Whole house remodel architect in Medina, Washington

Short answer: if you own a house in Medina, Washington (not Medina, Ohio) and plan a whole house remodel of $750,000 or more, hire an architect who tests the house against Medina’s 60 percent rules before drawing anything. Past those lines the code treats the work as a new house, and a setback the house has kept can disappear. I am David Meade of Piper Cole Architects in Kirkland. I design remodels and administer construction. I do not build. A first feasibility check is free and takes about a day, and the design fee is a fixed number.

Code figures come from the Medina Municipal Code on Municode (codified through Ordinance 1049), the city’s Development Services pages and its Council packets of July 27, September 14 and September 28, 2026, read on October 8, 2026. Confirm any number with the city. The zoning tables are in my Medina building permit guide, and my approach in the city is on the Medina architect page.

Who this is for

This page is for a Medina owner, often on Lake Washington, with a remodel budget of $750,000 or more who is choosing an architect. Residential remodels at that size are the work I most want. My smallest projects start at a budget of $750,000.

What an architect does on a Medina remodel

On a seven-figure remodel the architect’s first job is to find out what the house, the lot and the city will allow, before you pay for drawings. In Medina I start with six checks.

1. Is it still a remodel?

A house may sit closer to a property line than today’s rules allow. The Medina code lets you keep that position and remodel, until the work crosses one of these lines.

Test	What the code says	Why it matters
Substantial destruction	Damage of any origin, voluntary or not, where restoring the structure would cost 60 percent or more of its fair market value (MMC 16.12.200).	A nonconforming house that crosses it loses its rights and must meet every current rule (16.36.060.D and E), unless an exception in 16.36.060.F applies, such as the footprint one below.
Reconstruction	Work under a valid permit costing more than 60 percent of the structure’s replacement cost. Every phase needed for a habitable building counts, until 18 months after the permit is finalized (16.12.190).	The test a planned remodel is likeliest to meet. 16.36.060.D names only substantial destruction for a house, so I ask the city which it applies.
Shoreline wall test	Removing more than 60 percent of the exterior wall framing by horizontal length. Part of a wall counts as all of it, but replacing windows or doors does not if no beams or struts come out (16.60.228).	A lake house must pass this and the zoning tests.
Footprint exception	A house that misses a setback may be rebuilt within its old footprint and keep that setback, if any expansion conforms and a complete building permit application is filed within six months (16.36.060.F.4).	It saves a setback, but only on the old footprint.

Source: Medina Municipal Code chapters 16.12, 16.36, 16.60 and 16.66, Municode version of May 6, 2026, read October 8, 2026.

The first two tests compare cost with the value of the structure; the land does not count. With invented numbers: if the city puts the replacement cost of your house at $2,000,000, the reconstruction line is above $1,200,000 (2,000,000 times 0.60), and a $1,500,000 scope covering every phase crosses it. I do not know what figure the city will use for your house, so I ask for it in writing during feasibility. A draft of Ordinance 1062 would count construction cost at the greater of the bid or the city’s valuation table. Inside the lines, a nonconforming house may be enlarged or remodeled if the work does not increase the nonconformity (16.36.060.C). More in my guides to when a remodel counts as a new house and waterfront remodels.

2. The 2026 side setbacks

Medina raised side setbacks by emergency ordinance in February 2026. The city’s own comparison in its September 14 Council packet reads:

Rule	Before Ordinance 1052	Interim rules in force now (Ordinances 1052 and 1059)
Side setback, lots under 20,000 sq ft	10 feet	15 feet
Side setback, larger lots	Greater of 10 feet or 15 percent of lot width, up to 20 feet	Greater of 15 feet or 20 percent of lot width, up to 20 feet
Height bonus in R-20, R-30 and SR-30	30 feet above original grade or 36 feet above finished grade	Removed
Minimum lot width, R-16 and R-20	70 feet	90 feet

Source: City of Medina Council packet, September 14, 2026, Code Comparisons slides.

A house built at the old 10 foot side setback now sits inside the 15 foot figure. That is my reading, and it is why the nonconforming rules carry so much weight. These are interim controls, not permanent code. Ordinance 1059, passed July 27, 2026, set them to run six months unless Council ends them sooner or renews them. Ordinance 1062 would make Phase 1 permanent and end the interim controls. Both drafts in the September 28 packet keep the 15 foot figure but let an owner ask for the old 10 foot side setback through a minor deviation, a Type 2 decision the director can deny or condition, for example with a privacy screen, limits on upper story glass facing the side lot line, or a 100 square foot cap on decks over 30 inches. The packet shows a Council hearing on September 28, with the item returning on October 12 if Council took no action. As of October 8 the city’s Phase 1 page still calls the ordinance a proposal, and I found no minutes or October 12 agenda. I therefore treat the interim rules as in force, and I ask the city which rules apply when I file.

3. Coverage, height and going down

Medina has no floor area ratio. The limit is structural coverage, 21 percent on lots of 19,501 square feet or more (MMC Tables 16.23.020(A) and (B)). A 25,000 square foot lot may have 5,250 square feet of coverage (25,000 times 0.21). A structure entirely under existing grade is left out of coverage, though the impervious surface cap still applies (16.23.030), so a lower level can add space where a bigger footprint cannot. In R-20, R-30 and SR-30, height is a flat plane 25 feet above the lowest point of original grade or 28 feet above the lowest point of finished grade, whichever is lower. A geotechnical engineer determines original grade, and the city must approve that determination before plan review checks height (16.23.060 and 16.23.080).

4. The permits stack up at $500,000

Every Medina building permit carries a construction activity permit. At a combined permit value of $500,000 or more, the city-approved value of all the work, it is a Type 2 decision (Table 16.80.050(B)) with a mailed notice to property owners within 500 feet, notice boards on each street frontage and an open house at City Hall, held 14 to 60 days after the notice. The applicant or agent leads it, and your general contractor takes part. Work cannot start until the permit issues and a preconstruction meeting is held (MMC Chapter 16.75).

I have not found a design review step for houses in Title 16. Site plan review applies only to sites of 80,000 square feet, to sites of 40,000 or more that are much larger than their neighbors, and to small lots seeking setback relief to save large trees, and the code says it is not meant to regulate architectural style or massing (16.72.040).

Predevelopment meetings are online on Wednesday mornings, highly encouraged for remodels, with a $2,000 advance deposit and the unused balance refunded about three months later. Nothing said in them is binding. The city’s FAQ says it does not give out timelines for permits. The code sets deadlines of 65, 100 and 170 days for Type 1, 2 and 3 decisions, from a complete application and excluding time you take to answer the city (16.80.210). When related permits such as grading, tree mitigation or a pool issue with the building permit, the certificate of occupancy waits for all of them, though the building official may issue it earlier on a cash guarantee if there is no safety concern (16.40.080).

5. Trees

The city’s trees page says a tree permit is almost always needed. Land counts as under development, and the full tree code applies, if a remodel adds more than 500 square feet or 15 percent of footprint, whichever is larger, over four years, adds 2,000 square feet of impervious surface, or removes a significant tree of 10 inches or more (or four smaller ones), counting trees removed in the two years before you apply (16.52.070). The lot is then measured against a minimum of tree units: lot area divided by 1,000, times 0.40, rounded up. A 20,000 square foot lot needs 8 (20 times 0.40). Existing trees count 0.5 to 1.0 unit each by size and type, and a shortfall is made up with supplemental trees (16.52.090). I get the tree survey before design, because retained trees become fixed points.

6. On the water, and a pool

The Lake Washington setback comes from a city map: 30 feet, 30 feet with shoreline enhancements (50 feet without), 50 feet, or a stringline between the neighboring houses, measured from the ordinary high water line (16.63.030). A letter of exemption from the shoreline substantial development permit is a Type 1 decision; other work needs an administrative (Type 2) or hearing examiner (Type 3) permit. See my shoreline exemption guide. A pool needs its own administrative special use permit, a Type 2 decision with a 100 day clock, and counts toward structural coverage (16.34.040, 16.71.030). My pool permit guide has the detail.

What changes the cost and the schedule

I quote a fixed fee for design and permit, set by the project budget and the location, from about $10,000 to $200,000 depending on scope. Construction is separate and priced by a builder on finished drawings. This site’s planning ranges are $300 to $550 per square foot for a whole house renovation and $350 to $650 for an addition, before design fees, permits, sales tax and contingency.

Construction budget	Floor area at $550 per sq ft	Floor area at $300 per sq ft
$750,000	about 1,364 sq ft	2,500 sq ft
$1,000,000	about 1,818 sq ft	about 3,333 sq ft
$1,500,000	about 2,727 sq ft	5,000 sq ft

Planning ranges only; a builder’s bid on finished drawings is the only price. My million dollar remodel guide shows how I split a budget in layers.

• How much of the house you open up. New foundations, raised roofs and moved bearing walls cost more than refinished rooms, and in Medina they also move you toward a 60 percent line.
• A lake lot. Shoreline setbacks and the wall test add design time and sometimes a permit step.
• Size. On projects with 4,000 square feet or more of new or additional floor area, the building official may require extra inspections of structure, mechanical, plumbing and energy systems at the permit holder’s cost (16.40.090).

On schedule, my design to permit submission typically takes 2 to 4 months. The 2 to 3 months I quote for a remodel permit is a Seattle figure. Medina publishes no review time, so I give you a window only after I have seen your scope, and I treat the code’s day limits as ceilings.

What to ask any architect before you sign

Put these to me and to every other firm on your list.

• Is the fee fixed, and what does it cover? Ask what sits outside it: survey, structural engineer, geotechnical report, arborist, energy calculations and city fees.
• Which Medina test will my remodel be measured against? The answer should name the fair market value test, the replacement cost test and, on the lake, the wall framing test.
• Which side setback applies to my application? The 2026 rules are still moving.
• How will you run the open house? At $500,000 the city requires one, and neighbors will ask questions.
• Who does the work on my project? Ask who draws, who meets the engineer and who talks to the city.
• How do you keep the design inside my budget? Ask when cost is checked and what happens if bids come back high.
• Do you build, and will you administer construction? I do not build. I visit the site, answer the builder’s questions, review payment requests and check the work against the drawings.

The process, in order

Step	Time	What you get
Free feasibility check	About a day	A quick read on whether the plan fits your house, the Medina rules and your budget.
In-depth analysis (optional)	2 to 3 weeks, $1,500	A deeper look at the 60 percent tests, setbacks, trees, shoreline and cost before full design.
Design to permit submission	Typically 2 to 4 months	Design, engineering coordination and the permit set, under the fixed fee.
City review and open house	Set by the city and the scope	Plan review, the neighbor notice and my answers to the city’s comments.
Bidding	Set with the builder you choose	Builders price the same drawings, so bids compare.
Construction administration	For the length of the build	Site visits, payment request review and checking the work. I do not build.

The in-depth analysis is worth buying when the free check shows a close call, such as a house near a 60 percent line, a lake lot or trees in the way. When the path is clear, I will say so.

Who you would hire

I have been an architect since 1996, an AIA member since 1992 and an NCARB member since 1996. I take on 20 to 30 projects a year. I have won three Masonry Excellence Awards, all for commercial projects, and the Carr residence was featured in Above The Lake and Lux magazines.

Questions

How much does an architect cost for a whole house remodel in Medina, WA?

I quote a fixed fee for design and permit, set by the project budget and the location. It typically runs about $10,000 to $200,000 depending on scope. The first feasibility check is free, and the in-depth analysis is $1,500. Construction is a separate cost, priced by a builder on finished drawings; this site’s planning range for a whole house renovation is $300 to $550 per square foot.

How long does a Medina remodel take from first call to permit?

The free feasibility check takes about a day, and the in-depth analysis takes 2 to 3 weeks. Design to permit submission typically takes 2 to 4 months. After that, the city reviews. Medina’s FAQ says the city does not give out timelines for permits, and the code sets day limits of 65, 100 and 170 days for Type 1, 2 and 3 decisions, counted from a complete application and excluding time you take to respond.

Do I need an architect to remodel a house in Medina?

Not by state law. RCW 18.08.410 lets a person do design work and administer the construction contract for a residential building of up to four dwelling units without being a licensed architect. You will still need permit drawings and usually structural engineering. Owners hire an architect on a remodel of $750,000 or more because the lot, the code and the cost of a mistake make careful design worth the fee.

When does a Medina remodel count as a new house?

Medina defines substantial destruction as damage costing 60 percent or more of the structure’s fair market value to restore, and reconstruction as work costing more than 60 percent of replacement cost, counting every phase needed for a habitable building. On the water, the shoreline rule counts removal of more than 60 percent of the exterior wall framing by length. Past a line, a nonconforming house loses its status. I ask the city in writing how it will count your project.

Can I keep my old setbacks if I remodel in Medina?

Often yes. A nonconforming house may be enlarged or remodeled if the work does not increase the nonconformity, and a house that misses a setback may be rebuilt within its old footprint and keep that setback if any expansion conforms and a complete application is filed within six months. Interim rules raised side setbacks to 15 feet on lots under 20,000 square feet in 2026, which in my reading makes more houses nonconforming, and a permanent ordinance is pending. Confirm with the city.

Does Medina require design review for a house remodel?

I have not found a general design review for houses in the Medina code. Site plan review exists, but it applies only to very large sites and to small lots seeking setback relief to save large trees, and the code says it is not intended to regulate architectural style or massing. At a permit value of $500,000 or more the city does require a neighbor notice and an open house.

Do I need a shoreline permit to remodel a house on Lake Washington in Medina?

Not always. A single-family house for the owner’s own use may qualify for a letter of exemption from the shoreline substantial development permit, which Medina decides as a Type 1 decision. The exemption covers the permit only. Shoreline setbacks, the wall test and vegetation rules still apply, and work that does not qualify needs an administrative or hearing examiner permit. Confirm with the city.

Does Piper Cole build, or only design?

I design the project and administer construction on your behalf: site visits, answering the builder’s questions, reviewing payment requests and checking the work against the drawings. I do not build. You hire the contractor, and I help you compare bids on the same drawings.

What do I get from the free feasibility check?

A very quick read, about a day, on whether your plan fits the house, the Medina rules and your budget. I look first at the 60 percent tests, the side setbacks, coverage and height, trees and the shoreline. If the answer is close, the $1,500 in-depth analysis takes 2 to 3 weeks and goes deeper before you pay for full design.