Permit-ready drawings, from Phoenix to every U.S. state.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

• Are you a licensed architecture firm, or a drafting studio?+

  We're a drafting and permitting studio — not a registered architecture or engineering firm, and we never apply a seal. For any work that legally needs one, an independent architect or engineer registered in your state is responsible for it: they prepare that work, or directly supervise its preparation, and seal it. That keeps your cost down for the drafting itself while making sure the final submittal carries every seal the city requires; their fee is shown separately on your quote.

• Do my plans need an architect's stamp — and is it legal to build from drafted plans?+

  It depends on your project type and jurisdiction. Many ADUs, small tenant improvements, and single-family homes can be permitted from drafted plans, while structural, MEP, or larger / higher-occupancy projects require a licensed stamp. Arizona, for example, lets a drafting firm prepare plans for single-family homes and small buildings, and requires a registered architect or engineer for larger and higher-occupancy projects. Before you commit, your written code-strategy memo tells you exactly what your specific project needs, and where a seal is required, an independent registered professional in your state prepares or directly supervises those sheets and seals them.

• How fast can you turn around a permit set?+

  Typical permit-set turnaround is 2–5 weeks from a complete brief; complex commercial tenant improvements or multifamily can run 8–12 weeks. Your delivery date is in writing on the quote. That covers our drawing production, which we control — the city’s plan-review queue after submittal is a separate clock no firm can guarantee, but we keep the package clean to minimize corrections and shepherd it to issuance.

• What exactly do I get for the fee?+

  A complete, permit-ready construction set sized to your project. For a custom home that's floor plans, elevations, sections, roof framing, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and structural notes and details; for a tenant improvement it's the permit-set architectural drawings plus the plumbing and electrical layouts the city needs. Stamped structural calcs, stamped MEP, and energy / Title 24 compliance are coordinated with independent registered engineers and itemized only when your project requires them.

• Can you tell me whether my space or lot will even work before I pay for full drawings?+

  Yes. Before you commit to a full set, we can check the gating issues (change-of-occupancy, ADA triggers, setbacks, utilities, parking) as a small flat-fee engagement, so you get a go/no-go first. It’s the cheapest way to catch a dealbreaker before you spend on drawings.

• Do you submit the permit to the city for me, or do I do that myself?+

  Either way works. For an itemized fee we file the package directly with the building department, handle the correction cycles, and shepherd it to issuance — or you can take the set and submit it yourself, and the drawing scope is identical. If the city flags an error in our drawings, we fix it free, and on a standard quote our answers to the city’s comments on items in our scope are included — so normal reviewer redlines don’t become a surprise bill.

• Do you work in Spanish or Chinese?+

  This website is in English, Spanish, and Chinese, and your proposal, agreement, estimates, and invoices can also be shown in Chinese at no extra charge (the English version governs). A fully translated drawing set (sheet notes and specs) is an optional paid add-on — useful when your trade contractors prefer Spanish.