Featured
Modern Acre Studio
5.0(33)Google
Architecture, interiors, structural and MEP under one roof. Every house one-of-a-kind, and the process is polished end to end.
713-391-4533
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16 firms
Star ratings and review counts are taken from Google.
Arc Three
4.8(17)Google
Custom homes alongside commercial and worship work, across Houston. Architecture and design only.
Brickmoon Design
4.8(19)Google
New custom homes, remodels and additions. Houston, The Woodlands and the Hill Country. Architecture and interior design in-house.
CI
Cisneros Design Studio
Cisneros Design Studio
4.7(9)Google
Houses and loft conversions alongside commercial fit-outs. Houston's East End. Architecture only.
Creole Design
4.1(9)Google
Custom homes and renovations in a Southern, Greek Revival vocabulary. Mostly the Heights. Design only, no engineering.
Dillon Kyle Architects
3.6(17)Google
High-end new houses and renovations, with some gallery and office work. River Oaks and Montrose. Architecture only.
Goose Creek Designs
4.3(6)Google
Custom home design only. Baytown and the east side. Drawings only — no interiors, engineering or construction.
IEC Design House
3.8(10)Google
Residential and commercial design-build. Pasadena and east Houston. Plans, engineering, permitting, interiors and build.
Kashou Architecture
4.5(2)Google
Custom homes and kitchen remodels, plus hospitality and medical work. Katy and west Houston. Architecture and interiors.
MW
Mark W. Todd Architects
Mark W. Todd Architects
4.4(13)Google
Custom homes and renovations, plus venues and churches. The Woodlands. Architecture with an in-house interior design department.
MC2 Architects
4.3(6)Google
Houses and townhomes alongside restaurants and dental offices. Heights, Bellaire and Conroe. Architecture only.
MoGo Architects
4.5(6)Google
Single-family, duplexes and historic conversions, plus commercial. Northwest Houston out to Tomball. Architecture only.
Newberry Architecture
4.7(7)Google
Mostly remodels and additions, plus some commercial. Houston. Architecture, interior design and landscape in-house.
Phase Studio Architecture
4.3(3)Google
Houses from garage studios to townhome communities, plus commercial. Uptown Houston. Architecture and interior design.
RR
Rice Residential Design, L.L.C.
Rice Residential Design, L.L.C.
4.3(11)Google
Custom homes and builder plans, residential only since 1992. Houston and out of state. Design and drafting, no engineering.
Zamore Architects
4.2(5)Google
Renovations, additions and pool houses more than new builds. The Heights. Architecture only, plus its zKIT and zFAB lines.
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What this actually costs in Houston
Ranges, not one fake number — anyone quoting a single figure before drawings exist is guessing. Drag the budget and see what it buys.
Construction budget
Buys roughly3000–4150 sf
at $180–250/sf in today's Houston market
Architect's fee$17k–$35k
$5–10 per sq ft of design — about 2–5% of this budget
Design + permitting≈ 4.5 months
drawings, engineering and the permit — before anyone breaks ground
Then construction≈ 13 months
on site, once the permit is issued
These numbers use $180–250 per square foot, the mid-range for custom construction in Houston today. Premium inner-loop work runs past $400 and sits above this calculator. Land, site prep and utility hookups are all extra.
City of Houston base permit fees: $803–$4,363 for homes valued $150k–$1M. Bellaire, West U and the Villages each have their own offices and their own fees.
Four Stages of Construction
Projects rarely fail at the drawing board. They fail where a homeowner didn't know a decision was theirs to make.
01
Concept
2–6 weeksThe architect
Site visit, measured drawings of any existing structure, first sketches, a realistic budget conversation.
You
Be honest about your all-in number. Order a current survey (~$450–700). Dig up your deed restrictions — in Houston they do the work zoning does elsewhere, and they can kill a scheme before it starts.
02
Schematic design
2–4 monthsThe architect
Floor plans, elevations, materials direction, then coordination with structural and MEP engineers. On Houston clay, the foundation engineering is not a formality.
You
Make decisions and keep a log of them. Every reversed decision after this phase costs real money. If you're in a deed-restricted or historic area, this is when the approval package gets assembled.
03
Permit
2 weeks – 3 monthsThe architect
Files the construction documents with your jurisdiction — which one matters: Houston, Bellaire, West U, and Harris County all run separate offices with different review times.
You
Mostly waiting, but not idle: get builder bids from the permit set, check references, and confirm floodplain status — the maps were substantially redrawn after Harvey and your lot may have moved.
04
Construction
4–14 monthsThe architect
If you've kept them on for construction administration: site visits, reviewing the builder's pay applications, and catching deviations while they're still cheap to fix.
You
Approve selections before their order deadlines, walk the site weekly, and pay from verified progress — not from the calendar. Texas doesn't license residential general contractors; your architect's oversight is much of your protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers about designing and building a home in Houston.
Do I need an architect, or can a builder's designer do it?
For structural work, additions, and new construction, a registered architect protects you twice: the drawings are engineered for Houston's gumbo clay, and Texas doesn't license residential contractors — the architect's oversight is much of your protection. For a like-for-like kitchen or bath, a design-build remodeler is often enough.
How long does the whole process take, start to move-in?
Design and permitting run about 2–6 months depending on the size of the house and your jurisdiction. Construction adds roughly 4–8 months for a renovation or addition and 10–16 months for a new custom home. Historic-district review in the Heights or Montrose can add 6–10 weeks before you can even file.
What does a permit cost, and who files it?
Your architect files the construction documents with your jurisdiction. City of Houston base permit fees run from a few hundred dollars for an addition to $800–$4,400 for new homes. Bellaire, West University Place, and the Memorial Villages are separate cities with their own offices, fees, and review times.
Why does everyone keep asking what my soil is like?
Most of Houston sits on expansive 'gumbo' clay that swells and shrinks with moisture. New builds typically use post-tension slabs engineered for it; older inner-loop homes sit on pier-and-beam. The foundation engineering is not a formality here — it's where bad projects start.
What about flood zones?
The floodplain maps were substantially redrawn after Harvey, so your lot's status may have changed even if the house never flooded. If you're in a mapped floodplain, finished-floor elevation requirements shape the whole design — it should be checked before sketches, not at permit.
What are deed restrictions and why do they matter?
Houston has no zoning; deed restrictions, platting, and historic districts do that work instead. They can dictate setbacks, height, materials, even architectural style — and in deed-restricted neighborhoods the HOA's architectural review comes before any permit. Dig up yours before design starts.
How do payments usually work during construction?
You pay the builder from verified progress — completed work confirmed on-site — not from the calendar. If your architect stays on for construction administration, they review each pay application and catch deviations while they're still cheap to fix.
What's a realistic contingency to hold back?
15–20% on renovations of pre-1960 houses, which hide the biggest surprises behind the walls; around 10% on new construction. If your budget only works with zero surprises, the budget doesn't work.
Don't go for the cheapest one.
A fee that looks like a bargain usually comes back as change orders, delays, and drawings the builder has to guess from. Pick the firm that fits your project and picks up the phone when you call.