Hiring a remodel architect in Redmond, Washington: what a whole house remodel takes here

Short answer: if you own a house in Redmond, Washington (not Redmond, Oregon) and plan a whole house remodel of $750,000 or more, hire an architect who checks three Redmond rules before drawing anything. They are the 4,500 square foot cap on everything on the lot, the per square foot fee on any floor area you add, and, if the lot touches Lake Sammamish, the 35 foot setback. I am David Meade of Piper Cole Architects in Kirkland. My practice serves Redmond owners, and I design remodels and administer construction. I do not build. A first feasibility check is free and takes about a day.

The code figures below come from Redmond’s adopted ordinances and city documents, as of October 2026. I read the zoning tables in Ordinance 3261 (June 2, 2026) and checked the later zoning ordinance, 3269 (effective September 26, 2026), for changes to them. Where I could not confirm something, I say so. Confirm any number with the city before you rely on it. My full notes on the zoning rules are in the Redmond zoning guide, and the permit steps are in the Redmond building permit guide. See also my Redmond architect page.

Who this is for

This page is for a Redmond owner with a remodel budget of $750,000 or more who is deciding which architect to call. Residential remodels at that size are the work I most want: whole house renovations, second stories and additions. My smallest project budget is $750,000.

What an architect does on a Redmond remodel

On a seven-figure remodel the architect’s first job is to find out what the lot and the city will allow, before you pay for drawings. These are the Redmond numbers I put on one sheet at the start.

Rule	Redmond Neighborhood Residential zone	What it does to a remodel
Floor area cap	4,500 sq ft for one dwelling unit, 6,000 for two, 7,500 for three	Counts the floor area of all structures on the lot, measured inside the walls. Garages and below grade floors count; accessory structures under 200 sq ft and roofed areas open on two or more sides do not. Lot size does not raise it.
Height	38 ft base maximum	Limits a second story or a raised roof.
Setbacks	Front 10 ft, street side 10 ft, interior side 3 ft, rear 5 ft	Decide where an addition can sit and whether an old wall can stay.
Lake Sammamish	35 ft setback	Applies to lakefront lots and cannot be reduced by the 20 percent flexibility.
Coverage	50 percent lot coverage, 70 percent impervious surface	Lot coverage counts building footprints plus roofed porches, patios and decks over 30 inches high. The impervious limit also counts driveway and paving.
Fee on new floor area	$15 per net new sq ft in 2026, $30 in 2027	Added square footage costs money before the first nail.

Sources: Tables 21.08.200.B, 21.08.200.C and 21.08.300.A as amended by Ordinance 3261; RZC 21.16.200 as adopted by Ordinance 3220 for how floor area and coverage are measured; City of Redmond Affordable Housing Payment-In-Lieu Schedule for the Neighborhood Residential Zone. All read in October 2026.

The size cap is the first thing I test

The Neighborhood Residential (NR) zone replaced R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, R-8 and RIN on January 1, 2025, and the cap applies there. I confirm your lot’s zone first. The NR floor area table counts all structures on the lot. Say your house is 3,200 square feet and has a 600 square foot garage. That is 3,800 square feet, so you have 700 square feet of room under the 4,500 square foot cap (4,500 minus 3,800). A 1,200 square foot addition would not pass as drawn, however large the lot. This is a hypothetical, not a past project.

The fee on added floor area

The city charges an affordable housing payment on net new square footage in NR developments of seven or fewer units, unless an affordable unit is provided on site. The city’s schedule sets $30 per square foot as the baseline and charges 50 percent of it in 2026 ($15) and all of it in 2027 ($30). The payment must be received before the sheetrock nailing inspection can be scheduled. The schedule’s own example says a remodel with no change in total square feet counts no square feet, so it owes nothing.

On the 700 square feet of room in the example above, the payment would be $10,500 at the 2026 rate (700 times $15) or $21,000 at the 2027 rate (700 times $30). The city council’s Resolution 1607 applies the rate for the calendar year in which the city receives a complete application, as long as the building permit is issued within one year of that date. A rate that doubles on January 1, 2027 is worth planning your submission date around, and I confirm with the city which year applies to your application before design.

Setbacks, and what the city can relax

The NR setbacks are small: 10 feet at the front, 3 feet on each interior side and 5 feet at the rear. For an addition to an existing single-family house, the code allows administrative design flexibility: front, side and rear setbacks may be reduced up to 20 percent, but never the Lake Sammamish setback (RZC 21.76.070.C.5.a). On a 10 foot front setback that is 8 feet (10 times 0.8), on a 3 foot side 2.4 feet and on a 5 foot rear 4 feet. It is not a right. The criteria for an addition to an existing house include that it not have a significant adverse impact on adjoining owners and that the request be due to special physical circumstances of the lot, such as its size, shape or topography. I decide whether to ask during feasibility.

Trees, energy code and permit route

• Trees. The city’s tree page says that in all new development, including single-family residences, at least 35 percent of significant trees (6 inches or more across, measured 4.5 feet above grade) must be retained, and a Tree Preservation Plan and Arborist Report must come with any construction permit application. On a developed single-family lot of 10,000 square feet or less, the page allows removing up to 2 healthy significant trees a year. The city is rewriting the tree code, with a Planning Commission public hearing on October 14, 2026 and City Council adoption expected in the first quarter of 2027, so I check the text in force on your application date.
• Energy code. Redmond adopted the 2021 Washington State Energy Code by Ordinance 3148 (February 2024), with no deletions and no amendments. For a remodel, the parts you alter meet the rules for new construction, and an addition above 150 square feet needs energy credits under the state code. The details are in my energy code guide.
• Permit route. Redmond lets you apply for most permits online through its Plan Review Online (PRO) portal and assigns each application a Project Coordinator who tracks it. For an addition or remodel the city decides which departments review it, and Fire, Land Use or Civil Engineering may be among them. On its clearing and grading page the city says review and approval of that permit generally takes 4 to 5 weeks, and that a city-approved wet weather plan for erosion and sediment control is required for any work anticipated during the rainy season, October 1 to April 30. Whether your remodel needs a clearing and grading permit is a question for the city.

If your house is already nonconforming

A house that was legal when built but misses today’s size cap or setbacks is a legal nonconforming structure. RZC 21.04.5000.I.1 prohibits altering or expanding it in a way that increases the nonconformity, unless the city specifically permits it through an official action. Under I.2, it must be brought into full compliance with the code when it is altered or expanded and, within any three-year period, either its gross floor area grows by 100 percent or more or the costs stated on all approved building permit applications equal or exceed the value of the existing structure at the beginning of that period. The cost test is the one a whole house remodel can reach. The text does not define how the value of the existing structure is measured, so I ask the city how it will count yours before design. Ordinance 3220 (June 2025) adopted this text, and Ordinance 3269 (effective September 26, 2026) reprints the section with the same three-year test. My guide to when a remodel counts as a new house covers the other Eastside cities.

What I could not confirm

The code host for the live Redmond code blocks automated readers, so I read the text in the adopted ordinances, not on the code site. The city’s residential permit page gives no review time for a remodel, so I quote none. I did not confirm whether a given remodel counts as development for the tree retention rule, the size at which a single-family remodel triggers stormwater review, or whether any design review applies to a house remodel beyond the administrative flexibility above. I settle those with the city planner on any house that needs them.

What changes the cost and the schedule

I quote a fixed fee for design and permit, set by the project budget and the location. It runs from about $10,000 to $200,000 depending on scope. The fee covers the anticipated scope. Construction is separate and is priced by a builder on finished drawings.

For construction, this site’s planning ranges are $300 to $550 per square foot for a whole house renovation and $350 to $650 per square foot for an addition. They exclude design fees, permits, sales tax and contingency. At the bottom of the project range:

Construction budget	Renovation at $550 per sq ft	Renovation 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 price on finished drawings is the only real price. My million dollar remodel guide shows how I split a budget in layers.

What moves a Redmond remodel up or down within that range:

• How much you change the structure. New foundations, a raised roof or moved bearing walls cost more than refinishing rooms where they stand.
• Added floor area. It brings the Redmond fee above, the size cap, energy code credits and a higher per square foot range for additions.
• The lot. A lake setback, a slope, or trees to protect take design time and shape the footprint.

On the schedule, my design to permit submission typically takes 2 to 4 months. After submission, the city reviews, and I answer its comments. I do not promise a Redmond review time on this page; I give you a window after I have seen your scope and the city’s current queue.

What to ask any architect before you sign

Use these with me and with anyone else you interview.

• Is the fee fixed, and what is in it? Ask what the number covers and what sits outside it: survey, structural engineer, geotechnical report, arborist, energy calculations and the city’s own fees.
• Have you checked my lot against Redmond’s current rules? The answer should name the floor area cap and the fee on added square feet. Redmond amended its zoning code in June 2025, June 2026 and September 2026.
• What does my house’s status mean for what I can add? If the house is over the cap or inside a setback, ask how the architect will confirm the nonconforming rules with the city.
• Who does the work on my project? Ask who draws, who meets the engineer and who talks to the city.
• How will you keep the design inside my budget? Ask when cost is checked and what happens if the numbers come back high.
• Do you build? I do not. If an architect also builds, ask how design decisions and construction pricing are kept separate.
• Will you administer construction? Ask for the scope in writing. It usually covers site visits, answering the builder’s questions, reviewing requests for payment and checking the work against the drawings.
• What is the schedule to permit submission, and what does the city add? Insist on two separate numbers.

The process, in order

Step	Time	What you get
Free feasibility check	About a day	A quick read on whether the plan fits your lot, the Redmond rules and your budget.
In-depth analysis (optional)	2 to 3 weeks, $1,500	A deeper look at zoning, code and budget before you pay for full design.
Design to permit submission	Typically 2 to 4 months	Design, engineering coordination and the permit set, under the fixed fee.
City review	Set by the city and the scope	Plan review and my answers to the city’s comments.
Bidding	Varies with the builders	Builders price the same finished drawings, so the bids compare.
Construction administration	For the length of the build	I administer construction on your behalf. I do not build.

The in-depth analysis is worth buying when the free check shows a close call, such as a house near the size cap, a lot on the water, or trees in the way. When the path is clear, I will say so and you can go straight to design.

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 Redmond, 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 Redmond 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. The city’s review comes after that, and I do not quote a Redmond review time until I have seen your scope. Construction length depends on the scope and the builder’s schedule.

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

Not by state law. RCW 18.08.410 exempts design work for a residential building of up to four dwelling units from the architect licensing requirement. You will still submit drawings to the city for permit review, and I coordinate the engineering on a project of this size. People hire an architect on a remodel of $750,000 or more because the lot, the code and the cost of mistakes make the design work worth doing carefully.

Is there a limit on how big I can make my house in Redmond?

Yes. In the Neighborhood Residential zone, the total floor area of all structures on a lot is capped by the number of dwelling units: 4,500 square feet for one unit, 6,000 for two, and 1,500 more for each added unit. Garages and below grade floors count, and a larger lot does not raise the cap. Confirm with the city before designing around it.

Will I owe Redmond’s affordable housing fee on a remodel?

Only on net new floor area. The city’s schedule for the Neighborhood Residential zone charges $15 per net new square foot in 2026 and $30 in 2027, and says a remodel with no change in total square feet counts no square feet. A 700 square foot addition would be $10,500 at the 2026 rate and $21,000 at the 2027 rate. Confirm which rate applies to your application with the city.

What changes if my Redmond lot is on Lake Sammamish?

The Lake Sammamish setback in the Neighborhood Residential table is 35 feet, and the 20 percent administrative setback flexibility does not apply to it. Shoreline rules also apply on top of the zoning rules. I check the lake line during feasibility, because it can decide where an addition goes.

Does Piper Cole build, or only design?

I design the project and administer construction on your behalf. I do not build. You hire the contractor, and builders price the same finished drawings, so the bids compare.

What do I get from the free feasibility check?

A very quick read, about a day, on whether your plan fits the lot, the Redmond rules and your budget. For a Redmond house I look first at the floor area cap, the setbacks, the fee on added square feet and any lake or tree issue. 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.