
This is where most projects should begin. Not with drawings — but with a real conversation in your actual yard, with the person who will build it.
We map the space together with spray paint on grass so you can stand inside the future layout and feel where the steps land. We check soil conditions on-site because we'd rather know what's under the surface before we start — not after. We can't map everything underground from one visit, but we go in with more information than most contractors bother to look for.
You walk away with an honest budget range built from current material and labor costs — not a guess designed to keep you in the room. If the numbers don't work, we'll tell you now.
What you get:
- A real budget range based on real numbers
- Soil and site conditions checked on-site
- The full project mapped in your yard with spray paint
- Material samples selected against your home
- Site logistics — machine access, staging — planned in advance
Design Level 02
The Blueprint
For clients who want a guaranteed price and a construction-ready plan.
$2,000 · Includes the Vision Meeting · applied to your project
(The Vision Meeting ($500) is included. The additional $1,500 covers 12 hours of design and engineering work.)
The Vision Meeting tells you what's possible. The Blueprint makes it contractual.
This is where your ideas become a precise, engineered construction document — and where your budget range becomes a number we'll put in writing and stand behind. No surprises. No contingencies. No fine print.
We refine the plan through up to three rounds of live revision sessions where you can move walls, adjust stairs, and change layouts in real time. Every dimension, elevation, joint, and material transition is documented. The crew has no guesswork. You have complete accountability.
This is the moment that separates us from every other contractor in the market: a guaranteed fixed price. Not an estimate. Not a ballpark. Not subject to change.
What you get:
- Everything in the Vision Meeting
- Full construction drawings — the project playbook
- Three rounds of live revisions until it's exactly right
- A guaranteed fixed price — not an estimate, not subject to change
- Engineered to CMHA standards for permanence
Who this is built for
For clients who want the peace of mind that comes with a fixed price, a documented plan, and complete accountability before ground breaks.
Design Level 03
The 3D Master Plan
For clients who want to see it before they build it — completely.
$3,000 · Includes Blueprint · applied to your project
(Builds on the Blueprint ($2,000). The additional $1,000 covers 8 hours of 3D modeling and rendering work specific to your property.)
The Blueprint ends financial uncertainty. The 3D Master Plan ends emotional uncertainty.
For complex projects — multi-level patios, outdoor kitchens, significant grade changes — this is the level of preparation that removes the last remaining question: does it actually look the way I imagined?
We model your actual home — your siding, your roofline, your existing landscaping — and render the finished project around it. You can walk through the space on screen before a single shovel touches the ground. We render your project in real light conditions so the material choices hold up in every context.
What you get:
- Everything in the Vision Meeting and the Blueprint
- A full 3D walkthrough modeled to your actual home and property
- Real light conditions so material choices hold up in every context
- Complex layouts made legible — flow between multi-level spaces
- Your property on file for future phases
What Every Design Level Includes
The DeLuca Choice
For every material and layout decision, you get the honest answer to one question: what would I build here if this were my own family's home? Not what's most profitable. Not what's easiest. What's right.
Soil and Site Conditions
We check soil conditions and survey your site before we plan around it. We'd rather know what's under the surface before we start — not after. We can't predict everything underground, but we go in with more information than zero.
Materials in Your Actual Light
We bring curated samples to your home so you're choosing stone colors against your actual siding, in your actual light. The choices you make in a showroom are guesses. The choices you make in your driveway are decisions.
Your Investment Protected
Every design fee is applied to your project's bottom line if we move forward together. You're not paying twice — you're front-loading the work that makes the build go right.
Compare the Three Design Levels.
| Feature | Vision Meeting | Blueprint | 3D Master Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investment | $500 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| On-site mapping & Soil Check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Material samples at your home | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Full construction drawings | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Guaranteed fixed price | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3D walkthrough of your yard | — | — | ✓ |
| Applied to project | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
A Word of Honesty.
If you're collecting quotes to compare prices, this isn't the right fit. Our process is built for homeowners who are ready to make a real decision — not shop for the lowest number.
If that's where you are, we're happy to point you in the right direction. No hard feelings. But if you're looking for a team that does the work before the work begins, and guarantees the result — you're in the right place.
Our Promise
The 5-Year Craftsmanship Guarantee.
If something we built fails to perform within five years, we make it right. Full stop. This isn't marketing language. It's the standard we hold ourselves to on every single job.
- ✓
Permanent Stability: Every project is engineered to CMHA standards — the base work, the drainage, the edge restraints. The things you'll never see are the reason the things you will see last for decades.
- ✓
Controlled Construction: We can't eliminate the noise, but we can eliminate the chaos. Strict daily cleanup, organized staging, and proactive communication mean your family's routine stays as intact as possible.
- ✓
We Don't Disappear: When the project is done, we're still here. The guarantee isn't a clause buried in a contract — it's a direct line to the person who built it. If something isn't right, we make it right.
The Next Step
The First Conversation Costs You Nothing. A Bad Contractor Costs You Everything.
If you're ready for a white-glove design and construction experience, let's talk about your property. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right team — and if we're not, we'll point you in the right direction.
Start the Conversation