Permit-ready architectural drawings, in every U.S. state.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

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

  We're an architectural drafting and permitting studio — not a licensed architecture or engineering firm. For any work that legally needs a stamp, we partner with licensed architects and engineers in your state and route the drawings through them. That keeps your cost down for the drafting itself while making sure the final submittal carries every seal the city requires; the stamp is always itemized separately on your quote, with no markup.

• 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 — and building from a drafting studio’s plans is completely legal for the work we do. Before you commit, your written code-strategy memo tells you exactly what your specific project needs, and where a stamp is required we route those sheets through a licensed professional in your state.

• 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. We commit your delivery date in writing on the quote, with late-delivery credits built into the contract. 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 through partners 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. Every project starts with a written code-strategy memo — delivered within 72 hours of the kickoff call — that flags the gating issues (change-of-occupancy, ADA triggers, setbacks, utilities, parking) so you get a go/no-go before committing to a full set. Genuinely open-ended feasibility or code research is billed at $145/hr and kept small; 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. City plan-check corrections to our drawings are bundled at no extra charge, and a third correction cycle is on us, so normal reviewer redlines never become a surprise bill.

• Do you work in Spanish or Chinese?+

  Yes — English, Spanish, and Mandarin, with drafters in all three on staff. Project communication, intake, contracts, and the client portal are trilingual at no extra charge. A fully translated drawing set (sheet notes and specs) is an optional paid add-on — useful when your trade contractors prefer Spanish.