Redmond, Education Hill to Idylwood
Architect in Redmond, WA
Custom homes, second story additions, ADUs and remodels across Redmond, drawn for the Neighborhood Residential code and submitted through the City of Redmond's Plan Review Online (PRO) portal. Heavily wooded lots and Lake Sammamish shoreline included.
The first feasibility check is free and usually takes about a day. You speak to the architect, not a salesperson.
Why local matters
Redmond changed its residential code in 2025
Redmond’s Neighborhood Residential zone, in effect since January 1, 2025 and rewritten in June 2025, changed what many lots will carry, and it is the starting point for any addition, ADU or new house here.
Redmond’s ten neighborhoods are not the same from a zoning or project standpoint. An Education Hill addition and an Overlake mixed use building run on different review paths entirely.
The recurring story is a contractor’s in house designer who got a project through sketches and then stalled at plan review. A complete, code compliant set is what moves a Redmond permit.
What gets designed here
Work in Redmond
Redmond work falls into five kinds of project.
- Custom homes. Infill near Redmond Town Center to larger lots in Bear Creek and Novelty Hill, designed for light on Redmond’s often heavily wooded sites.
- Second story additions. Strong demand on Education Hill and Grass Lawn’s established lots.
- ADUs and DADUs. DADUs up to 1,000 sq ft on most residential lots, with no owner occupancy requirement, and strong rental demand near the tech employment corridor.
- Remodels. Opening floor plans, expanding kitchens and updating primary suites in Redmond’s 1970s to 1990s houses.
- Home office studios. Detached studios and energy efficient additions, common in Willows and Rose Hill.
On the water
Idylwood and the Lake Sammamish shoreline
Idylwood’s lakefront and near lake lots fall under shoreline setback rules: the Lake Sammamish setback is 35 feet, or 20 feet with native replanting recorded on title, and it cannot use the up to 20 percent administrative setback reduction allowed elsewhere in Redmond’s Neighborhood zones.
That one rule changes the buildable footprint on the water, which is why it is checked before the design is drawn rather than at review.
Permits
Redmond permit timelines
Redmond takes reviewed permits through its Plan Review Online (PRO) portal and over the counter permits through its REPS portal. There is no walk in counter for new submittals.
| Project | Typical review |
|---|---|
| Intake review after submission | 3 to 5 business days |
| Initial plan review, residential addition | 21 to 28 days |
| Addition, complete submittal to issuance | 8 to 10 weeks |
| ADU | 5 to 8 weeks |
| New single family home | 8 to 12 weeks |
Figures as published on this site for Redmond’s 2025 to 2026 process. Administrative decisions come within 65 days of a completeness determination, and conditional use or SEPA decisions within 100.
Site constraints
Redmond neighborhoods, and why they differ
The neighborhood decides the review path.
- Education Hill and Grass Lawn. Established single family lots, the strongest demand for second stories and detached ADUs.
- Idylwood. Lakefront and near lake lots under shoreline setback rules.
- Willows and Rose Hill. Business park adjacency and demand for home office studios.
- Bear Creek and Southeast Redmond. RZC Chapter 21.20 affordable housing rules now apply to all new residential development citywide, and in the Neighborhood Residential zone a project of seven or fewer units pays a fee on net new square footage ($15 per sq ft in 2026, $30 from 2027) unless it includes an on-site affordable unit, explained in the Redmond zoning guide.
- Overlake and Downtown. Transit oriented, mixed use density on a different review path from a detached house.
Budget
What projects cost, in round numbers
These are the same figures used everywhere on this site. The estimators on the linked pages turn them into a number for your size and scope.
| Project | Typical range | Estimator |
|---|---|---|
| Architect led custom home | $500 to $800 per sq ft | cost to build page |
| High end custom or waterfront | $800 to $1,200 and up per sq ft | cost to build page |
| Whole house remodel | $300 to $550 per sq ft | whole house remodel page |
| Home addition | $350 to $650 per sq ft | home addition cost page |
| Detached ADU | $200,000 to $400,000 | ADU cost guide |
| Architecture fee | 8% to 15% of construction | architect fees page |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column
Eastside figures from the cost pages on this site, each of which has an estimator that gives you your own number. Land, site work and permits sit on top of construction.
Questions
Building in Redmond, answered
Do you work in Redmond?
Yes. Piper Cole Architects is based in Kirkland and Redmond is part of the regular work. Redmond is next door to the Kirkland office and is regular work.
How long does a permit take in Redmond?
Initial plan review on a residential addition is about 21 to 28 days, and most additions are issued 8 to 10 weeks from a complete submittal. ADUs run about 5 to 8 weeks and a new house about 8 to 12.
What does an architect cost in Redmond?
Typically 8% to 15% of construction for full service, toward the top of that range on waterfront, steep or otherwise constrained lots because they take more design time. The architect fees page has a calculator for your own budget.
Do I need an architect for a house in Washington?
Not by law. RCW 18.08.410 exempts single family homes and buildings of four units or fewer from the stamp requirement. You will need permitted drawings and usually structural engineering. People hire an architect because the lot, the code or the design is complicated, not because the law requires one.
What happens on the first call?
You describe the property and what you want to do. David Meade tells you what the site and the code are likely to allow, what it tends to cost and what to check first. The first feasibility check is free and usually takes about a day.
Does Redmond’s 2025 zoning change affect my project?
Very likely. The Neighborhood Residential zone, in effect since January 1, 2025 and rewritten in June 2025, changed what many lots can carry, so it is the first thing checked on any Redmond project.
Plan the project
Cost and service pages
- Cost to build a house in SeattleNew build cost by tier, with an estimator
- Architect feesWhat the design work costs, with a calculator
- Home addition costEvery addition type, with an estimator
- Whole house remodel costCost by depth, and the code trigger that moves budgets
- Custom home designNew houses on the lakes and on difficult lots
- Home additionsOut or up, and what it costs
- ADU and DADU designGarage conversions to backyard cottages
- Waterfront and lakefront homesShoreline lots and teardown rebuilds on the lakes
Nearby
Nearby cities
- Architect in Kirkland, WALocal permits, costs and the kind of work done there
- Architect in Bellevue, WALocal permits, costs and the kind of work done there
- Architect in Sammamish, WALocal permits, costs and the kind of work done there
- Architect in Woodinville, WALocal permits, costs and the kind of work done there
- Architect in Duvall, WALocal permits, costs and the kind of work done there
- Architect in Bothell, WALocal permits, costs and the kind of work done there
Next step
Talk about your Redmond property
Describe the lot and what you want to do with it. You speak to David Meade directly, not a salesperson, and the first feasibility check is free and usually takes about a day.
Our Architecture Services
Full-service architecture for Redmond Architect: Custom Homes, Additions and ADUs and the greater Seattle area: