Engage an architect or designer with whole-house remodel experience

Architect vs. residential designer

For most Seattle whole-house remodels you have a real choice:

• Licensed architect. Required for projects above certain occupancy thresholds; rarely required for single-family work, but many architects work in this segment. Higher fee, broader scope, fuller construction administration.
• Residential designer. Not licensed as architects but typically L&I-registered and experienced. Most Seattle whole-house remodels under $700K use this path. Lower fee, narrower scope. Best ones have produced dozens of permitted remodels and know SDCI reviewers by name.

For projects in the $350K–$650K band, a residential designer is usually the right fit. For projects pushing into band 4 ($700K+), an architect's broader scope earns its fee back through better coordination.

What you're hiring

A designer's scope on a whole-house remodel typically covers:

1. Schematic design — preliminary plans, elevations, kitchen layout study.
2. Design development — refined plans, sections, exterior materials, basic specifications.
3. Construction documents — the full permit-set drawings.
4. SDCI submittal — application, response to corrections.
5. Construction administration (optional) — periodic site visits, response to GC questions, change-order review.

Construction administration is worth it on a project this size; cutting it to save 10% on design fees is a false economy when the GC has a question every other week.

Fee structures

Three common structures:

• Percentage of construction cost — 8–12% for design only, 10–14% with construction administration.
• Fixed fee — a single number tied to a defined scope. Good if the scope is well-bounded.
• Hourly with cap — for early phases when scope is uncertain.

For a band-3 project, fixed fee with a clearly-defined scope works best.

How to find a good one

1. Use the SDCI permit history tool to find addition + alteration permits in your neighborhood; the designer of record is on each permit.
2. Ask the GCs from the feasibility walk-through who they like to work with.
3. Look at finished work in person, not just online.

Three meetings, three proposals, one hire. Pick the designer who asked the best questions about your house and your budget — not the one with the most polished portfolio.