Planning a remodel is rarely difficult because homeowners lack ideas. The harder part is turning those ideas into a defined project that can be designed, priced, and ultimately built.
That's why every Delano Designs project follows a phased process, starting with a free discovery call.
The phases build on each other, but they don't lock you into one large commitment up front. We break preconstruction into logical steps so you can define and approve your project before paying for the technical documentation needed to build it.
For Atlanta homeowners planning a kitchen, bathroom, exterior, addition, basement, or whole home remodel, the process can carry from that first conversation through design, permit drawings, procurement, contractor pricing, and construction support.
Here's how that progression works.
1. Start With a Discovery Call
Every project starts with a free conversation. We talk through your home, what you're hoping to change, your timeline, and your construction budget.
Whenever we can, we share our starting design fees before the call, so you already have a sense of the design investment. On the call, we confirm whether we're a good fit and narrow those starting fees into a more realistic expectation for your project.
2. Meet at Your Home for a Complimentary Consultation
For qualified projects, the next step is a complimentary in-home consultation. Because scope and pricing have already been discussed, Ryan arrives prepared, usually with a design proposal ready to review.
During the visit, we review the home, talk through what is and isn't working, and clarify anything that changes the scope. Depending on the project, that conversation may cover:
If you're ready to move forward, you can authorize design at that visit. Homeowners who authorize design before or during the first consultation, with applicable existing-condition documentation starting at that visit, receive a $500 credit toward their design agreement.
3. Develop the Design and Full Bill of Materials
Design is the first paid phase. This is where we resolve the decisions that can become expensive or disruptive if they are left until construction is underway.
Depending on the project, design development may address:
A remodel is not fully designed simply because the floor plan is complete. Tile, cabinetry, countertops, plumbing fixtures, lighting, flooring, paint, hardware, appliances, and other selections directly affect both the appearance and cost of the finished project.
That's why the design phase wraps with a full, itemized bill of materials: the specified products, quantities, supplier information, and material pricing for the agreed scope. It gives the homeowner, designer, and contractor a shared understanding of the intended finished result, and it helps reduce rushed decisions once demolition has already started.
4. Translate the Design Into Architectural and Permit Drawings
A contractor can only price what has been communicated clearly. Inspiration photos and verbal descriptions are useful for establishing direction, but they leave substantial room for interpretation.
Once the design direction is established, the architectural and permit drawings can be authorized as a separate phase. On larger projects, detailed design and drawings may overlap instead of running one after the other. Depending on the project, the set may include:
Some projects may also require documentation or review from licensed architects, structural engineers, MEP professionals, surveyors, or other consultants. Those requirements are evaluated based on the project and local jurisdiction.
5. Coordinate Procurement
When procurement is part of the engagement, Delano orders the approved materials, tracks lead times, and coordinates deliveries. That keeps what gets installed tied to what was selected, and it makes purchasing responsibilities clear from the start: what Delano supplies and what the contractor supplies.
6. Align Contractor Pricing Before Construction
If you already have a contractor, or one in mind, we work with them to align the proposal with the design documents, selections, responsibilities, and schedule. Competitive bidding isn't the automatic next step.
If you're comparing several builders, the challenge is different. Three proposals can appear to price the same remodel while carrying very different assumptions. One contractor may include premium materials. Another may carry basic allowances. Another may omit work that someone else included.
That's where bid leveling helps: reviewing each proposal against the same documented project to understand what it includes, excludes, assumes, or allows for. That may involve comparing:
The lowest number isn't automatically the best proposal, and an exclusion isn't automatically a flaw. Often it simply needs to be assigned and accounted for in the overall budget. Either way, the goal is to resolve questions before a construction agreement is signed.
7. Support the Design During Construction
The designer's role does not have to end when the drawings are issued.
Once construction begins, questions naturally arise. A contractor may discover an unexpected existing condition. A detail may need clarification. A specified material may become unavailable. Something in the field may require a design decision that was impossible to anticipate on paper.
For clients who retain Delano for construction-phase support, our involvement can include services such as:
The purpose is not to replace the contractor's responsibility for construction.
It is to help protect the design intent as the project moves from drawings into the built environment.
Does Every Remodel Need Every Phase?
No.
A hall bathroom remodel may require a very different level of documentation than a whole home renovation, structural addition, or major kitchen reconfiguration.
Some homeowners already have part of their project team in place, whether that's a builder, an architect, a building designer, or an interior designer. Delano can enter the project at the stage where support is needed rather than requiring you to start over.
Others need the design developed before they begin interviewing contractors. Some projects require extensive material selections and construction documentation, while others can move forward with a more focused scope.
That's one of the main reasons the discovery call and in-home consultation come first.
Rather than forcing every homeowner into the same design package, we first determine what this particular remodel actually needs to move forward successfully.
Why Plan Before You Build?
The goal of the process is not to eliminate every unknown. Remodeling an existing home will always involve conditions that cannot be fully understood until construction begins.
The goal is to resolve as many foreseeable decisions as practical before those decisions become expensive field changes.
A well-planned project gives the homeowner a clearer understanding of:
That clarity is what allows a remodel to progress from an idea into a project that can actually be priced and built.
Planning a Remodel in Atlanta?
If you are considering a kitchen, bathroom, exterior, basement, addition, or whole home remodel, the first step does not have to be choosing a contractor or committing to a complete design package.
Start by defining the project.
Schedule a free discovery call. We'll share our starting design fees ahead of time, and if your project's a fit, the next step is a complimentary in-home consultation.