Design consultation.
The first hour decides whether we work together for the next two years. Here is exactly what happens.
The first hour decides whether we work together for the next two years. Here is exactly what happens.
The design consultation process begins with a 90 minute first meeting. No fee for the initial meeting. We meet at our Camarillo office or at your temporary housing or at the rebuild lot. The meeting is not about showing drawings. It is about understanding what you lost and what you want next.
After the first meeting, we send a written proposal within 72 hours. The proposal covers scope of work, fee structure, timeline, deliverables. If the proposal is a match, we begin with pre design the following week.
From there, we meet biweekly during schematic design, then weekly during design development and construction documents. Every meeting has a written summary within 24 hours. Every design decision is logged and tracked.
What to bring to the first meeting: any photos of the home you lost (inside and outside), old drawings if you have them, a rough budget range, a rough timeline expectation, any insurance policy documents, and the names of anyone else who will be part of the decision making (spouse, parents, adult children).
You do not need to have answers. You need to have the questions. The first meeting is about listening to what matters to you and identifying the constraints (budget, timeline, HOA, lot conditions) that will shape the design space.
We leave the first meeting with a clear picture of scope, a preliminary fee range, and a realistic timeline. Within three business days we send a written proposal. If it is a match, we begin pre design the following week.
Our role on Altadena rebuild projects covers design, permit documentation, and construction administration. David Foote, Associate AIA, draws every project personally. No junior designer intermediaries. Forty years of California residential design, 1,532 completed homes.
We accept new Eaton Fire rebuild clients on a limited basis to preserve project quality. If your rebuild lot is in Altadena and you want to explore working with us, the next step is a free 90 minute consultation. Call (805) 444 1230 or email dcfoote@dcfoote.com. We respond within one business day.
Published hourly rate $350. Most rebuild projects quoted as fixed fee or percent of construction cost after initial scope is clear. Insurance often reimburses the design fee as a covered claim expense.
Yes. No fee, no obligation, no pressure. We meet for 90 minutes, discuss your situation, and either agree to work together or part ways cleanly. No pressure selling.
Our Camarillo office at 501 Mobil Avenue Suite A, your temporary housing anywhere in greater Los Angeles, or at your rebuild lot. Your choice.
You do not need to make decisions in the first meeting. You need to start the conversation. We often have three or four meetings before any design work begins. The conversation itself has value.
Yes. Our office is in Camarillo but we serve Altadena and greater Los Angeles regularly. Most first meetings happen in person, subsequent meetings often on Zoom.
Ninety minute consultation, no fee. We meet at our Camarillo office, your temporary housing, or your Altadena lot. From there, we decide together whether we are the right match for your rebuild.
David C. Foote, Principal Designer, Associate AIA. 40 years practicing residential design. 1,532 completed homes since 1986.