Home/Custom design

Build to your own plans,
or have us draw them

Plenty of the houses we price are not one of our standard designs. Some people arrive with an architect's drawings and planning permission already in hand; others have a plot, a budget and a list of rooms. Both routes end with the same timber frame, put up by the same crew.

House plans, a scale rule and timber samples on a design table

TWO ROUTES

A

You have plans

Drawings from your own architect or designer, with or without planning permission.

You send
Plans, elevations and sections as PDF or DWG, and the planning decision if there is one
We do
Our structural engineer turns the design into a timber frame and flags anything that costs more than it needs to
Time
3 to 5 weeks to a fixed quote
Fee
From £1,400, credited against the build

B

You want our designer

A new layout drawn around your plot, your budget and the way you live.

You send
The plot postcode, a rough budget and a list of must haves. Photos of the plot help
We do
A briefing meeting, two sketch layouts, then plans, elevations and a 3D model once you choose a direction
Time
6 to 10 weeks to planning drawings
Fee
From £3,200, credited against the build

DESIGN STEPS

  1. STEP 01

    Brief

    An hour at our office or on the plot: the rooms you need, the budget, and what you dislike about the house you live in now.

  2. STEP 02

    Sketch layouts

    Two different floor plans drawn to scale, each with a first cost range, so you can compare before paying for detail.

  3. STEP 03

    Plans and 3D model

    The chosen layout becomes full plans, elevations and a 3D model you can walk round on screen.

  4. STEP 04

    Planning drawings

    Location plan, site plan and the drawings the council needs, submitted and followed through by us.

  5. STEP 05

    Building Regulations

    Construction drawings, structural calculations and the SAP energy assessment, ready for Building Control and the frame factory.

FEES

Design fees are agreed before any work starts. You pay £1,500 when design begins and the balance when the drawings are delivered. If you then build with us, the fees are taken off the contract price.

  • Adapting one of our standard designsMoving walls, windows or the roof pitchfrom £950
  • Converting your drawings to timber frameStructural design and a fixed build quotefrom £1,400
  • New design by our designerBrief to planning drawings and 3D modelfrom £3,200
  • Planning applicationSubmission and follow up, plus the council feefrom £1,100
  • Building Regulations packageConstruction drawings, calculations and SAPfrom £1,650

All fees include VAT. Council planning and Building Control fees are paid to the council and are not included.

Useful to have ready

  1. The plot postcode and a copy of the title plan
  2. Photos of the plot taken from each corner
  3. Any planning history for the site
  4. A realistic budget, including the land if you are still buying
  5. The rooms you need, and the ones you would like
  6. Pictures of houses you like, and ones you do not

Worth knowing about timber frame

  • Works wellOpen plan rooms, vaulted ceilings, rooms in the roof, high insulation levels and short build times.
  • Costs moreVery wide glazed openings that need steel beams, cantilevers and long flat roof spans.
  • We do not buildBasements, or houses of more than three storeys.

Have plans, or just an idea?

Send us what you have. We will tell you which route fits, what the design would cost and how long it would take.

REQUEST A QUOTE