How Design-Build Works at Green Design and Build
Design-build means one licensed company designs the project, pulls the permits and builds it, under one contract and one point of contact. Green Design and Build is a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1110975) and design-build remodeler based in Van Nuys, serving homeowners across Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, western Riverside County and western San Bernardino County (Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and neighbouring cities). Our positioning line says it plainly: design, permits and construction under one licence. This page walks through how a project runs with us, step by step, and compares that honestly with hiring an architect and a contractor separately, including when California law requires an architect.
Who we are
Green Design and Build is led by Dekel Sofer. We hold a 4.7-star rating across 146 Yelp reviews and have completed hundreds of projects. We are a full-service residential general contractor for projects of every size, which is why the process below is the same for a bathroom refresh, a kitchen with a wall coming out, a detached ADU and a new house.
The process, step by step
1. First contact: we reply within one business day
Call (800) 348-3050, email info@greendesignandbuild.com or use the contact page. Someone from our Van Nuys office replies within one business day to ask about the property, the scope and a realistic budget range, and to set a time to visit. If the project is clearly not a fit, we say so on that call.
2. Site visit: about two hours
We walk the property with you, usually for about two hours. This is not a sales visit. We measure, photograph the existing plumbing, electrical and framing, open the panel, find the sewer cleanout, look at the crawl space or slab, check access for equipment and materials, and, for additions and ADUs, confirm the lot’s zoning, setbacks and any hillside, fire-zone, flood or historic overlay. On pre-1980 homes we look specifically for galvanized water lines, a 100-amp panel, unbolted sill plates and signs of past leaks, because those set the contingency.
3. Written proposal within 48 hours
You receive an itemized proposal, usually within about 48 hours of the visit. It lists what is included, what is excluded and what is an allowance, line by line, so it can be compared with any other bid. Our published estimates show what each type of project typically costs in Los Angeles; the proposal replaces the range with a number for your house. The visit and the proposal are free.
4. Contract, deposit and financing
The contract follows California law: the down payment is capped at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, and progress payments track completed work. Our guide to contractor payment schedules in California explains the milestones. If you are financing, arrange it now, before the design deposit; our financing page covers the programs we offer and the other ways homeowners pay.
5. Design, engineering and selections
Layout options are developed with you and approved before anything is ordered. On kitchens we produce a 3D rendering, and we do not start demolition until you have approved it and every selection, so the cabinets, which take around three weeks to manufacture, are in production when the old kitchen comes out. Where the project needs it, a structural engineer designs the beams, foundations and shear walls; a soils engineer reports on hillside and questionable lots; and a Title 24 energy consultant prepares the compliance forms. All of it is coordinated under our contract, and every selection is made before construction so nothing waits on a decision mid-build.
6. Permits, pulled by us
We prepare the plans, submit them, respond to plan-check corrections and schedule every inspection. In the City of Los Angeles that is LADBS, at the Van Nuys, Metro or West Los Angeles Development Services Center; Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, every Orange County city, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Corona, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga run their own building divisions, and the counties handle unincorporated areas. You sign as the owner and receive the approved set. Permitted work starts once the city issues the permit; small jobs that do not need one, such as painting or a floor replacement, can usually be scheduled within a few days.
7. Construction, with one point of contact
Our own crews handle demolition, framing, carpentry, drywall, tile, flooring, painting, roofing, concrete and finish work. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC and solar are performed by licensed plumbers, electricians and specialty contractors and scheduled and supervised by us as your general contractor, so you still have one contract and one person to call. Inspections are built into the schedule. When we open a wall and find something the plan did not expect, we stop, photograph it, price it in writing and get your approval before touching it.
8. Walkthrough, close-out and warranty
We walk the finished work with you, close the punch list and confirm every inspection has passed before the final payment. You receive the permit record and the approved plans, and our one-year labor warranty starts on the completion date. Manufacturer warranties on the products pass to you.
What the timeline looks like
| Project | Typical timeline with Green Design and Build |
|---|---|
| Small unpermitted scope (painting, flooring) | Scheduled within a few days of the contract |
| Kitchen remodel | Design and selections 3–6 weeks; permits 1–6 weeks; construction 4–8 weeks (same layout) or 8–12 weeks (layout or structural changes) |
| Whole-home renovation | 1–3 months of design and permitting, then 2–5 months of construction |
| ADU | 6–12 months from first meeting to move-in |
| Room addition or second story | 9–14 months end to end |
| New house | Longer than a second-story addition, mostly in design, engineering and plan check |
Timelines are typical, not promises; city plan-check time is the part no contractor controls. Every project receives a written schedule at the design stage, updated at each milestone.
Design-build vs an architect and a contractor
Both routes produce a permitted, inspected project. The difference is who carries the design risk and who you call when the drawings and the site disagree.
| Design-build (one company) | Architect plus separate contractor | |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts | One, covering design, permits and construction | Two or more: architect, engineer, contractor, sometimes an expediter |
| Who prices the design | The builder, as it is drawn, so the design is priced against real trades and materials | The contractor, after the drawings are finished; redesign if bids exceed budget |
| Accountability when a detail does not work on site | One company; the fix is ours | Shared between designer and builder; the homeowner referees |
| Speed to a proposal | Written proposal within about 48 hours of the site visit; design follows | Design first, then a bidding period, then a contract |
| Design ambition | Strong on remodels, additions, ADUs and conventional houses; layouts are developed with you and rendered before demolition | The route for a highly bespoke or architecturally complex house, or where an independent designer is wanted |
| Independent oversight | Built in through city plan check and inspections; you can also hire an independent inspector or owner’s representative | The architect can administer the contract and inspect on your behalf, for a fee |
| Cost | No separate design fee structure; design is part of the project | Architect’s fee plus contractor’s price; the two are not always aligned |
| Where it fits | Most kitchens, bathrooms, additions, ADUs, whole-home renovations and teardown rebuilds | Custom homes with unusual structure or a strong architectural brief; projects where the owner wants design and construction deliberately separated |
The honest summary: design-build removes the gap between the drawing and the price, which is where most remodels go wrong, and it gives you one responsible party. Hiring an architect separately buys independence and, for some houses, a level of design that a builder’s design team is not set up to deliver. If your project is the second kind, we will tell you, and we are glad to build from an architect’s drawings.
When California law requires an architect
Under Business and Professions Code section 5537, California’s architects practice act does not prohibit anyone from preparing plans for “single-family dwellings of woodframe construction not more than two stories and basement in height,” for garages and similar structures appurtenant to them, or for multifamily buildings of no more than four units of the same construction. That is why a design-build contractor can legally design most houses, additions and ADUs in California. The same section lets the building official require plans by a licensed architect or engineer if a structure deviates from conventional wood-frame construction, and in practice LADBS and the other building departments require a licensed engineer’s calculations for beams, foundations, retaining walls, second stories and anything outside the code’s prescriptive framing tables. We provide that engineering on every project that needs it. Steel-framed houses, three-story homes, hillside structures with unusual foundations and anything beyond the exemption go to a licensed architect and engineer, and we coordinate with them.
Where we do this work
The process is the same across the five counties; the permit counter changes. In the City of Los Angeles, including the San Fernando Valley and the rest of Los Angeles County, plans go to LADBS, with hillside, fire-zone and HPOZ overlays adding steps. Orange County cities run their own building divisions, and master-planned communities add HOA architectural review before the city permit. Ventura County has city departments in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura, with fire-zone construction common in the hills. Western Riverside County and western San Bernardino County have city departments in Corona, Riverside, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, usually with shorter plan-check queues than the City of Los Angeles. See every area we serve.
Frequently asked questions
What does design-build mean?
Design-build means one licensed company designs the project, pulls the permits and builds it under a single contract, instead of the homeowner hiring an architect and a contractor separately and coordinating between them. At Green Design and Build that is design, permits and construction under one licence, CSLB #1110975, with one point of contact from the first call to the final inspection. The design is priced by the people who will build it, so the drawings and the budget stay aligned.
How long does it take to get a proposal from Green Design and Build?
Green Design and Build replies to a new enquiry within one business day, visits the property for about two hours, and delivers an itemized written proposal usually within about 48 hours of the visit. The proposal lists inclusions, exclusions and allowances line by line. The site visit and the proposal are free.
Do I need an architect for a remodel or addition in California?
Usually not for a wood-frame house of two stories or less. Business and Professions Code section 5537 allows plans for single-family wood-frame dwellings of no more than two stories and a basement, and their garages, to be prepared without an architect, which is why a design-build contractor can design most remodels, additions and ADUs. Structural elements such as beams, foundations and second stories still require a licensed engineer’s calculations, which Green Design and Build provides, and buildings outside the exemption need a licensed architect or engineer.
Who pulls the permits?
Green Design and Build prepares and submits the plans, responds to plan-check corrections, pulls the permit and schedules every inspection, at LADBS for the City of Los Angeles and at the city or county building department elsewhere. You sign as the owner and receive the approved set and the permit record. Permitted work starts when the city issues the permit; small jobs that do not need a permit can usually be scheduled within a few days.
Who does the plumbing and electrical on a design-build project?
Plumbing, electrical, HVAC and solar on Green Design and Build projects are performed by licensed plumbers, electricians and specialty contractors and scheduled and supervised by us as your general contractor. You still have one contract and one point of contact, and the work is inspected by the city at rough and final. Our own crews handle framing, carpentry, drywall, tile, flooring, painting, roofing and concrete.
What happens if you find a problem after demolition?
When Green Design and Build opens a wall or floor and finds something the plan did not expect, such as a corroded galvanized line, a rotted subfloor or an undersized panel, we stop, photograph it, price the correction in writing and get your approval before touching it. That is why we recommend a 15 to 20 percent contingency on any home built before 1980. Nothing is added to the contract without a signed change order.
One company, one contract, one person to call
Tell us what you want to build and we will reply within one business day, visit for about two hours and put an itemized proposal in your hands within 48 hours. Read more about who we are on our About page, see finished projects, or start with a new home or a whole-home renovation.