Before You Design a Dream, Check What’s Actually Allowed

 Part 2 of the Visual PNW 4-Step Process / Step 2: Plan

The excitement of a new idea can make anyone skip ahead.

You’ve pictured the new kitchen, the extra bedroom, the light streaming in from those future windows. But before you fall in love with a design, it’s worth asking one simple question:
Will the city actually let you build it?

Knowing your ground rules early saves months later.

Zoning, setbacks, and utilities might sound dry, but they’re the quiet forces shaping every project. They define how large an addition can be, where doors and windows can go, and even how far you can build from your property line. When those details are known upfront, design flows faster and more confidently. When they aren’t, revisions pile up, permits stall, and budgets stretch.

What we check first.

When clients move into our Step 2: Plan phase, we start with:

• Zoning & overlays – what use is allowed and what’s restricted

• Lot coverage & setbacks – how close and how tall you can build

• Utilities – access to water, sewer, and power routes

• Permits & timing – which reviews you’ll actually need

You don’t need to memorize the rules, you just need someone to read the map before you start the drive.

A quiet kind of confidence.

When homeowners see their property mapped out with real data, parcel lines, slopes, easements, something shifts. The “what-ifs” turn into “here’s how.” Design becomes grounded in possibility instead of guesswork.

A good plan doesn’t limit creativity, it protects it.

Common Planning Mistakes We See

1. Designing before checking zoning.
   You fall in love with square footage you can’t legally use.
   
   

2. Ignoring easements and utilities.
   Those invisible lines can block entire layouts.
   
   

3. Underestimating permits.
   Every jurisdiction runs differently, guessing adds months.
   
   

The fix: verify first, design second.

Our Step 2: Plan phase keeps your project aligned with reality.

We review every property through the lens of your city’s rules so creativity stays free, not fragile.
It’s the step that turns enthusiasm into momentum.

💬 Pro Tip

Look up your address in your city’s GIS or map viewer before your first design meeting. You’ll learn more in five minutes than most people do halfway through their remodel.

🌿 Ready to plan with confidence?

Our Home Design Toolkit includes the same checklists we use during Step 2, zoning, site limits, and permit prep, so you can start organized.