What 7 Questions Every Owner Should Answer Before Starting Design

What Is the Construction Project Supposed to Accomplish?

Before the design team begins drawing, the owner needs to clearly define the problem the construction project is intended to solve. A new building, renovation, or addition should begin with more than a general description of the work—it should begin with a clear understanding of why the project is needed.

The project vision should identify who will use the finished space, what functions it must provide, what problems must be corrected, and what a successful result will look like. Without that direction, the design team will be forced to make assumptions that may not match the owner’s actual priorities.

• Why the project is needed
• Who will use the finished space
• What problems must be solved
• What functions the project must provide
• How success will be measured

What Is the Total Construction Project Budget?

The construction budget and the total project budget are not the same thing. Owners must account for the costs required to plan, design, permit, furnish, and complete the project—not only the contractor’s construction cost.

The budget should also include a realistic contingency for incomplete information, market changes, existing conditions, and unforeseen work. Treating the budget as a complete allocation plan gives the design team better direction and reduces the likelihood that the project will be designed beyond the owner’s available funding.

• Architecture and engineering fees
• Surveys, testing, and due diligence
• Permits, utility fees, and impact fees
• Demolition and site preparation
• Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
• Technology and security systems
• Utility connections or upgrades
• Escalation and contingency
• Financing and carrying costs

Which Project Requirements Are Must-Haves?

Most construction projects begin with more ideas than the budget can reasonably support. The owner must decide which requirements are essential, which provide meaningful value, and which should only be included if the budget and schedule allow.

This prioritization should happen before cost reductions become necessary. When pricing exceeds the budget, the team can then make informed decisions without accidentally removing the features that are most important to the project’s purpose.

Good value engineering is not simply about making the project cheaper. It is about protecting the project’s essential functions while finding smarter ways to deliver them.

• Must-haves the project cannot succeed without
• Strong preferences that provide meaningful value
• Nice-to-haves that depend on available budget
• Features that may be added in a future phase
• Requirements that cannot be reduced or removed

Who Will Make and Approve Project Decisions?

Construction projects lose time when the architect, engineer, or contractor does not know who has the authority to approve a decision. Before design begins, the owner should establish who provides input, who controls the budget, and who has final approval authority.

Input and approval are not the same thing. A project may involve ownership groups, investors, property managers, tenants, operations teams, and other stakeholders, but the design team still needs one clear process for receiving direction and obtaining final decisions.

The owner should also establish expected review periods. A schedule based on five-day approvals will not work if every decision requires three weeks and multiple layers of review.

• Primary owner representative
• Final design authority
• Budget approval authority
• Operational and maintenance reviewers
• Stakeholders who provide input
• Expected review and approval periods

What Does the Required Construction Schedule Really Mean?

“We need it completed by next summer” is a goal, not a complete construction schedule. The owner must define whether the project needs to be substantially complete, fully operational, or ready for a specific lease date, opening, sale, event, or financial commitment.

The schedule must account for design, owner reviews, permitting, utility coordination, procurement, construction, inspections, and final turnover. Long-lead materials, occupied spaces, jurisdictional reviews, and delayed owner decisions can all affect the completion date.

A realistic schedule does not remove urgency. It identifies the decisions and activities where urgency matters most.

• Required completion or opening date
• Design and owner-review periods
• Permit and jurisdictional review times
• Utility-provider coordination
• Long-lead materials and equipment
• Construction phasing requirements
• Inspections and final turnover
• Time required for owner decisions

What Property Constraints Could Affect the Design?

A strong design concept can quickly become impractical when it is developed without enough information about the property. For ground-up construction, the team must evaluate boundaries, easements, drainage, utilities, soil conditions, zoning, environmental restrictions, and access.

Renovations and additions introduce another set of unknowns, including existing structural conditions, outdated building systems, hazardous materials, water damage, accessibility requirements, and inaccurate record drawings.

Not every study must be complete before the first design conversation. However, the owner and design team should identify what is known, what remains unknown, and when each unknown must be resolved. Ignoring a constraint doesn't make it disappear—it usually makes it a more expensive problem later.

• Property boundaries and easements
• Topography, drainage, and flood risk
• Existing utilities and available capacity
• Soil and environmental conditions
• Zoning and local development requirements
• Existing structural and building-system conditions
• Hazardous materials or hidden damage
• Accessibility and code requirements
• Occupied-space and phasing restrictions

How Will the Finished Project Be Used and Maintained?

Design decisions should not be based only on how the project will look on opening day. Owners also need to consider how the finished building will function, operate, and perform over its useful life.

A lower upfront cost is not always the lowest-cost decision. Materials and systems that are difficult to clean, repair, operate, or replace can create years of avoidable expenses. The people responsible for using and maintaining the finished project should be involved while design changes are still practical.

Considering long-term operations during construction project planning helps the owner balance initial cost with durability, efficiency, flexibility, and future maintenance needs.

• Daily use and circulation
• Maintenance and equipment access
• Material durability
• Energy and water consumption
• Cleaning and staffing requirements
• Security and access control
• Equipment warranties and replacement parts
• Future flexibility or expansion
• Long-term repair and replacement costs

Common questions

What should I have ready before meeting with an architect?

Before meeting with an architect, define the project’s purpose, total budget, required features, target schedule, and who has final decision-making authority. You should also gather any available surveys, existing plans, property records, inspection reports, or other information that could affect the design.

Should I set my construction budget before starting design?

Yes. Establish a total project budget before starting design so the architect understands the project’s financial limits. The budget should include design fees, permits, testing, furnishings, contingency, and other owner costs in addition to the anticipated construction cost.

Why do construction projects go over budget during design?

Projects often exceed their budgets because the original scope was unclear, too many preferences were treated as requirements, or the budget did not include all project costs. Incomplete site information, delayed decisions, design changes, and unforeseen existing conditions can also increase costs.

How early should a contractor be involved in the design process?

A contractor or construction professional should be involved early enough to provide input on cost, constructability, scheduling, material availability, and project phasing. Early construction input can help identify problems while design changes are still relatively easy and inexpensive to make.

What property information is needed before design begins?

The required information depends on the project, but it may include a boundary and topographic survey, zoning information, utility locations, soil reports, flood-zone information, environmental studies, and existing building plans. For renovations, the team may also need structural evaluations, hazardous-material testing, and documentation of existing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.