Frequently Asked Questions

Architectural design fees typically range from 7% to 12% of the total construction cost for new projects, while remodeling projects may fall in the 10% to 20% range. The estimated percentage depends on project complexity and the level of design requested. Costs vary if you are designing an entire home, adding to an existing home, renovating a home, building an addition such as a garage or family room, building an accessory dwelling unit, or a combination of all of the above.

Construction costs have and continue to increase rapidly, driven by both supply and labor costs. Total cost will depend on the size of your project and the finishes that you choose. For a general idea of costs today, additions and renovations with finishes such as shown on our website may average around $350 - $400 per square foot or more, while renovations with no addition can average around $200 - $250 per square foot or more. These numbers do not include the cost of cabinetry, appliances, lighting and plumbing fixtures, or any custom work. If you seek a complete design with top of the line finishes, such as what we show on our website, we recommend budgeting at least $500 per square foot for your residential project.

The architectural design process will depend on the scope of work you require. J Reinert Architecture can typically start a home design project within 6-8 weeks of receiving a signed proposal. Smaller projects such as a minor renovation or construction of a free-standing garage can take less time to complete than larger projects. Should your project require any variances, J Reinert Architecture will help manage application deadlines, the zoning approval process and attend town meetings as necessary. Variances will delay the design process as deadlines are municipality driven. Typically, our average residential design process takes 3-6 months.

Most of our residential design projects are New Jersey based. There may be roughly a 6 month wait to get construction started once you have selected your builder. Construction itself is dependent upon how large and how complicated your project is, as well as availability of materials, lead times, subcontractor availability, weather, etc. Larger projects in South Jersey can take an average of 6-12 months for completion. J Reinert Architecture recommends that you ask this question as part of your builder or contractor interview process.

J Reinert Architecture is actively involved in each clients’ projects from the inception through construction completion. To ensure you are completely satisfied with the end results, we are fully involved, engaged and there to guide you through the process. Residential home construction, renovation and addition projects are typically broken down into phases:

• Pre-Design Phase: In the Pre-Design Phase J Reinert Architecture gathers essential information to begin designing your residential project. Our team visits your home or site to measure and photograph all accessible areas to use this information to create base drawings for the Schematic Design Phase. As part of this phase, we research and attempt to uncover important information pertaining to your project - identifying local ordinances, codes and agencies with jurisdiction over your residential project. When the base drawings are completed, we hold a Pre-Design meeting to get to know you better and to catalog your needs, wants and desires for your home addition, renovation or residential project.
• Schematic Design Phase: Our creativity kicks in during the Schematic Design Phase. We generate ideas to address the issues you want to solve while integrating the aesthetic you would like to achieve. The existing conditions drawings serve as a base where we sketch out different ideas and concepts and explore architectural solutions. The residential Schematic Design Phase is an iterative process and involves multiple client meetings as we develop a master plan and basic layout scheme that meets your needs. At the end of the Schematic Design Phase you will have an understanding of how your home addition, renovation or new home plan will function and what your home will look like.
• Variance Phase: Should your residential addition, renovation, outbuilding or new home require any variances, J Reinert Architecture will assemble the required architectural documents and help guide you through the approval process.
• Construction Documents Phase: J Reinert Architecture will help you make any necessary decisions about how to appropriately phase the project as well as guide you through building material selections so you can make informed decisions. We then develop the plans further, specifying material selections, dimensions, etc. and finish the construction documents for bidding and permitting. At the end of this phase, the residential construction documents will be available to guide your contractor as the project is built.
• Contract Administration Phase: With the Construction Documents package complete, J Reinert Architecture can help you find the right contractor for your project’s scope and type. When you have your residential construction contract in place, we may assist the contractor in getting permits and required approvals. Once construction begins, we serve as a resource for both the homeowner and the contractor, able to provide assistance in many ways, from interpreting drawings to reassurances as questions arise. J Reinert Architecture has proven invaluable to our clients during the construction process, anticipating problems and offering solutions designed to keep construction on track and in compliance.

We are a full service custom residential architectural firm, striving to provide the best fit for each and every one of our clients. We encourage you to be involved throughout the process, sharing your requirements, ideas and desires. We want you to be open to exploring unique and creative solutions to the problems you would like addressed. We will schedule meetings with you to get your input regularly throughout the design process. We also help our clients to make decisions regarding their project, which can range from layout and special features to material selections. If your project should require a variance, we will help guide you through the process, but you as the homeowner will have responsibility for certain items required in the approval process such as fees and notices to neighbors. In general, some of your responsibilities will be:

• Providing a property survey.
• Attending scheduled meetings.
• Defining any problems that need to be addressed.
• Communicating a vision for the lifestyle you intend to have.
• Sharing your aesthetic preferences.
• Having an open mind in considering unique and creative solutions.
• Setting a realistic budget for your project.
• Hiring contractors.

You can use your own contractor, or we can provide names of respected contractors in our area that we think would be a good match for your project. Either way, we recommend that you check references and choose someone that you feel is trustworthy and that you can communicate with easily. We have local contractors that we frequently work with and we are also always open to meeting new collaborators.

Please use the Contact Us page and complete the form. We will then offer the option to schedule an introductory phone call to discuss your project and answer your questions. If after our phone call, we seem to be a good fit for working together, J Reinert Architecture will set up a time to meet you in person, see your project location, and discuss an architectural collaboration. Meeting you is important as we strive to achieve a personable and comfortable working relationship with our clients. If we both feel we would like to work together, J Reinert Architecture will provide you with a Proposal for Architectural Services. Once you review, sign and return the contract with the retainer fee, we can add your project into our schedule and begin work on designing your home addition, renovation or new home.