*By David Meade, AIA, NCARB — Principal, Piper Cole Architects*
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One of the most common questions I hear during first consultations is some version of this: “How long is this actually going to take?” It’s a fair question — and one that deserves a straight answer, not a vague “it depends.”
The honest answer is that it does depend, but the variables are knowable. The timeline for an architect-designed project in Seattle and on the Eastside is driven by four factors: the complexity of the design itself, the city where you’re building, how quickly you make decisions as a client, and whether your site or project type triggers extra review layers. Once you understand those levers, you can build a realistic schedule before you ever sign a contract.
This post walks through each phase of a typical project — from first meeting to breaking ground — with real numbers for the cities we work in most. If you want to understand what happens inside each phase before we talk timelines, start with what happens after you hire an architect.
The Four Phases of an Architect-Designed Project
Every project moves through the same four phases. The clock starts the day you hire your architect.
Phase 1: Programming + Schematic Design — 4 to 12 Weeks
Programming is where we define what you actually need: square footage, room relationships, how you want the home to feel, how your family actually moves through space. Schematic design takes those inputs and turns them into early floor plan concepts, massing studies, and site placement options.
For most projects — a whole-home remodel, an ADU, a standard addition — this phase takes 4 to 8 weeks. A custom new home on a complex site (steep topography, shoreline jurisdiction, unusual lot geometry) will typically take 8 to 12 weeks to get through schematic design in a way that gives you a sound foundation for everything that follows. Rushing this phase is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make.
What slows this phase down: design back-and-forth, unclear priorities, too many decision-makers, sites that require a pre-application meeting with the city before you can confirm zoning assumptions.
Phase 2: Design Development — 4 to 8 Weeks
Design development is where the schematic concept gets resolved into actual architecture: wall locations are confirmed, structural systems are roughed out, exterior materials are selected, and the design is coordinated with your mechanical and electrical engineer. This is also where the budget gets stress-tested against the scope.
4 to 6 weeks is typical for simpler projects. 6 to 8 weeks is more realistic for custom homes where structural complexity or a demanding aesthetic vision requires more coordination rounds. Client decision speed matters enormously here — every material selection that gets deferred is a decision that either slows construction documents or creates a change order later.
Phase 3: Construction Documents — 8 to 16 Weeks
Construction documents (CDs) are the permit-ready drawing set: fully dimensioned plans, elevations, sections, details, structural drawings, energy code compliance documentation, and all the supplemental sheets a building department needs to issue a permit. This is the most labor-intensive phase on the architect’s side.
A straightforward project — an ADU, a simple addition — might reach permit-ready CDs in 8 to 10 weeks. A custom new home with complex structure, a large glazing package, or site-specific foundation requirements will more realistically take 12 to 16 weeks. Do not let anyone tell you a full custom home set can be done in six weeks without cutting corners you’ll pay for in the field.
Phase 4: Permitting — The Variable That Surprises Most Clients
This is where Seattle-area timelines diverge the most from what clients expect — and from what architects in other markets experience. Here are the current realistic permit timelines by city as of 2026:
Kirkland: 6–10 weeks for standard residential. Kirkland’s permit office is reasonably efficient; straightforward new construction and additions move through on the shorter end of that range.
Bellevue: 8–12 weeks for standard residential. The notable exception is Bellevue’s pre-approved DADU program, which can compress ADU permitting to 4 to 6 weeks — a significant advantage if your project qualifies.
Redmond: 6–10 weeks, comparable to Kirkland. Redmond has been investing in permit staff in recent years, and it shows.
Sammamish: 8–14 weeks. Sammamish’s permit office handles a high volume relative to its staff, and timelines can stretch on the longer end during peak construction season.
Issaquah: More variable than any other city on the Eastside. A Level 2 project (minor residential work) typically clears in about 6 weeks. Level 3 projects — which include most new construction and major additions — are 3 months or more. If your project is within the Issaquah Highlands neighborhood, add another 2 to 8 weeks for Architectural Review Committee (ARC) approval before the city even begins its review.
Mercer Island: 8–12 weeks. The island’s building department is professional and predictable, though their volume-to-staff ratio means plan reviews rarely come back faster than 8 weeks.
For permit-timeline context, it also helps to understand how much does an architect cost in Seattle — because the permit phase is part of the fee structure and often triggers additional coordination costs when resubmittals are needed.
Timeline Summary by Project Type
| Project Type | Design Phases | Permitting | Total (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom new home | 20–28 weeks | 8–16 weeks | 18–30 months |
| Major addition (second story) | 14–20 weeks | 6–12 weeks | 12–18 months |
| ADU/DADU (standard permit) | 12–18 weeks | 6–14 weeks | 8–14 months |
| ADU/DADU (pre-approved program) | 10–16 weeks | 4–6 weeks | 6–10 months |
| Whole-home remodel | 14–20 weeks | 6–12 weeks | 10–16 months |
*All timelines run from first client meeting to construction start. Actual timelines vary by project complexity, city, and client decision speed. The ranges above reflect typical projects Piper Cole Architects has completed on the Eastside.*
What Makes Timelines Longer
Design revisions. Every round of major design revisions after schematic design approval adds time. This is not a criticism — design exploration has value — but it is a reality. Projects where clients arrive with clear priorities (read: how to prepare for your first architect consultation) consistently move faster than those where priorities get worked out during design development.
Structural complexity. Steep sites, unusual spans, view-optimized floor plates with extensive glazing, and cantilevers all add structural engineering time. We coordinate with our structural engineer early, but complex structures require more iteration between architectural and structural drawings.
SEPA review. The State Environmental Policy Act can be triggered by projects over a certain size threshold, by shoreline proximity, or by specific environmental conditions. SEPA review adds weeks to months depending on the scope of analysis required.
Variances and departures. If your project requires a variance from zoning code — setback, height, lot coverage — that adds a public notice period and a hearing to your permit timeline. We design to avoid variances where possible, but some sites make them unavoidable.
Plan check comments. Most permit applications receive comments from the reviewing planner or engineer that require a response or revised drawings. A single-round comment letter is normal. Two or three rounds of comments is where timelines start to slip significantly. Experience with local reviewers helps — an architect who knows what Bellevue’s plan review team typically flags can design and document to preempt those comments.
What Compresses Timelines
Pre-approved plans programs. Bellevue’s DADU pre-approved plan program is the clearest example on the Eastside. If your ADU qualifies, you’re submitting a plan that has already been reviewed for code compliance — the permit office just needs to confirm your site conditions. That’s a meaningful compression.
Simple, standard projects. A detached ADU on a flat lot with no unusual zoning conditions is faster than a hillside custom home in a shoreline jurisdiction. Scope, complexity, and site drive timeline as much as any other factor.
Responsive clients. I don’t say this to pressure anyone — decisions should be made thoughtfully. But the clients whose projects move fastest are those who make selections and approvals within a few days of receiving options, rather than a few weeks. Over a 12-month design process, that difference accumulates.
An architect who knows the reviewers. Relationships with city staff matter less than people think on routine projects, but they matter a great deal on complex ones. Knowing how to frame a design narrative for a specific city’s design review process, or how to structure a variance application for a specific hearing examiner, is a form of local expertise that compresses timelines in ways that are hard to quantify but very real.
Our custom home design services are built around this kind of local fluency — we have designed and permitted projects across all the cities listed above, and we are not learning the local process on your project.
David Meade, AIA, NCARB will give you a straight answer in your free consultation — no guesswork, no overpromising.
Book Free Consultation → or call 425-753-6452
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get a building permit for a custom home in Seattle?
For a custom new home on the Eastside, expect 8 to 16 weeks from permit application submission to permit issuance, depending on city. Kirkland and Redmond are typically on the faster end (6–10 weeks); Sammamish and Issaquah (Level 3) are on the slower end (8–14+ weeks). Note that this clock starts after your construction documents are complete and submitted — not when you hire your architect. Factor in 20 to 28 weeks for design phases before you can submit.
How long does the architect design phase take?
For a custom new home, the combined design phases — programming, schematic design, design development, and construction documents — typically take 20 to 28 weeks (roughly 5 to 7 months). Simpler projects like ADUs or additions run shorter: 12 to 20 weeks is typical. These timelines assume a reasonably responsive client and a site without unusual complications.
Can an architect speed up the permit process in Seattle?
To a meaningful extent, yes. An experienced local architect can reduce the number of plan check comment rounds by anticipating what each city’s reviewers flag. They can identify whether your project qualifies for streamlined programs (like Bellevue’s pre-approved DADU program). They can structure permit applications in ways that reduce back-and-forth. What no architect can do is override a city’s staffing levels or required review periods — those are structural constraints.
How long from hiring an architect to breaking ground on a custom home?
For a typical custom new home in Seattle or the Eastside, plan on 18 to 30 months from your first meeting with an architect to the day your general contractor breaks ground. That range accounts for design phases (5–7 months), permitting (2–4 months), general contractor selection and pre-construction (2–4 months), and site preparation. Complex sites, major variances, or SEPA review can push beyond 30 months. Simple projects on straightforward sites, with a decisive client and an architect who knows the local process, can come in under 18 months.