The H&A My Design Process, Stage By Stage
The H&A My Design process is a single, structured design-build roadmap from the first lot survey to the final key handover, with design, engineering, permits and construction under one contract. We are a licensed design-build general contractor, family-owned for more than 20 years. Serving Southern California and the surrounding areas.
Licensed & bonded California general contractor — CSLB #999603. One team from the first sketch to the last inspection.
What A Design-Build Process Actually Means
In a traditional project you hire an architect, then an engineer, then shop the drawings around to contractors and hope the numbers match the design. A design-build process puts all of that under one roof, so the people drawing the house are the same people pricing it and building it.
One Contract, One Team
In the H&A My Design process, design, engineering coordination, permit expediting and construction sit under a single agreement with a single point of accountability. When a question comes up on site, nobody has to work out whose problem it is.
Budget Tested While You Design
Because the builder is in the room during design, cost is checked as the drawings develop rather than discovered after the permit is issued.
Fewer Gaps Between Trades
Drawings, structure and finishes are coordinated by one team, which removes the most common source of change orders.
Design-Build Versus Design-Bid-Build
The difference between the two approaches shows up in a handful of practical places:
- Who is responsible when the drawings and the site disagree
- When you find out what the project will really cost
- How many contracts, schedules and invoices you manage
- How quickly a design change can be priced and approved
- Whether the builder helped shape the plan or inherited it
The H&A My Design Process At A Glance
The H&A My Design process runs in six stages, from spatial discovery to final key handover.
Discovery
Lot survey, utility check, zoning analysis and setback verification.
Architecture
3D renderings, floor plans, ceiling heights and finishes refined before permits.
Engineering
Structural drafting, foundation engineering and Title 24 energy packets.
Selections
City approvals expedited while you choose finishes in our showroom.
Construction
In-house framing, MEP trades and carpentry, inspected at every milestone.
Completion
Final sign-off, punch list, key handover and warranty activation.
Lot Feasibility And Spatial Audit
Every project starts on site, not on a screen. Before anything is drawn, we confirm what the lot and the local code will actually allow you to build.
What We Check
An on-site survey establishes the real starting point for the project:
- Lot survey and existing structures
- Utility locations and capacity
- Zoning designation and what it permits
- Setbacks, height limits and easements
- Maximum allowable build dimensions
What You Come Away With
A clear picture of what is possible on your property and a realistic direction for the project, before design time is spent on something the city would never approve.
Your Decisions At This Stage
Priorities, a working budget range and how you plan to use the space. Those answers shape everything drawn in the next stage.
3D CAD Architectural Modeling
This is the stage most homeowners enjoy, and the one where changes are cheapest. Walls move on screen for free; on site they do not.
Seeing It Before It Exists
You walk through photorealistic 3D renderings of the interior and exterior, then refine the plan until it fits the way you live:
- Floor plan layout and circulation
- Ceiling heights and room volumes
- Window placement and natural light
- Exterior massing and materials
- Early direction on finishes
Why Changes Belong Here
Every decision settled at this stage of the H&A My Design process is one that does not have to be reversed during construction. An extra week on the drawings is far cheaper than a month of undoing framing.
Blueprint Credit For ADUs
On qualified ADU design-build projects, the blueprint work can be credited toward construction. See the ADU blueprint offer for the terms.
Structural Plans And Energy Calculations
Once the design is settled, it becomes a set of documents that a building department can approve and a crew can build from.
The Permit Set
Engineering turns the design into buildable, approvable drawings:
- Full structural drafting
- Foundation engineering
- Title 24 energy compliance packet
- Drawings prepared for plan-check submittal
Why It Is Worth Getting Right
Structural calculations and energy compliance are where a plan either holds together or unravels at plan check. Getting them right the first time is quicker than working through a long list of corrections. California’s energy standards are published by the California Energy Commission.
Permit Expediting And Showroom Curation
Two things happen side by side at this stage: the city reviews the plans and you choose the finishes. Running them in parallel is one of the quiet advantages of a design-build process.
Permits, Handled Personally
We personally expedite city approvals: submitting the plans, answering plan-check corrections and keeping the file moving. Permit review typically takes around six to fourteen weeks, depending on the jurisdiction and the scope of work.
Finishes, Chosen In Person
While the permit is in review, you specify cabinetry, stone, tile and plumbing fixtures in our 5,000 sq. ft. showroom at 6723 Variel Avenue, Canoga Park.
Why Selections Come Before Construction
Tile decides the substrate and cabinetry decides the plumbing rough-in. Locking selections early keeps the build from stopping to wait for a decision.
Master Construction And Inspections
With permits issued and selections locked, construction follows the approved plans in the right order, inspected at every milestone.
Who Builds It
Dedicated in-house framing, MEP trades and custom carpentry, coordinated by the same team that designed and permitted the project:
- Site preparation and foundation
- Framing and structure
- Mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-in
- Insulation, drywall and finishes
- Custom carpentry and fixtures
Inspections At Every Milestone
City inspections are passed at each milestone before the next stage begins, so nothing is covered up until it has been signed off. As a guide, garage-conversion ADUs typically take three to five months to build, detached ADUs five to eight, and major additions five to eight.
Changes During Construction
If something changes, it is written up with its cost and schedule impact and approved by you before the work goes ahead.
Final Sign-Off And Key Handover
In the H&A My Design process, a project is finished when the city signs it off and the house works the way it was designed to — not simply when the last trade leaves.
What Completion Covers
The final stage closes out the project properly:
- Final city inspection and sign-off
- Certificate of occupancy where the project requires one
- Final quality punch list, walked together
- Key handover
- Activation of your warranty
After The Keys
Warranty terms are set out in your contract and activated at handover, together with the manufacturer documentation for the appliances and fixtures installed in your home.
Before, During And After In West Hills
Three moments from one of our full-house renovation and addition projects.
How The H&A My Design Process Stays On Schedule
Five habits that separate a project that finishes from one that stalls.
One point of contact
You deal with one team from the first survey to the final walkthrough.
A written scope before work starts
Scope, allowances and schedule agreed in writing before demolition.
Selections locked early
Finishes chosen during permit review, not in the middle of construction.
Changes approved in writing
Every change is priced and approved before it is built.
Inspections passed at every milestone
Nothing is covered up until it has been signed off.
Start With Stage One
Book a site visit and we will walk your property, check what the lot allows and explain how the H&A My Design process would run for your project.
H&A My Design Process Questions
How long does the whole process take?
It depends on the scope and the jurisdiction. Permit review typically takes around six to fourteen weeks. Garage-conversion ADUs typically take three to five months to build, detached ADUs and major additions five to eight. You receive a written schedule once the scope is defined.
Can I start with drawings from my own architect?
Yes. We can build from existing drawings, although you give up some of the cost and coordination benefits of a full design-build process.
Do you handle the permits?
Yes. We prepare the submission, expedite it with the city, answer plan-check corrections and schedule every inspection.
When do I choose my finishes?
During stage four, while the permit is in review, in our Canoga Park showroom. Choosing early keeps construction from stopping to wait for decisions.
What if I want to change something mid-build?
Changes are possible. Each one is written up with its cost and schedule impact and approved by you before work goes ahead.
Where do you work?
Throughout Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Calabasas, Westlake, Pasadena, Glendale, Culver City, the South Bay, Santa Clarita Valley, Ventura County, Thousand Oaks, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Malibu, Agoura Hills, Simi Valley, Burbank, Granada Hills, Canoga Park, Reseda and the surrounding areas.
Put The Process To Work
Homeowner Experiences
Hear directly from Southern California clients who trusted H&A My Design with their custom homes, ADUs, and additions.
Walk the finished home — navy kitchen with brass fittings, an open living space and a new double-vanity bathroom.
“We’re extremely happy with the results. Without a shadow of doubt, we’ve already recommended them to other neighbors.”
“Everybody was phenomenal to work with, a pleasure to have. Totally fair and wonderful company and great family.”
“H&A made the entire process transparent. Having one GC manage blueprints, city permits, and the build was night and day.”
“Their Canoga Park showroom made selecting our cabinets, quartz, and fixtures so easy. Finished right on schedule.”
“Converted our garage into a 2-bedroom rental. Flawless craftsmanship and leased immediately after final inspection.”
See the full before and after — the original kitchen, the opened-up living space and the finished bathrooms.
“From 3D plans to final city sign-off, H&A handled everything. No surprise change orders, no stress.”
“Built a modern ADU for my parents. The accessibility and aesthetic details exceeded all our expectations.”
Serving Southern California
Licensed throughout Los Angeles & Ventura Counties. HQ Showroom at 6723 Variel Ave, Canoga Park, CA.
MORE SPACE.
MORE VALUE.
Design, permits, showroom selections, and master construction—managed by one accountable team.