FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: UNCOVER ANSWERS TO COMMON INQUIRIES ABOUT OUR LATEST PROJECTS

At North Coast Design, we distinguish ourselves from other new home designers in Mandurah thanks to our personalised approach and close attention to detail. We don’t deliver cookie-cutter layouts; instead, our team works with you to understand your lifestyle, budget and future needs, creating custom designs that capture the idea of your dream home right from the start.

We’re also a local, family-owned business, and that’s at the heart of what we do. We put genuine care into every project, building a home for your family with the same commitment and pride we’d bring to our own - truly from our family to yours.

Our local know-how, combined with in-depth knowledge of Mandurah’s neighbourhoods, council requirements and design standards, ensures a smoother approval process. By blending creativity with functionality, we design homes that are both unique and practical for everyday living - giving you a design experience that results in spaces you’ll enjoy for years to come.

Designing a new home involves several steps from the initial consultation and concept sketches to detailed floor plans, revisions, and final documentation. The timeframe depends on the scope and complexity of the project. For a full custom home, the design process typically takes around 4 to 6 months, with timing influenced by site conditions, design complexity, and approval requirements. External factors, such as the statutory timeframe for Development Approval, which is around 90 days including advertising, can also affect the overall schedule.

At every stage, our experienced custom home designers in Mandurah focus on seamlessly incorporating your ideas into the design while ensuring full compliance with local building codes and zoning rules. Our aim is to create a home that reflects your style while being practical, functional and built to last.

Modern home design emphasises open, light-filled spaces characterised by clean architectural lines and practical layouts.

• Key Features Include:

• Open-plan and flexible floor layouts

• Large windows that maximise natural light

• Minimalist interiors with clean lines

• Efficient storage solutions

• Energy-efficient design elements

• Seamless connections between indoor and outdoor spaces

These design principles don’t just boost functionality—they also enhance comfort. Our modern home designers in Mandurah provide 3D walkthroughs and detailed renders so you can see exactly how your home will look and feel before building begins. This interactive process lets you explore layouts, finishes and flow, ensuring your modern home is stylish, practical and tailored to your lifestyle.

The cost of designing new house plans in Mandurah is influenced by several key factors. To help you budget effectively, we provide an initial cost estimate for the required documentation. As a guideline, the clients should anticipate a cost of $10 per square metre for both the planning and building. This figure serves as a baseline for project feasibility.

The final quotation will vary based on the residence's size and complexity, site conditions, council regulations, and energy efficiency requirements. Please note that detailed or bespoke architectural design services may involve separate fees. For a precise and detailed quotation, we encourage you to reach out to our team.

Our residential home design services guide you from the first sketch right through to council-ready plans.

Here’s what we offer:

• Personal Consultation: We tailor each design to your lifestyle, vision, and budget.

• Custom Floor Plans: Smart layouts maximise space, light, and functionality.

• 3D Visuals & Elevations: Clear visuals help you picture your future home.

• Detailed Drafting: Accurate drawings ensure smooth council submission.

• Compliance & Approvals: We manage R-Code variations and Development Approvals where required to achieve the best design outcomes, especially for custom designs that may go beyond the standard local council requirements.

• Consultant Coordination: We liaise with surveyors, engineers, and other specialists.

We’re committed to delivering a complete solution, transforming your vision into a beautifully designed home.

Here’s the short answer: an architect is a protected, registered profession in Australia. Only those on a state/territory register may use the title and offer architectural services. Architects complete accredited study, supervised experience and exams, and typically provide concept-to-construction design, documentation and contract administration.

A building designer can produce plans, 3D visuals and approvals packages for homes and small commercial projects, but the title isn’t legally protected nationally and qualifications vary by state and practitioner. Choose based on project complexity, approvals pathway and whether you need full architectural services. If you are searching for a building designer near me, we’re here to help.

Our building designers typically do the following:

· Clarifies your brief, budget, site constraints, and planning context.

· Produces concept and schematic designs, often with 2D/3D visuals.

· Develops the design and coordinates consultants (structural, energy, survey).

· Ensures NCC compliance (eg. NatHERS 7-star energy requirements).

· Prepares and lodges planning/development applications where required.

· Assembles building-permit documentation (drawings, specs, reports).

· Chooses BA1 (certified) or BA2 (uncertified) permit pathways with you.

· Works with a registered building surveyor to obtain a Certificate of Design Compliance (BA3).

If you are searching for new home designer near me online, talk to our expert team to schedule a consultation.

Yes, our draftsman can prepare the drawings, reports and checklists, and act as your authorised agent to lodge a development (planning) application, provided the landowner gives written consent. Many WA forms explicitly allow an authorised applicant/agent.

For the subsequent building permit, our draftsman can assemble and lodge BA1 (certified) or BA2 (uncertified) with the local permit authority. A certified application must include a Certificate of Design Compliance (BA3) issued by a registered building surveyor.

If you’re searching “draftsman near me Perth,” ask whether they’ll coordinate the private building surveyor and other consultants needed for approvals.

Costs for drafting/design on additions vary. For a residential architect, key drivers are:

· Project Size/Scope and Design Complexity

· Level of Service (Concept Only Vs Planning + Permit + Contract Admin) and the Fee Model (Fixed, Hourly, or % of Build)

· Existing Drawings, Documentation Detail and Number of Revisions

· Site Conditions and Access

· Planning Controls

· Heritage Or Bushfire Requirements

· Approval Pathway and Required Consultants

· Extras such as 3D renders and fast-track timelines

· Location and practitioner experience

· Market conditions and procurement strategy

More complexity, compliance and involvement mean higher fees.

With 3D rendering in Perth, you can compare kitchen and bathroom layouts before committing. Designers generate multiple options from one model (such as swapping plans, cabinetry, fixtures, tiles and colours) so you see side-by-side visuals and choose confidently.

360° panoramas and VR walkthroughs let you feel circulation, clearances and sightlines at true scale, making it easier to catch tight aisles or awkward door swings early. Daylight simulations reveal how windows, skylights and finishes affect brightness and mood through the day, guiding material and lighting choices. The result? Faster decisions, fewer changes during construction, and a design that actually fits how you live.

Drafting is a process of using computer-aided design (CAD) to draw an accurate technical representation of the building that will be constructed. In earlier days, pen and paper were used to create these drawings.

At North Coast Design, we use both 2D and 3D software to create detailed sets of drawings that communicate both form and function, which are then used for construction, and to achieve council approvals.

The act of drafting in Mandurah is incredibly precise, and a blueprint for the construction is created. Drawings of the building also include multiple elevations and the floor plan, as well as detailed views containing information about individual components.

A draftsman in Mandurah is a skilled person who creates technical blueprints of a building using CAD software.

There are many ways to make a technical drawing, including by hand or by using a program, such as AutoCAD or Archicad.

Different applications of drafting, from architecture to engineering will have different draftsman requirements.

Although in Western Australia there are no legal requirements for draftsman to be qualified, all of the draftsman at North Coast Design have their Diplomas.

At North Coast Design, we are not only draftsman, but designers as well. We consider your wants and needs, as well as other factors like your budget when designing your project.

We then complete the technical aspects required of a draftsman including, plans of the floors, elevations, sections, details, site plan, room layout, plans for the electrical system, and more.

Engaging a building designer ensures your project benefits from professional expertise in creating functional, aesthetic, and cost-effective spaces.

For those looking to engage a builder in the future, a building designer offers single-use copyright ownership, allowing you to obtain multiple quotes and select the best builder for your project.

For those looking to owner-build, using a professional building designer will assist with the approvals process, while also making the build easier.

The turnaround time for our drafting services in Mandurah changes based on the complexity of the project we undertake and project schedule requirements.

For some projects, the drafting can be done overnight, while other projects may take weeks or even months.

There are many stages to a design / drafting project that must be considered. Within the architectural drafting and design stages there is concept design, preliminary /planning approvals and construction documentation.

Then you have structural documentation and certification, along with other consultants that may be required for your project (Energy Assessment and BAL Assessments for example).

The cost of drafting services depends on the size and complexity of the project which is why we quote every project individually.

We have jobs starting from $350, ranging up to $50,000+.

The average cost for a residential project is around $3000 – $6000.

This can vary greatly though dependent on client and job specific requirements, design work etc.

You then also have consultants to consider on top of this that are required for council approval. The hourly rate for a draftsman with experience can range from $80 to $165.

The price also varies depending on the number of revisions required and how quickly you need the drawings.

For complex commercial drafting in Mandurah, the cost will be higher compared to a simple residential project. To get an accurate quote, please contact us with your project details.

Not to worry, as a leading Mandurah drafting company, there are a few different avenues that we can consider if you do not have the existing documentation.

First and foremost, we recommend having an archive search completed at your local council.

If this produces no results, we always have the ability to complete a full site measure and redraw of your building, ready to start the design and drafting process.

Contact our experts for more information.