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 nobody's agreed on what the price actually covers. By the time the gaps 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 and your builder agree on exactly what's being built, then stay involved while they build it.
Every project follows the same phased sequence, though not every client uses every phase. Some homeowners bring us in at the first conversation. Others come to us with part of the team already in place.
Already Have Part of Your Project Team?
Delano Designs can enter the project at the stage where you need support, whether that's design, permit documentation, detailed material specification and a bill of materials, procurement, contractor pricing coordination, or construction administration. We regularly collaborate with builders, architects, building designers, and interior designers, so you won't have to start the process over.
Here's how that works, step by step.
OUR PROCESS
Discovery Call
Complimentary In-Home Consultation
Design & Full Bill of Materials
Design is the first paid phase, and it comes before the technical drawings. We break preconstruction into logical phases so you can define and approve your project before paying for the documentation needed to build it.
We measure and document the house as it actually exists, then develop layouts and a design direction with you. You'll see 3D visualization where it helps you decide, review physical samples where they apply, and work through finish and fixture selections. The phase wraps with a full, itemized bill of materials: every specified product, quantity, supplier, and current material price for the agreed scope.
Includes: existing-condition documentation as needed, space planning and layouts, 3D visualization, mood boards and samples as applicable, finish and fixture selections, and a full itemized bill of materials.
Architectural & Permit Drawings
Once the design direction is established, you can authorize the architectural and permit documentation your project requires. These drawings are scoped and billed separately, and on larger projects they often overlap with detailed design instead of waiting for it to finish.
The set turns design intent into something a contractor can price and a city can approve: demolition and proposed plans, elevations, sections, reflected ceiling plans, lighting and electrical layouts, MEP-intent layouts, millwork details, and schedules. When your project needs a structural engineer, surveyor, MEP consultant, or arborist, we coordinate them and fold their work into the set. Then we prepare the filing documents, 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.
Includes: demolition and proposed plans, elevations, sections, reflected ceiling plans, lighting and electrical layouts, MEP-intent layouts, millwork details, schedules, consultant coordination, and permit filing. Engineering, surveys, professional seals, and municipal fees are separate where required.
Procurement
The bill of materials doesn't stop at a spreadsheet. When procurement is part of your engagement, we order the approved products, track lead times, and coordinate deliveries so materials arrive when your contractor needs them. What gets installed is what you selected, and long-lead items don't hold up the schedule.
Includes: ordering approved materials and fixtures, lead-time tracking, delivery coordination, and a clear record of what Delano supplies versus what your contractor supplies.
Contractor Pricing & Preconstruction Coordination
Now the documents go to work. Before anyone signs, we help line up the design, the construction proposal, and your expectations so everyone's agreeing to the same project.
If you already have a builder, or have one in mind, we work alongside them to clarify inclusions, exclusions, allowances, and pricing assumptions against the plans and selections. We sort out who's purchasing and installing what, including what we supply and what your contractor supplies. We confirm schedule assumptions, material lead times, and the decisions you'll need to make along the way. Anything still unresolved gets settled before the contract's signed, not after the walls are open.
If you're evaluating several builders, we also provide bid leveling and contractor-selection support. We compare each proposal against the same documented project for completeness, assumptions, qualifications, schedule, and overall value. The lowest number isn't the goal. A well-informed decision is.
We agree on the pricing approach with you at the start.
Includes: proposal and scope review, inclusions and exclusions alignment, purchasing and installation responsibilities, schedule and lead-time coordination, bid leveling when you're comparing builders, and contractor-selection support.
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 phases starts the same way, with a free discovery call about the house, the timeline, and the investment you have in mind. We'll send our starting design fees ahead of time whenever we can, so you'll know what to expect before we talk. Get in touch and let's get your call on the calendar.