Construction document floor plan by Daniel Allen Designs

Our Methodology

The Builder's Eye

A proprietary design review process born from over 20 years of hands-on custom home construction experience. Every design is evaluated through the lens of someone who has actually built what they draw.

Why Most Custom Homes Go Over Budget

The answer is rarely poor craftsmanship or dishonest builders. In the majority of cases, cost overruns trace back to a single source: incomplete or ambiguous design documents.

When a builder receives drawings with unclear details, uncoordinated systems, or specifications that do not account for real-world conditions, the consequences are predictable. Bids come in padded with contingencies. Change orders accumulate. Timelines stretch. Trust erodes between homeowner and builder.

The Builder's Eye was developed to prevent this. It is not a marketing phrase — it is a systematic review process applied to every design that leaves our studio. Each project is evaluated across seven critical dimensions before construction documents are finalized.

Seven Dimensions

The Seven Dimensions of Review

Every design is evaluated across these seven dimensions. If a design does not pass each review, it does not leave our studio.

Structural Feasibility

Can this design be framed, supported, and constructed with standard methods? Are there hidden structural requirements — long spans, cantilevers, unusual load paths — that will add cost or require specialized engineering? We identify these before they become expensive surprises in the field.

Material Availability

Are specified materials commercially available in the required sizes, finishes, and quantities? What are the lead times? Are there cost-effective alternatives that achieve the same design intent? We specify materials that exist in the real world, not just in product catalogs.

Mechanical Coordination

Do HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems have adequate space — chases, soffits, ceiling cavities — to be installed without compromising the design? We coordinate mechanical systems during design, not after the drywall is up.

Constructability

Can the design be built in a logical sequence? Are there elements requiring unusual construction methods, specialized labor, or precise timing that could cause delays? We design with the builder's workflow in mind.

Cost Transparency

Does the design give builders enough information to price accurately? Are there ambiguities that will lead to allowance padding, contingency inflation, or bid variability? We create documents that reduce pricing uncertainty.

Code Compliance

Does the design comply with applicable building codes, zoning regulations, setback requirements, and HOA guidelines? Have we anticipated plan reviewer questions and objections? We address code issues during design, not during permitting.

Detail Resolution

Are critical junctions, transitions, and intersections detailed clearly enough for a builder to execute without interpretation? Are waterproofing, flashing, and weather barrier details resolved? We draw what matters at the scale it matters.

Every line serves a purpose. Every space tells a story.

— Daniel Allen Sievers

The Result: Documents Builders Trust

Builders consistently report that our construction documents are more complete and easier to price than typical residential design drawings. This is not a coincidence — it is the direct result of The Builder's Eye methodology.

When builders can trust the documents, bids are tighter. When bids are tighter, budgets hold. When budgets hold, the relationship between homeowner and builder stays positive from groundbreaking through final walkthrough.

This is the quiet, unseen value of build-aware design. It does not announce itself. It simply prevents the problems that would have appeared months later, at ten times the cost to fix.

The most expensive line item on any custom home is the one that was not in the original documents.