"Very honest engineer. He performed a mandatory seismic inspection that was required for the city of Hayward. There was no foundation issue whatsoever. Before Mr Padir did the inspection I had a retrofit company look at my building and they told me it would cost $58k to fix the problem and I almost fell for it. It turns out that one joist was rotten from a sewer leak that was repaired. It is hard to find honest people these days. I am so glad it is only a cosmetic fix and a sister joist installed next to it to relieve the pressure on the building. Thank you once again Mr. Padir. Excellent job and quick turnaround."
"Working with Francisco and his team was amazing! From start to finish, they made the whole process of remodeling my house so easy and stress-free. Francisco really listened to what I wanted and came up with creative ideas. He was very responsive and always kept me in the loop. The final result is even better than I imagined. My house looks incredible and I’ve gotten so many compliments from friends and family."
"We hire Geico Builders for our kitchen remodeling project, and I'm happy to share my experience: working with Zaya and Geico Builders team was a great decision. They were professional, friendly, and easy to work with. Form the start, the process was smooth and efficient. The craftmanship of my remodel kitchen and attention to detail were exceptional, and the end result far exceeded my expectations. From the design phase top completion, their communication was excellent, and I felt completely at ease with them working in my home. The design solutions completely transformed my kitchen, making it both functional and beautiful. I highly recommend Geico Builders for anyone looking for a stress-free and satisfying remodeling experience."
"Outstanding, custom service! Bill Fisher is quite simply the best architect in Santa Cruz...not only for my house, but he designed the large residential building on North Pacific and River. Fast, expert, and affordable... Bill will help you navigate the code maze in Santa Cruz and get your plans approved and built. Definitely will use/recommend him again and again."
"Excellent Architect We hired SSA, Inc. for the exterior and interior remodel of our Autobody shop building. It is a challenging project since the building was never upgraded to be current code compliant. There are existing items to be legalized as well. Sharmila, Owner/Principal Architect is very knowledgable, experienced and familiar with city process, current building and fire codes. She is very personable, creative and suggested solutions and design that are both effecient for our setup as well as acceptable by the City. She and her competent, effecient team of engineers delivered design plans, renderings, drawing sets in a fast paced timeline so we do not have lags in our operations. SSA, Inc and team have expereince working with the building departments in all cities in the bay area. They communicate promptly and effectively with plan checkers and building officials. She is a fantastic architect who always works for the best outcome for her client. We are very thankful to have hired her and highly recommend her companys services for your remodel, addition or new construction project."
"Rich knows his business. He's thorough, very reasonable in pricing, and follows up until the job is complete. He's easy to work with, and responds instantly to questions. If you need building plans for permits or design, Rich will get it done."
"I would like to giver V & M an A+++! Veronica and Oscar are fantastic to work with. They went over the plans with us and were very flexible with any changes we wanted to make. The final outcome is just beautiful. They made this whole project so easy. You will be so happy with them. They are very talented and knowledgeable with plants and materials. They also repurposed materials like river rocks from the parking strip to make a beautiful dry riverbed in the old lawn area. New stone facia was placed over the old, tired looking brick. They planted a beautiful variety of plants and 2 trees. The parking strip also came out great! I can't say enough good things about Veronica and Oscar. I am now looking around to see what other projects we can tackle together!!"
"Persisted through permitting delays and got everything done to our satisfaction. The kitchen looks and works great. Iâ ll definitely keep them in mind for future work. Thanks Daniel, Nick, Byron and everyone else we worked with!"
"Working with David was seamless. He did what he said he was going to do, was on time with his work and the work was exceptional. He needed to work with an engineer to get certain specialized part of my garage to pass with the city but i got approved from the City of Sacramento for my garage rebuild on the first try ! ! I will be working with David in the future and highly recommend him."
The cost to draw house plans typically ranges from $800 to $2,700, with standard blueprints averaging around $1,800. For a custom home, the cost is higher, with blueprints often falling between $5,000 and $20,000, and potentially more for very complex designs. Several factors influence the total price, including the project's size, the number of rooms, the type of drawings required, and the architect's experience level. You may also need to pay a structural engineer to ensure building safety, particularly for custom homes.
Building a house without blueprints is not advised. It will prevent you from obtaining necessary building permits and meeting building codes and is likely to result in shoddy construction and unsafe living conditions. Detailed blueprints ensure that a house is built to exact specifications and is constructed safely and structurally stable.
New constructions, renovations, and interior layouts benefit from expert drafting.
Open floor plans can come with drawbacks—mainly the lack of privacy and noise dampening. Walls act as an important barrier for traveling sounds, meaning in an open floor plan you could hear your dishwasher running while sitting in your living room. Storage limitations and separation of activities (for example, keeping the kid’s playroom away from the dining room) are other reasons some homeowners are opting out of an open floor plan.
While classic Palm Springs architecture in the Palm Springs area will naturally cost more due to the high cost of living, prices across the rest of the country will vary. Remember that older homes, including those built before 1970, will cost more to renovate due to updated building codes—something to keep in mind when considering the upfront cost of the house.
The San Jose, CA homeowners’ guide to architectural services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Wondering how much hiring an architect cost? Discover architect prices, cost factors, and money-saving tips to help you plan your home project with confidence.
Floor plans can help you visualize a space and are useful in home construction and design. Learn how much a floor plan costs and what affects the price.