Services

MIDWEST Drafting & Design has been dedicated to providing home builders and home owners of Northeast Iowa with Quality Drafting and Design services for new homes, renovations, additions, and light commercial since 1996. To date, I've designed over 800 new homes and over 800 home additions. Services range from 3D Conceptual Drawings to Accurate Construction Drawings/blueprints.

Fees

MIDWEST Drafting & Design is about Professional Residential Design. Continuous learning and researching every aspect of Residential Design and Construction is my passion and hobby. My goal is to help you turn your dreams into reality.

Fees are charged at an hourly rate and invoiced on a monthly basis. The more information I know about a project, the better estimate I can provide, but past history has shown that the total cost for my services for a new home has typically ended up around one percent of the total cost of the homes construction turn key. For additions/remodels it has been around two percent of the total cost.

The Design Process

::DESIGN DRAWING STAGE::

Our first meeting (2-4 hours) starts at the site so that we can fully understand the limitations and opportunities the site has to offer from views, privacy, sun, driveway, slope, etc... Then we continue the meeting by getting comfortable around your kitchen table discussing your ideas and wishes. We'll be discussing site issues, budget and/or square footage, schedule, and design parameters. At this meeting I'd also like to see some pictures of home exteriors that you like so I can get a feel of the Architectural style you're interested in. Don't worry about looking at floorplans prior to this meeting. The build site and your wants/needs will determine how the home should be laid out to maximize flow, eliminate wasted space, capture or block sun light, and meet all your wishes.

We'll discuss in great detail every room of your home and how they should relate to the site and to each other. We'll discuss the pros and cons on many different topics/concepts and I'll gain a good understanding of your priorities, likes, and dislikes. The information I gather from this meeting is what I use to create a preliminary layout of your new home. It's not uncommon that a home owner's 'wants' goes beyond their budget and/or maximum square footage requirements. As I'm creating the initial layout I often have to make decisions that will be a compromise on budget/sq.ft. vs dreams. This means that possibly not everything you originally asked for will be on the initial layout ...yet. Understanding your priorities is key.

Our second meeting (1-3 hours) is where we really get started. I'll have preliminary floorplans as well as 3D views of the exterior of your home. The floorplans will include room sizes as well as furniture layouts so we can better visualize the spaces and the flow through them. We'll discuss the budget/sq.ft. and we'll better define your wants vs needs. With Design there are revisions. Thankfully, computer modeling software has made this process very efficient so I encourage home owners to consider 'what ifs' as we move forward with the Design.

We'll have as many Design revision meetings (via in-person, e-mail, and/or conference calls) as needed to refine and focus the layout and exterior image.

At the end of each meeting I'll leave you with the drawings. I feel it is incredibly important that you spend time studying the drawings and the 3D views so that you fully understand the design in its entirety.

::ESTIMATE DRAWING STAGE::

As we start to define and approve the layout of the home, I'll convert the Design drawings into Estimate drawings by adding some details that the builder, material supplier, concrete, excavator, etc... will need to create a rough estimate. I think of this as a step toward Final drawings. At this point it's still easy for me to make Design changes to the drawings based on the results of the Estimates.

::CONSTRUCTION DRAWING STAGE::

Once Estimate drawings come back and everyone is happy with the final design, I convert the Estimate drawings into Construction drawings (aka Blueprints). I do this by turning my focus to what the builders, subs, and material suppliers need to quickly and efficiently build your home.

Once the construction drawings are approved by the builder, I print as many sets as needed. The builder then hands out drawing sets to all of the subcontractors and material suppliers. Everyone from electricians to truss manufacturers will work from these drawings to plan, engineer, and perform their work.

At this point, the builder takes over. The builder will guide you in determining what decisions have to be made (picking faucets, siding color, door handles, etc.) and when they have to be made. Ground Breaking begins!

MIDWEST Drafting & Design will be available for any questions during construction from you or your builder.