Choose: pre-approved plan vs. custom designer

This is the first design decision and it shapes everything downstream — schedule, cost, and how much customization is on the table. Pre-approved plans are faster and cheaper; custom design buys flexibility. Most Portland owners pick by lot shape: standard rectangle, no surprises → pre-approved; trees, slope, or anything unusual → custom.

The two paths

Pre-approved plan sets. A handful of Portland-active firms offer plan sets that have already cleared structural and energy-code review for a typical Portland lot. You buy the set, customize finishes and minor layout, and submit. Plan review is faster because the structural and energy packages are pre-vetted.

• Cost: $3,000-$8,000 for the plan set + $4,000-$8,000 in customization
• Time to permit-ready: 4-8 weeks
• Trade-off: limited footprint and configuration; you fit the lot to the plan, not the other way around

Custom design. A designer or architect draws from scratch for your specific lot.

• Cost: $12,000-$28,000 in design fees (more if architect stamping is required)
• Time to permit-ready: 12-20 weeks
• Trade-off: longer and more expensive, but you can handle unusual lots, trees, or specific owner preferences

When Portland requires a licensed architect

Most single-story DADUs ≤800 sq ft in standard zones can be designed by a non-architect drafter or designer. An Oregon-licensed architect is required when the project crosses the threshold in ORS 671.030 — roughly: more than two stories, non-standard structural systems, or certain occupancies. A structural engineer's stamp on the framing plan is almost always required either way.

How to pick

• Tight standard rectangular lot, no trees in the way, conventional layout? Pre-approved.
• Trees, slope, odd shape, specific owner needs? Custom.
• Time-constrained (e.g., aging-in-place)? Pre-approved.

Where to find a designer or architect (custom path)

Three reliable channels, in order of how the founder would actually shop:

1. Recent permit history. Portland Maps Permits & Inspections — filter recent DADU permits in your neighborhood. Designers of record who appear repeatedly are local specialists who already know what PP&D expects. Single best discovery channel.
2. Pre-approved plan vendors. Even if you're going custom, the firms that publish pre-approved plans typically also offer custom design and have deep familiarity with PP&D's review pattern.
3. AIA Portland. AIA's Portland chapter maintains a residential referral list — useful when you specifically want a licensed architect.

What to look for: recent PP&D DADU submittals you can verify on Portland Maps; finished projects you can visit; clear scope and fee structure.

Initial payment ("deposit")

Most architects and residential designers ask for an initial payment of 5–15% of their fee before producing drawings. Per AIA standard practice for architect compensation, this is a non-refundable initial payment held on account against the final invoices, not a refundable retainer — if you cancel mid-project, it's gone. Pre-approved plan vendors typically take the same shape: a deposit at order time. Trades that order custom materials (cabinets, windows, specialty doors) also require deposits at order time — often 30–50%, because those items aren't returnable.