Schematic design through design development

What this phase produces

By the end of design development:

• Floor plans for each level, rooms labeled and dimensioned.
• Exterior elevations — all four sides, with window and door locations and exterior materials.
• Building sections showing floor-to-floor heights, the addition's roof tie-in.
• A kitchen study — preliminary cabinet layout, island position, appliance placement.
• A specifications outline for exterior materials and major interior finishes.

Renton pre-application meeting

Renton CED offers a Pre-Application Meeting that evaluates project feasibility, zoning, permit timelines, and fees before a formal application. It's recommended for whole-house remodels and may be required if your lot is in an Environmentally Critical Area (including Coal Mine Hazard Areas). Worth doing during schematic design — the free inquiry surfaces conditions before design fees commit.

How the iteration works

Most owners go through 2–4 schematic rounds. What to focus on:

• The kitchen layout. This is where most of the iteration happens. Get it right in schematic.
• Wall removals. The designer flags candidates; the structural engineer in the next step confirms which are feasible.
• Addition roof tie-in. A clean tie-in costs less and looks better — ask to see a section through it early.

What to push back on

• Scope creep. Each "while we're at it" gets its own decision against the scope memo.
• Finish levels above the band. Specs written for a high-end finish produce bids that exceed band-3 budgets.