Description of Services
Our Services
Custom Homes & Renovations
Darkhorse Design & Development Inc. provides residential design and drafting services for custom homes, cottages, additions, renovations, and small-scale residential development projects.
As a BCIN-qualified design firm, we can assist with the preparation of design drawings, construction documents, and permit-ready drawing packages for residential building permit and approval applications. Our services can also extend into the construction phase through contract administration, site reviews, coordination, and project documentation.
Every project is different, and our process can be tailored to suit your needs. Whether you require early concept design, 3D visualization, existing condition drawings, permit drawings, construction detailing, or support during construction, we can provide the level of service required to help move your project forward with clarity and confidence.
Design Phase
Goals & Vision
The design phase begins with an initial meeting to understand your project goals, lifestyle, priorities, and overall vision. This is where we gather as much information as possible, including desired square footage, number of rooms, building size, number of storeys, budget, schedule, and any inspiration images from sources such as Houzz, Pinterest, magazines, or previous projects.
If you have already purchased a property or are working with an existing site, we will also review available site information, including the address, survey, zoning requirements, and any known constraints that may influence the design. This early review helps identify potential opportunities, limitations, or approval considerations before the design work moves too far forward.
From there, we develop a project program that organizes your needs, goals, and priorities into a clear design direction. Once the program and site information have been reviewed, we begin developing preliminary floor plan options. During this stage, you may receive multiple design variations as we explore layout, flow, function, and overall planning.
Once the floor plans are generally established, we begin developing the exterior elevations, including overall massing, architectural style, rooflines, window placement, and material direction. Your feedback is an important part of this process, and the design is refined through collaboration until the plans, elevations, and site layout begin to come together as a complete concept.
At the end of this phase, the floor plans, elevations, and preliminary site plan are formalized into a presentation package for your review. This package can also be used for early pricing discussions with one or more contractors, helping establish a preliminary budget and clarify the scope of work before moving into the next stage of the project.
At this point, it is also a good time to complete a quick budget check to ensure the project is still aligned with your overall budget. We can provide a basic detailed design package that includes information such as square footage, exterior materials and textures, construction assemblies, and key dimensions. With this information, we can invite two or three builders to provide a high-level cost estimate, helping confirm that the design remains on track and within budget before proceeding further.
Working Drawings & Permit Documents
Details & Dimensions
Once the design has been established, the project moves into the working drawings and construction documents phase. This is where the approved design is developed into a more detailed drawing package with the technical information, notes, dimensions, and details required for permit submission and construction.
During this stage, we prepare the drawings needed to communicate how the project is to be built. This may include floor plans, elevations, building sections, construction details, schedules, notes, and coordination with applicable code and zoning requirements.
Where required, we can also coordinate with project consultants such as structural engineers, civil engineers, landscape designers, or other specialists. Additional information may also be required for the building permit application, including engineered roof and floor layouts, mechanical heat loss calculations, grading information, or other supporting documentation.
Some consultant work, engineered layouts, and required calculations may involve additional fees, depending on the scope of the project and permit requirements. Our goal during this phase is to provide a clear, coordinated, and permit-ready drawing package that helps support a smoother approval and construction process.
Construction Support & Contract Administration
Communication & Reviews
Once the building permit has been submitted, there is typically a review period while the city, township, or municipality reviews the application and provides comments. During this time, you may choose to meet with potential builders or construction managers, review pricing, and refine the construction budget before selecting the right team for your project.
Once a builder has been selected, the building permit has been approved, and construction is ready to begin, we can provide contract administration services to help support the project through the construction phase.
Contract administration helps maintain communication between the client, contractor, consultants, and other parties involved in the project. Depending on the scope of service required, this may include regular site meetings, site reviews, construction progress reports, review of shop drawings, coordination of consultant information, responses to contractor questions, and clarification of the drawings when additional direction is required.
Once construction is underway, typically around the foundation and framing stages, we can coordinate weekly or bi-weekly site meetings to review progress, discuss upcoming work, identify potential issues, and help keep the project moving forward. These meetings provide an opportunity to document decisions, confirm design intent, and address questions before they become larger construction concerns.
As part of the construction process, we can also review on-site mock-ups of material assemblies to help ensure that building envelope performance and detailing meet the intended design and durability requirements. This includes evaluating how materials come together at critical junctions to maintain weather resistance, air and moisture control, and overall envelope integrity. Interior mock-ups can also be reviewed to confirm finish quality, alignment, and detailing of millwork, trim, and other visible elements before full installation proceeds.
We can also assist with design-related decisions that arise during construction, including exterior material selections, finish materials, millwork and trim design, lighting layouts, fixture selections, and other details that contribute to the overall character and quality of the finished home.
At the conclusion of the project, we can complete a final review of the work and provide a deficiency report outlining any remaining items to be addressed. This helps ensure the project is reviewed with care and that outstanding work is clearly documented before final completion.