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Architectural design and rendering of a custom home by DECOMA Industries

Residential

Design & Architecture

Schematic design, construction documents, and full design-build packages for South Bay residential — kitchens, baths, additions, ADUs, and ground-up custom homes.

Why design & architecture

Most residential projects fail at design, not at construction.

The contractor gets blamed because the contractor is the one swinging the hammer when the problem surfaces. But the problem was upstream — the floor plan didn't account for the existing plumbing wall, the addition exceeded lot coverage by 80 square feet, the kitchen island clearance failed code, the structural engineer never saw the basement before the foundation pour. By the time those issues hit the jobsite, every fix costs five times what it would have cost to solve on paper.

DECOMA does residential design the same way we do residential construction — with the structural, code, and constructibility input baked in from the first sketch, not added at the 60% review when it's too late to change. Our in-house designers work alongside the engineers and the field superintendents from schematic phase. The CDs that come out the other side are drawings that actually build.

We work two ways:

Design-build: DECOMA handles design and construction under one contract. One team, one schedule, one point of accountability. Faster, usually lower total cost, less coordination work for you. This is roughly two-thirds of our design output.

Design-only: We design, you bid the construction separately to your contractor of choice. We deliver permit-ready CDs that bid clean and build clean. No upcharge, no commitment to use DECOMA for the build. About a third of our design clients go this route.

If you're between "I have an idea" and "I have construction drawings," start with a free 30-minute consultation. We'll tell you what design phase you actually need (sometimes it's less than you think), what permits the scope will trigger, and how long the design cycle realistically takes for your specific South Bay city.

Start with a free consultation → — or jump to Kitchen Remodeling, Bathroom Remodeling, ADUs, or New Home Construction.

Written by John Notaro, President & CEO, DECOMA Industries — CSLB A/B #375508, California Real Estate Broker.

What you get

Everything we deliver.

  • 01

    Schematic design

    Initial floor plans, exterior elevations, and conceptual studies for your specific lot and program. Two or three options explored before we commit to one direction. This is where the design lives or dies.

  • 02

    Design development

    Refinement of the chosen direction — finalized floor plans, room-by-room dimensions, fixture spec, structural concept, material palette. The drawings start to look like real construction documents.

  • 03

    Construction documents (CDs)

    Permit-ready architectural drawings — floor plans, elevations, sections, structural framing plans, MEP coordination, finish schedules, and door/window schedules. Drawn to your specific city's plan-check standards.

  • 04

    Engineering coordination

    Structural, geotech, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers brought in at the right design phase. Coordinated so the structural calcs don't undo the architectural design and the MEP doesn't undo the structural.

  • 05

    Permit submittal & corrections

    Plans submitted to your city's plan-check, corrections cycle managed by our design team, approval letter delivered. Most South Bay cities run 4–12 weeks of plan-check; we work the corrections in parallel.

  • 06

    Design-build hand-off (optional)

    If DECOMA is also building, the CDs hand off seamlessly to construction with the same team running both sides. If you're using a different GC, we hand off complete, contractor-friendly CDs that bid clean.

How we run it

Scope to sign-off.

  1. 01

    Programming & discovery

    What you want to do, how you actually live, what your lot allows, what your budget supports. We spend the first meeting listening — most design problems are programming problems in disguise.

  2. 02

    Schematic design

    Two or three design directions sketched and discussed. We pick one, then refine. This is the cheapest phase to change direction — and the most expensive phase to skip.

  3. 03

    Design development

    Selected design refined into permit-track drawings. Finishes, fixtures, structural concept, MEP routing all locked. Owner sign-off before we move to CDs.

  4. 04

    Construction documents

    Full permit set drawn to plan-check standards. Engineering coordinated and stamped. Owner sign-off, then submittal.

  5. 05

    Permit & hand-off

    Plans submitted, corrections worked, approval issued. Drawings hand off to construction — either DECOMA's GC arm or your separate contractor.

Why DECOMA

One license, three disciplines, forty years.

Family-run South Bay general contractor since 1978. We design, build, and manage — under one license — so the team you start with is the team that hands you keys and the team that answers the phone when something needs fixing in year ten.

Years building
48+
Projects delivered
3,000+
Repeat clients
300+
CSLB Class
A/B

FAQ

Common questions.

Do I need an architect, a designer, or just a contractor?
Depends on scope. Cosmetic remodel (paint, fixtures, finishes, no walls moving): contractor only. Layout changes inside the existing footprint: usually a designer or design-build contractor. Adding square footage, moving walls, changing the exterior, building new construction, or anything that needs permits: architectural design is required (either licensed architect or a CSLB-licensed contractor's in-house designer). Free consultation sorts this out in fifteen minutes.
What's the difference between design-build and plan-and-spec?
Design-build: one team handles both design and construction under one contract. Faster, usually lower total cost, less owner coordination. Plan-and-spec: architect designs, you bid the construction separately. Slower, more freedom to shop the build, more owner coordination. We do both, and we'll tell you which one fits your project on the first call.
Can DECOMA do design only, without doing the construction?
Yes — about 20% of our design work is delivered to other contractors. We don't charge a premium for design-only, and we don't require any commitment to use us for the build. Some homeowners want the design freedom to bid the construction; we respect that.
How long does residential design take?
Cosmetic kitchen or bath design: 2–4 weeks. Larger remodel with structural changes: 6–10 weeks of design before permit submittal. ADU design: 4–8 weeks. Full custom home design: 4–6 months. Add 4–12 weeks of city plan-check on top. Realistic schedules from day one — we don't pad and we don't overpromise.
Will the design fit my budget?
It will if we know the budget. The single biggest cause of design overruns is the owner withholding the real number out of fear the designer will spend to it. We design backwards from your honest budget — if you tell us $X, we design something that builds for $X. If you say 'I don't know' and we design to your tastes, you'll end up with a design that costs 40% more than you wanted.
Do you do interior design too, or just architecture?
We do both, but they're different scopes. Architectural design is the structural shell — walls, openings, structural changes, exterior, code compliance. Interior design is the finish layer — paint colors, furniture, soft goods, lighting selection. We do the architectural side in-house and partner with interior designers for the soft side when clients want it integrated.

Service areas

Design & architecture across the South Bay.

Born in Harbor City, working across LA County since 1978. Same crew, same license number, same shop at 25941 Frampton Ave, Harbor City.

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Talk to a contractor

Tell us about your project.

One business day for a scope, timeline, and budget range. CSLB #375508 A/B.

Request consultation(310) 418-0258