Our Process
How We Guide You Through Your Remodeling Project
How We Plan a Remodel Worth Building
Most remodels don't go wrong during construction. They go wrong months earlier, when scope is still vague, drawings don't exist yet, and three contractors are pricing three different versions of the same project. By the time the discrepancies show up, they show up as change orders.
Delano Designs exists to solve that part. Ryan Delano leads every project personally, from the first conversation through the final walkthrough, and the work covers layout and design, construction documents, permitting coordination, finish selections, material procurement, contractor pricing support, and design support during the build. It's one relationship instead of six, and one person who knows every decision that's been made and why.
One thing worth being clear about up front: we're not your general contractor. You hire and pay your builder directly. Our job is to make sure you know exactly what you're asking them to build, then stay in your corner while they build it.
Here's how that works, step by step.
OUR PROCESS
The Fit Call
The Design Jumpstart
The Full-Service Proposal
Existing Conditions and Design Development
This is where design starts in earnest. We measure and document the house as it actually exists, which is often different from the plans on file, and then develop layouts and a design direction with you. We work through options, refine them based on your feedback, and start coordinating the selections that will shape the rest of the project. You'll see the design take shape while there's still time to change it easily.
Includes: existing-condition documentation, space planning and layout reconfiguration, design direction, early selections coordination, and 3D renderings when they'll help you decide.
Construction Documents
Design intent becomes a buildable, priceable document set. We prepare demolition and proposed plans, interior and exterior elevations, sections, reflected ceiling plans, lighting and electrical layouts, plumbing and MEP-intent layouts, millwork details, and door, window, finish, and fixture schedules. This is the deliverable that lets every contractor bid the same project. It's also the difference between a builder guessing and a builder knowing.
Includes: demolition plans, proposed plans, elevations, sections, reflected ceiling plans, lighting and electrical layouts, MEP-intent layouts, millwork and detail drawings, and full schedules.
Consultant and Permit Coordination
Larger projects pull in other professionals, and we manage those relationships so you don't have to. Depending on scope, that can mean a structural engineer, MEP consultant, surveyor, or arborist. We prepare the filing documents for your jurisdiction, submit them, and respond to plan-review comments until the permit is issued. Atlanta, Decatur, Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, Chamblee, Dunwoody, and unincorporated DeKalb all run their own review processes, and we've worked through them.
Contractor Pricing and Procurement
Now the documents go to work. We issue a clear, consistent scope for contractor pricing, then compare the bids side by side and tell you what the differences actually mean, because the cheapest number and the best value are rarely the same thing. We'll help you evaluate the builders themselves, negotiate on your behalf, and finalize finishes and fixtures. When procurement is part of your engagement, we order the approved materials and get them to the site so your contractor has what they need when they need it.
Includes: bid packages, bid leveling and comparison, contractor evaluation support, negotiation on your behalf, final finish and fixture selections, and material ordering and delivery coordination.
Construction Administration
We stay involved through the build. We answer RFIs, review field conditions, resolve the design questions that come up once walls are open, observe the work on site, and support inspections. Ryan tracks the schedule and keeps you updated on where things stand, so you always have one person to call with a question about your project. The engagement wraps with punch-list review and design closeout.
Includes: RFI responses, field-condition review, design clarifications, site observations, inspection support, schedule tracking, and punch-list and closeout review.
Hear From Your Neighbors
Nini L.
Brett A.
Henry
Ty H.
Taha A.
Ready to Experience a Remodeling Experience Like No Other?
Let's Start the Conversation
Every project that runs through these eight steps begins the same way, with a straightforward talk about the house, the timeline, and the investment you have in mind. If this is the kind of process your remodel needs, get in touch and let's schedule your fit call.