Signed, Sketched, and Set: Pricing Your Build Before It Begins
Why would you pay for design before a single wall goes up? What do you actually get for that money?
And how do you dodge the budget shock that hits so many projects halfway through?
In this post, you’ll learn what a pre-construction services agreement covers, which projects need one, what it costs, and how the phase runs from your first sketch to a signed price.
By the end, you’ll know whether starting with one is the right first move for your project here in Purcellville and across Loudoun County.
What a Pre-Construction Services Agreement Is
A pre-construction services agreement is a paid design contract you sign before construction starts, in which we produce the drawings, specifications, material list, and a fixed-price contract you need to build with confidence.
At Foley Construction, we call ours a Professional Services Agreement.
We put it in place after the on-site consultation, on larger projects, so you know exactly what you are building and what it costs before any framing begins.
What Your Agreement Pays For
This agreement turns your idea into a buildable plan.
Everything we create in this phase becomes the road map your trades follow during construction.
Here is what your design package includes:
- Full architectural drawings, including floor plans, elevations, cut sections, and the typical details we build from.
- 2D renderings so you can see the layout before it exists, whether you are chasing the latest luxury home design trends or a simpler look, with one revision round included.
- Written specifications that spell out the materials and finishes, right down to choices like energy-efficiency upgrades that lower your monthly bills.
- A detailed material takeoff we use to price lumber, fixtures, cabinets, and everything else.
- A fixed-price, turnkey construction contract with a clear estimate.
We draw everything in-house using SoftPlan, and a full set usually runs 12 to 20 or more sheets, depending on how complex your project is.
Which Projects Need a Paid Design Agreement
Not every project needs a paid design agreement.
We use one for larger, complex builds, like the costs for a new custom home, where accurate drawings drive the price.
For simpler, price-driven rooms, our cabinet designer handles the layout at no separate design charge.
| Project type | Paid design agreement? |
|---|---|
| New custom homes | Yes |
| Additions and ADUs | Yes |
| Detached garages and carriage homes | Yes |
| Major gut renovations and barns | Yes |
| Kitchens, bathrooms, basements | Usually not |
When a build calls for soils, civil, or structural engineers, like a multigenerational project built around detached in-law suite plans, we bring them onto the plan too.
What the Agreement Costs
We do not charge a flat percentage for design.
We base the fee on the hours and the number of drawing sheets your build requires, which we determine during the on-site consultation.
Our design rate is $225 per hour, so a straightforward set that takes around 30 hours runs about $6,750.
On larger custom builds, the design retainer often starts around $20,000 and climbs with complexity.
Soils, civil, and structural engineers are billed on top of that, usually $5,000 to $12,000 each.
How the Pre-Construction Phase Works, Step by Step
This phase moves quickly once you commit.
Homeowners we meet with in Ashburn often ask how fast it goes, and the answer is faster than most expect.
After your $350 on-site consultation, we scope the drawings, and you sign the agreement, then the work runs in a clear order:
- We draft your first sketches, usually within about a week of signing.
- We build the full set, 12 to 20 or more sheets, depending on the scope.
- We pull a detailed material takeoff straight from those drawings.
- We send that scope to our subcontractors and suppliers for real pricing.
- We hand you a buildable plan and a fixed-price turnkey contract.
Why It Beats a Free Estimate
A free estimate is a guess with a price attached.
A paid plan gives you real pricing, drawn from actual takeoffs and actual subcontractor quotes, before you ever commit to the build.
Because the price is turnkey, the number you sign is the number you pay, and any changes you request later are billed at the same rate we set up front.
Most of our clients stay within 2 to 3 percent of their original price, even after a couple of dozen changes.
That up-front work also tells both of us we are a good fit, and it is one more reason to verify a contractor’s license before you commit to anyone.
In nine years, only two clients have paid for design and then chosen not to build, because by the time the plan is done, you have a home worth building.
For homeowners we work with in Leesburg and across Northern Virginia, that kind of certainty is the entire point.
Know the Number Before the Nails with Foley Construction
We turn your project into a complete set of drawings, written specifications, and a fixed-price turnkey contract before a single board gets cut. That paid design phase is how we hand you real numbers, not a ballpark you cannot lean on.
When you are ready to trade guesswork for a buildable plan, fill out our contact form today or give us a call to book your on-site consultation. We will scope your drawings, set your agreement, and have your first sketches back to you within about a week.
