Is My Project Feasible? A South Bay Homeowner's Guide to Property Evaluation, Budgets, and Hiring the Right Architect
About this guide
We start almost every first conversation with a homeowner the same way: what do you want to build, and what city is the property in? The second question matters more than most homeowners expect. A second story addition that takes six weeks to permit in San Jose takes sixteen weeks in Saratoga, costs $14,000 more in planning fees, and requires design decisions that have to be made before a single room is drawn. Knowing that before design begins changes the entire conversation, and often changes the project.
This guide covers how we evaluate whether a project is feasible and under what conditions, what to look for when evaluating a property before you purchase it, and how to identify the architect who will actually be able to navigate these cities with you.
City-specific permitting processes live on each city's dedicated residential architect page. We link to those throughout. This guide covers what we do with that information: how feasibility analysis differs by city, what it reveals before design begins, and how the hiring decision shapes everything that follows.
If you are looking to hire a residential architect in Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, or the surrounding Peninsula cities, this guide covers what the hiring decision actually involves in these specific permitting environments, not just how to evaluate an architect in general, but what local permit process experience means and why it changes the project outcome in these cities specifically.
PRA works primarily in Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, and the surrounding South Bay and Peninsula cities, the markets where the permitting complexity described throughout this guide is most acute and where local process experience has the most measurable impact on project outcomes.
Written for homeowners evaluating a project or a property purchase who need accurate, architect-level information before committing to a design or a designer. Tell Us About Your Project
How to Use This Guide
If you're asking whether your project is possible at all - start with Part I. If you have specific questions about cost, permits, or process - go to Part II. If you're evaluating which architect to hire - go to Part III.
This guide reflects how we approach early-stage projects at Prestin Ravid Architects with understanding constraints first, design second. If you'd prefer to see how we work before reading further, see how we work.
Part I: Property Feasibility
A homeowner contacts us about a property they are considering purchasing in Los Gatos. They want to expand it significantly. The existing house is 2,400 sqft and they need 4,200 sqft for their program. The lot is 18,000 sqft. On a standard zoning map, the math appears to work. The FAR limit for the Los Gatos R-1D district is 0.35, which would theoretically allow up to 6,300 sqft. They assume the project is straightforward.
The feasibility analysis tells a different story. The lot is in a mapped geotechnical hazard area requiring clearance before Design Review approval. A seasonal creek along the rear property line triggers a 50-foot riparian setback that removes approximately 4,000 sqft from the usable area. Three protected oaks on the neighboring property extend canopy driplines across 30% of the remaining buildable zone. The effective buildable area, after setbacks, creek setback, and tree canopy constraints, supports approximately 3,100 sqft of new construction on the existing footprint. The program the homeowner planned for and the program the property can support are not the same program. We establish that before the purchase closes.
What a Feasibility Study Actually Answers
A feasibility study is not a design proposal. It does not include floor plans, elevations, or spatial concepts. It is a structured evaluation of whether a project is worth designing, and under what conditions it can realistically proceed. The outcome is a written feasibility summary that outlines key findings, constraints, and preliminary architectural direction based on zoning, site conditions, and permitting context.
The five questions we answer in a feasibility study:
This is not a verbal opinion or informal consultation. A verbal feasibility opinion is a contractor's yes. A feasibility study is an architect's structured evaluation, used to inform real estate decisions, budgeting, and project direction. The difference between the two is the difference between assumption and architectural findings based on city-specific research relevant to your specific property.
Why the City Changes Everything
The same 800 sqft second story addition encounters fundamentally different regulatory and cost environments depending on the city it is proposed in. What matters architecturally is understanding which constraints apply before any design investment is made, because the constraints that shape a Saratoga project are not the same as the constraints that shape a Cupertino project, and designing without knowing which ones apply produces work that may need to be completely redone.
The construction cost premium between Saratoga and San Jose on equivalent scopes is approximately $80,000 to $100,000 on an 800 sqft addition, plus $5,000 to $20,000 in Design Review fees, plus carrying costs on 8 to 16 additional weeks of permitting.
The city determines what the feasibility analysis looks like. Understanding where your property sits on that spectrum is the work that belongs before design begins.
Pre-Purchase Property Evaluation: Before the Offer
A pre-purchase evaluation is our assessment of what a property can become, conducted before the purchase is made, not after. It is the most underutilized service in the South Bay and Peninsula residential market, and the one with the most asymmetric return on investment.
A $5M purchase in Saratoga based on the assumption that a 2,000 sqft addition is feasible, when the property's ridgeline location, heritage oak canopy, and existing FAR usage make that addition impossible or uneconomical, is a $5M decision made without complete information. We provide that information before the offer closes.
The most consequential financial variable in a South Bay property purchase with renovation intent is what the project does to the regulatory envelope. Not the purchase price. The envelope.
What the evaluation covers:
A pre-purchase evaluation with PRA covers a site visit, zoning and FAR analysis, regulatory envelope check, tree constraint identification, preliminary cost estimate, and written assessment, typically delivered within 5 to 7 business days of the site visit. It prevents $50,000 to $200,000 or more in mistakes on property purchases of $3M to $15M in Los Gatos, Saratoga, Palo Alto, Atherton, Woodside, Menlo Park, and Portola Valley. In the Peninsula estate market, where buyers sometimes make offers without contingencies, an architectural evaluation before offer submission costs a fraction of what the constraint it identifies would cost to work around after closing.
Feasibility Red Flags We See Most Often
The conditions that most consistently reshape or stop a project are not random. They cluster predictably by city, terrain type, and construction era. On a hillside Saratoga lot, we test the geotechnical hazard map and the ridgeline map first. On a 1960s ranch in Cupertino, we calculate the FAR budget and assess the foundation candidacy before the program conversation begins. On a Los Gatos hillside property, we check the creek setback and the tree canopy map before site planning starts. The sequencing is not caution. It is 20 years of knowing which constraint will reshape the project if it is discovered late.
Heritage tree canopy within the construction zone
In Saratoga and Los Gatos, arborist review is required within five feet of any protected tree's canopy dripline, including trees on neighboring properties. In Woodside and Los Altos Hills, heritage oak protection is equally strict. The most expensive version: designing a site plan that conflicts with a protected tree discovered only after months of design work.
Hillside overlay or geotechnical hazard designation
Saratoga, Los Gatos, Los Altos Hills, Woodside, and Portola Valley all have mapped geotechnical hazard areas requiring clearance before planning approval. Cost: $3,000 to $10,000 depending on city and scope. Must be initiated concurrent with design development, not after.
FAR at or near maximum
Cupertino R-1 properties frequently approach FAR limits. Palo Alto established neighborhoods are similar. A project that assumes 800 sqft of additional space is available may find only 400 sqft remains within the FAR envelope.
Post-and-pier foundations on second story candidates
In Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View ranch homes from 1950 to 1985, seismic reinforcement is typically required before a second story is viable. Adds $5,000 to $20,000. Best identified before design begins.
Creek and drainage setbacks
Los Gatos and Los Altos properties near seasonal creeks face riparian setback requirements that eliminate portions of lots that appear buildable on a standard zoning map.
Septic system constraints on rural Peninsula lots
Woodside, Portola Valley, and portions of Los Altos Hills rely on private septic systems. Expanding the footprint or adding bedrooms may require septic system evaluation and upgrade.
Un-permitted construction
Bay Area home sales regularly include un-permitted additions or structural modifications. These must be disclosed, and often legalized, before new permitted work can proceed. Legalization: 2 to 6 months and $10,000 to $40,000 depending on scope and city.
These conditions appear repeatedly. They are not random. They cluster by city, terrain type, construction era, and lot size. We know where to look before we arrive.
How a Feasibility Consultation Works
A Feasibility Study with PRA is a bounded professional service. Not a free consultation, not a design session, not a sales call. It is a structured architectural evaluation of one question: what can this property actually become, and under what conditions does it make sense to proceed.
Before the on-site visit, we review lot-specific zoning, planning requirements, and available property records for the specific address. We arrive knowing what the regulatory container looks like on paper. The on-site visit, led by a licensed architect, is where the paper analysis meets the actual property. We are looking at the structure, the site conditions, the tree canopy, the neighboring properties, and the factors that do not appear in a zoning table.
What the service includes:
What it does not include: drawings, measured plans, permit documentation, engineering, or full design services. Those belong in the engagement that follows when the feasibility study confirms the project makes sense.
Availability is limited each month to ensure proper preparation for each property. Projects are scheduled in advance.
Part II: South Bay + Peninsula Homeowner Q&A
The questions below are the ones homeowners bring to us most often, answered with city-specific architectural context. For full permitting process detail in each city, see each city's dedicated residential architect page.
Working with a Residential Architect
Do I need a licensed architect for a second story addition in Cupertino, Palo Alto, or Saratoga?
Yes, as a practical matter. Plans submitted for a Two-Story Permit, Design Review application, or Individual Review must be stamped by a licensed architect or licensed structural engineer. More importantly, Saratoga's Administrative Design Review and Palo Alto's Individual Review involve staff judgment about design compatibility that an architect with prior experience in those specific processes navigates more effectively than a building designer or drafter. The difference is not just credentials. It is whether the person representing the project can anticipate and respond to planning staff's qualitative findings before a comment letter arrives.
What is the difference between a licensed architect and a designer?
A licensed architect holds a California state license requiring minimum five years of education, two to three years of supervised and documented experience, and six to nine NCARB licensing examinations. A building designer is not licensed to stamp structural plans or represent a project at a Planning Commission hearing. In Saratoga, Los Gatos, Cupertino Design Review, and Palo Alto IR, the project representative faces technical design compatibility questions at hearings. Licensing matters there.
What does a residential architect actually do on a project?
Three things. Design the project: translating your program into a buildable, approvable spatial solution. Navigate permitting: identifying the correct permit track, preparing compliant drawings, managing plan check corrections, and when required, appearing at planning hearings. Administer construction: site visits at structural milestones, reviewing contractor RFIs and submittals, evaluating change orders. Our professional obligation runs to the homeowner, not to the builder.
Costs and Fees
How much does a residential architect cost in the South Bay and Peninsula in 2025?
For full-service residential engagements in design-review cities, 10 to 12 percent of hard construction cost is typical, covering Phase 0 through Construction Administration. In dollar terms: $25,000 to $45,000 for a straightforward interior remodel or single-story addition in a ministerial permit city such as San Jose or Campbell; $45,000 to $85,000 for a second story addition or significant remodel in a discretionary review city like Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, or Palo Alto; $60,000 to $120,000 for a whole-home remodel in a design-review city; $120,000 to $200,000 or more for a custom new home in Saratoga or Los Gatos where full Design Review navigation and extended Construction Administration are included.
What a full-service fee covers: Phase 0 through Phase 4, Construction Administration. Structural engineering, soils reports, energy compliance, permit fees, and planning application fees are separate.
How do architect fees work: percentage, fixed, or hourly?
Percentage of construction cost, typically 10 to 12% for full-service engagements in design-review cities, is the most common structure for South Bay and Peninsula remodels, additions, and custom homes. The percentage reflects the complexity of the project and the permit process. A Saratoga Design Review project involves substantially more architect time than a ministerial permit project at the same construction cost.
Fixed fee is more common on projects over $500K where scope is well-defined. Hourly applies to Feasibility Consultations, pre-purchase evaluations, and standalone permit strategy services. Typical range: $200 to $300 per hour for licensed residential architects in this market.
Second Story Additions
How long does a second story addition take in Cupertino?
18 to 24 months from first architect meeting to occupancy is typical. The permit track is the primary variable. Projects in the Two-Story Permit track move faster than projects in Residential Design Review. The 66% second-to-first floor ratio and the 10 to 15 foot side setback are the two triggers that determine which track the project lands in. Both are calculated before the first sketch.
Cupertino: full permitting detail, Two-Story Permit and Design Review
What triggers Design Review for a second story addition in Saratoga?
Any second story addition of 100 sqft or more triggers Design Review in Saratoga. Expansions exceeding 50% of existing floor area also trigger it. The review path, ministerial, administrative, or Planning Commission, depends on ODS compliance. Story pole requirements and neighbor notification apply across all three paths.
Saratoga: Design Review framework, three approval paths, and massing compatibility standards
Is my foundation likely to need reinforcement for a second story addition?
If the home was built between 1950 and 1985 in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Campbell, or Mountain View, the answer is probably yes. Post-and-pier foundations dominate this era and were not designed for second-story loads. Foundation reinforcement adds $5,000 to $20,000 to pre-construction costs depending on scope. The structural engineer determines the exact requirement after we establish the floor plan and shear wall locations.
Project Planning Guide: foundation type analysis and structural candidacy
Permitting by City
How long does a Cupertino building permit take?
Six to ten weeks for a Two-Story Permit from complete submittal. Ten to sixteen weeks for Residential Design Review. Each incomplete submittal or plan check correction adds one full review cycle of 20 to 30 business days. Submittals prepared against Cupertino's specific checklist avoid that delay.
Cupertino: full permitting detail, Two-Story Permit and Design Review
What is Los Gatos Architecture and Site Review?
A&S Review is the Town of Los Gatos's discretionary permit process for significant residential projects. Triggered by any of several conditions, including second story additions exceeding 100 sqft and expansions over 50% of existing floor area. A neighbor's formal written opposition can escalate a simpler application to full Planning Commission review, adding weeks to the schedule and introducing public testimony that the applicant cannot fully control.
Los Gatos: Architecture and Site Application, DRC process, neighbor opposition mechanism
Does every project in Saratoga require Design Review?
Nearly. All new construction, additions over 50% of existing floor area, second story additions of 100 sqft or more, and accessory structures over 250 sqft all require Design Review. The review path depends on ODS compliance. Story pole requirements and pre-submittal neighbor notification apply across all paths.
Saratoga: Design Review framework, three approval paths, neighbor notification
What is Palo Alto Individual Review?
IR is Palo Alto's process for evaluating second story additions to existing one-story homes. It assesses compatibility with the block-face streetscape, massing relative to neighbors, privacy impacts, and architectural coherence. Since February 2025, projects meeting all Two-Story Objective Design Standards can receive ministerial approval without IR. The path choice is a design decision made at schematic design, not a procedural choice made at submittal.
Remodeling and Project Scope
How do I know if my house can become what I want it to be?
That is the actual question behind most first conversations we have. The homeowner has a picture in mind: more space, a real primary suite, the kitchen open to the backyard, a second floor that does not look like it was bolted on. The question is whether the property's structure, its lot geometry, and the city's regulatory envelope actually support that picture. Sometimes they do. Sometimes the picture is achievable but the path to it is different from what the homeowner expected. Sometimes the constraints are real and the program needs to be reconsidered. A Feasibility Study answers this before any design investment is made.
What is the right first step in planning a major home remodel?
Scope definition before design begins. This means identifying must-haves versus nice-to-haves within a realistic budget, and running the regulatory envelope check. Does the proposed scope trigger Design Review in Saratoga or Los Gatos? Does it cross the Cupertino FAR ratio threshold? We run this check before design starts because discovering permit track implications after significant design investment is consistently one of the most expensive outcomes we see.
Project Planning Guide: full remodeling guide including Phase 0 scope definition
How do I know if my remodel scope requires a permit?
Any work involving structural modifications, changes to the building envelope, or conversion of space from one use to another requires a permit in South Bay and Peninsula cities. In Saratoga, Los Gatos, and Palo Alto, significant remodel scopes also trigger their respective design review processes. Safest assumption: confirm before assuming a scope is permit-free.
Choosing the Right Architectural Approach for a South Bay Project
How do I compare architects when their portfolios look similar?
Portfolio quality is not the right filter for projects in cities with complex permitting. Permit process experience in your specific city is. An architect who has navigated Saratoga Design Review multiple times has a different capability set than one who works primarily in San Jose. The interview questions in Part III are the most reliable way to distinguish real permit depth from claimed experience.
What should I look for when evaluating South Bay architects?
Inability to describe a specific permitting experience in your city by name and process is the clearest signal. Vague answers to "what went wrong on a project in permitting?" No clear position on construction administration — an architect who discourages CA is reducing their own accountability. Reluctance to name a fee structure. These signal a practice that may not be equipped for the permitting complexity of Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and Palo Alto.
Part III: Hiring Your South Bay + Peninsula Architect
Most homeowners have never hired an architect before. The first meeting is unfamiliar territory, and the uncertainty about what to expect is one of the reasons people delay making the call. Here is what a first consultation with PRA actually looks like, and what it is not.
It is not a sales meeting. We are not presenting a portfolio and asking for a signature. It is a project evaluation conversation. We are asking about the property, the scope you have in mind, what the city is, and what your timeline and budget look like. Those four pieces of information determine whether we can be genuinely helpful, and in what form.
What we are doing in that conversation: evaluating whether the project makes sense before any engagement begins. If the scope you are describing is not feasible on the property, or if the budget and what the project requires are genuinely misaligned, that is something you should know in the first meeting, not after six weeks of design. We would rather tell you in a consultation than discover it together at plan check.
What you should bring: a description of what you want to accomplish, a realistic budget range, the city and address of the property, and any existing permit history or prior design work you are aware of. You do not need design ideas, mood boards, or a firm program. The program is part of what we develop together once we understand what the property and the city actually support.
What you will leave with: a clear sense of whether the project is viable, which permit track it is likely to trigger, what the full cost range looks like including pre-construction professional fees and permitting, and whether PRA is the right fit for the engagement. If we are not, if the project type or city is outside our regular practice, or if the scope and timeline are not a match for our current capacity, we will tell you that directly.
The Feasibility Study is the formal version of this evaluation: a paid professional service, a site visit, and a documented scope definition you can act on. The initial consultation is the conversation that determines whether a Feasibility Study is the right next step.
Book a Feasibility Consultation
Hiring decisions in this market get made with limited information: portfolio photographs, a website, and one or two meetings. What those sources cannot show is whether the architect has genuine permit depth in your specific city. The interview questions at the end of this section are designed to reveal that.
Architect vs. Design-Build vs. Designer: An Honest Comparison
Homeowners evaluating delivery models usually frame the question as: who produces the better design? That is the wrong question. The design quality at a qualified design-build firm and at an independent architecture firm can be comparable. What is not comparable is whose interests the architect serves when a construction change order arrives, when a material substitution is proposed, or when value engineering pressure builds mid-construction.
The question is not whether the architect at a design-build firm is talented. It is who they work for.
The premium design-build firms targeting the same South Bay and Peninsula cities and clients we work in operate under a structural constraint that independent architects do not have. The firm that designs the home also profits from building it. When a change order arrives, when a material substitution is proposed, when value engineering pressure builds, who evaluates that on the homeowner's behalf? In design-build, that question has a conflict of interest built into its structure. It is not a matter of the firm's ethics. It is how the model is organized.
An independent architect's professional obligation runs entirely to the homeowner. We do not profit from construction decisions. When a change order arrives, we evaluate it for the homeowner, not for the firm's construction margin. Independent construction documents also enable competitive bidding across all qualified contractors. In a South Bay market where bids on Saratoga and Los Gatos custom homes regularly span $200,000 to $500,000 between the lowest and highest qualified bidder, that difference is not procedural. It is the entire architect's fee, and then some.
When Design-Build Makes Sense
Design-build can be a good fit for straightforward projects with a clearly defined scope, limited design complexity, and a predictable approval process, such as many kitchen renovations, bathroom remodels, and interior updates.
The benefit is convenience: one company coordinates both design and construction from beginning to end.
This approach works best when the homeowner already understands what they want to build, the scope is well defined, and major design decisions have been resolved before construction begins.
The tradeoff is that the builder is selected early, before the homeowner has a complete design, independent cost evaluation, or the opportunity to compare multiple construction approaches.
When Independent Architecture Makes More Sense
Major remodels, additions, second-story projects, and custom homes where the quality of the decisions made before construction determines the quality of the final home.
An architect-led process begins by understanding what is possible, developing the right design solution, and creating a complete set of documents before construction decisions are made.
This gives homeowners control over the most important decisions: the design quality, project scope, construction budget, and selection of the right builder for the finished project.
Independent architecture also allows builders to price the same complete scope, giving homeowners the ability to compare costs, evaluate options, and make informed decisions before committing to construction.
In complex Bay Area projects, the architect is not an additional layer. The architect is the person protecting the vision, navigating approvals, and ensuring the finished home reflects the investment being made.
What Licensing Means for Your Project
In practical terms for South Bay and Peninsula projects, licensing matters in three situations: structural plans must be stamped by a licensed architect or licensed structural engineer; Planning Commission and Design Review hearings involve technical questions about design compatibility that require a licensed professional to answer authoritatively; and construction administration carries professional accountability that an unlicensed representative cannot provide. A building designer can prepare drawings. They cannot stand in front of a Saratoga Design Review hearing and respond to a planning commissioner's question about massing compatibility.
The question to ask at the first interview: what is your California Architects Board license number? The answer should come immediately.
In design-review cities, licensing matters at the planning hearing, not just on the permit application. An unlicensed designer cannot answer a technical design compatibility question under oath.
How Architect Fees Work
Percentage of construction cost, typically 10 to 12% for full-service engagements in design-review cities, is the most common structure for South Bay and Peninsula remodels, additions, and custom homes. The percentage reflects the complexity of the project and the permit process. A Saratoga Design Review project involves substantially more architect time than a ministerial permit project at the same construction cost.
Fixed fee is more common on projects over $500K where scope is well-defined. Hourly applies to Feasibility Consultations, pre-purchase evaluations, and standalone permit strategy services. Typical range: $200 to $300 per hour for licensed residential architects in this market.
What a full-service fee covers: Phase 0 through Phase 4, Construction Administration. Structural engineering, soils reports, energy compliance, permit fees, and planning application fees are separate.
What the fee covers matters as much as the number. Specifically: whether Construction Administration is included.
What High-Intent Homeowners Know Before They Hire a South Bay Architect
By the time a homeowner in Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, or Palo Alto is ready to schedule a first meeting with an architect, most of them have done some research. They know they need plans. They know permits are involved. But there are four things that consistently separate homeowners who hire well from those who discover the mismatch three months into design.
City permit experience is not the same as Bay Area experience
An architect who works primarily in San Jose has a different capability set than one who works regularly in Saratoga. The permit processes are categorically different, not in degree but in kind. Saratoga's Administrative Design Review involves qualitative planning staff judgment about massing compatibility, material quality, and neighborhood coherence. Navigating that process effectively requires knowing how Saratoga planning staff has ruled on comparable projects on comparable streets. An architect who has not submitted multiple Saratoga applications does not have that knowledge. The right question at the first meeting is not "do you work in the South Bay?" It is "walk me through the last Saratoga Design Review project you completed. What happened at the planning hearing?"
The fee structure signals what is included
An architect who proposes a fee and describes it only as a percentage without specifying whether Construction Administration is included is telling you something. CA is where the architect's value is most tangible on a complex project, and it is the phase most commonly excluded from lower-fee proposals. Ask specifically: is Construction Administration included, and how many site visits does that cover? The answer tells you whether the architect intends to see the project through construction or hand off at permit approval.
The first deliverable should be an evaluation, not a design
An architect who begins design at the first meeting is sequencing incorrectly. Before any design decision is made, we establish three things: what the regulatory envelope allows on this property, what the foundation supports, and which permit track the proposed scope triggers in this specific city. We test these in Phase 0 before schematic design begins. An architect who reaches for the sketch pad before that analysis is complete will produce design that has to be revised when the evaluation catches up, at Design Development or Construction Documents, where the revision costs 10 to 20 times what it would have cost on paper.
Local permit track knowledge protects the project budget
In Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and Palo Alto, permit track decisions made at schematic design have direct cost consequences. The design that stays in the Two-Story Permit track in Cupertino versus the one that triggers Residential Design Review can differ by 4 to 8 weeks and $15,000 to $40,000 in carrying costs alone, before planning fees. An architect who does not calculate the 66% ratio before drawing the floor plan, or who does not evaluate Saratoga's ODS compliance before committing to a massing direction, is making permit track decisions by accident rather than by analysis.
The most common version we see: a homeowner in Saratoga engaged an architect who works primarily in San Jose. The architect prepared plans for a whole-home remodel and submitted them to Saratoga Planning. The application came back with a comment letter requiring a full redesign of the second-floor massing, material changes across the exterior, and a revised site plan that addressed tree protection requirements the original drawings had not acknowledged. The architect had not navigated Saratoga Design Review before. The comment letter response required three months of redesign work. The homeowner is now six months behind their original schedule with an architect who is learning Saratoga's Design Review standard on their project.
These are not theoretical concerns. They are the patterns we see most often when homeowners come to us after an unsuccessful first attempt with a different architect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a property feasibility study and what does it cost?
Should I get a feasibility study before buying property in Los Gatos, Saratoga, or Atherton?
How much does a residential architect charge in the South Bay and Peninsula in 2025?
What is the difference between an architect and a design-build firm?
Do I need a licensed architect for a second story addition?
What is Individual Review in Palo Alto?
How long does the Cupertino Two-Story Permit take?
What does construction administration include and why does it matter?
What should I bring to my first meeting with an architect?
When is a pre-purchase property evaluation worth the cost?
What is the Saratoga Design Review ODS path and who qualifies?
What is the right first step in planning a major home remodel?
City Residential Architect Pages
Additional Peninsula City Pages
South Bay City Pages
Related Guides
What's Possible, Zoning Envelope Guide, FAR, setbacks, daylight planes, the four transformation patterns
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