Navigating the design of your custom home can be exciting, challenging and overwhelming.  Who you choose as your design team and your architect is as critical as who you choose to build your home. Choosing the Town & Country Architecture + Engineering team means that our 'hands-on' assistance is there through every phase of design and construction - creating a worry free design process and a beautiful custom home building experience. 

We can help with designing and building your home. Check out these relevant topics:

 > DOWNLOAD/VIEW OUR NEW DIGITAL ARCHITECTURAL PORTFOLIO

> DOWNLOAD/VIEW OUR ARCHITECTURE+ENGINEERING BROCHURE

> REQUEST DESIGN ASSISTANCE OR INFORMATION

> CUSTOM HOME DESIGN PROCESS

> OUR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SERVICES

> MEET OUR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM

> LEARN ABOUT GREEN BUILDING 

> KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT DESIGN      

> ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN SERVICE RATES
 

Since 1947, Town & Country Cedar Homes has designed, produced and built custom log homes, timber style, cottage and arts & crafts style custom homes with unparalleled craftsmanship. We are proud to now offer an ala carte menu of complete architectural design and engineering services for the creation of your custom home. Regardless of the project size, style or choice of services selected,we strive to meet the functional and financial needs of each client and are committed to 100% client satisfaction.  There are several phases to the design process that are critical to a successful design. These include Pre-Design, Schematic Design, Design Development, and creation of Construction Documents.  More...

KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT DESIGN:

How long does it take to design a home? 

The design and engineering of your home could take anywhere from 2 to 6 months or more.  Certain projects move quickly through the design phases, others do not.  Some clients start with a design from our website and make small tweaks for an accelerated design schedule.  Occasionally we work with clients over the course of nearly a year to perfect their design.  We pride ourselves in our design, drafting and engineering capabilites.  We produce very detailed drawings and on average several hundreds of hours go into the design of your home.

How do you select an Architect?

Here are some basic tips:  A) The best building projects are achieved when the client and the architect/designers communicate well together; thus it is critically important to select an architect or designer with whom you have a good rapor and whom you can trust,  B) Ask for architectural references from owners of homes you admire - particularly in the style in which you may want to build,  C) Verify credentials of all references,  D) Interview your top choices, E) Discuss rates and get a contract in writing.

Do I really need a Structural Engineer?

As a licensed, Michigan Builder, Town & Country Cedar Homes prefers to build using the expertise of a Structural Engineer. Satisfied clients know that using a licensed Structural Engineer in the design of their custom home is an important step. Using a licensed builder in combination with a Structural Engineer  assures a lifetime of structural integrity in each area of their custom home, particularly when building log homes, timber homes or cottages with wide spans over open floor plans.

Here are just a few tasks associated with new home construction which require a Structural Engineer:

• Sizing of interior supports
• Concrete foundation specifications
• Roof specifications
• Sizing deck supports
• Stamped drawings for building department approval
• Determine load bearing walls
• Design appropriate structural repair(s)
• Inspect repairs during and after work
• Test structures to withstand natural forces, including earthquakes, water, wind, and snow

What are fair architectural design fees ?

Though there is no standard practice regarding how much architects, engineers & designers charge for designing a custom home or remodeling your home. However, typically, design fees for architectural services of a custom home range from 5 to 10 percent of the total construction cost. That amount varies based on the services provided, area of the country, etc. For Town & Country Cedar Homes, our design & engineering fees range from 3 to 5 percent of the total construction cost. However, your Sales Consultant provides valuable assistance at No Charge.  Estimates for design and engineering are always provided prior to beginning a project.

Please don't hesitate to compare our rates to other Architectural Design firms specializing in custom home design. We know you will quickly see how reasonable our rates really are.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SERVICE RATES:

Architect, Engineer & Design/Drafting Services - Please contact us to discuss rates relative to your project.

(Rates subject to change.)