Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re moving walls, adding square footage, changing your roofline, or reworking how your home functions, an architect earns their fee by catching problems on paper instead of during construction. Smaller cosmetic updates often don’t need one.

A contractor builds. A designer typically handles finishes and aesthetics. An architect designs the whole thing, from how the space works and how the structure holds up to how the light falls and how the finishes come together, then coordinates the drawings everyone else builds from. At Resilience, you have the option to get that full scope, from the exterior envelope down to the tile and lighting.

Architects generally charge one of three ways: a percentage of construction cost, a flat fee, or hourly. Resilience uses a hybrid: a fixed fee for phases we can clearly define up front, so you have cost certainty, plus hourly for phases that still depend on decisions ahead of us, so you only pay for work actually done. We walk through exactly how this applies to your project before you sign anything.

Every project is different, but here’s a rough Twin Cities guide to help you picture the scale of your investment. These are construction costs paid to your builder, not our design fee. Renovations and additions generally run about $150 to $400 per square foot. Whole-home projects and new construction generally run about $250 to $500+ per square foot. Kitchens, bathrooms, and second-story additions sit at the higher end because of the systems involved. Treat these as ballparks only, site conditions, finish level, and scope move the number significantly, and the honest figure for your home comes out of an early conversation.

Often, yes! Thoughtful design that improves how a home functions, adds usable square footage, and respects its character tends to hold value well, especially in established neighborhoods.

At a high level: a feasibility conversation, then Schematic Design (exploring the layout and possibilities), then a ballpark pricing check so scope and budget stay honest, then Design Development, then bidding with your contractor, then Construction Documentation and permitting, and finally Construction Observation while it’s built. You always know what phase you’re in and what decision is in front of you.

It varies with scope, but design and documentation for a typical residential renovation or addition commonly runs several months before construction begins, and permitting adds time on top.

Yes. Alongside full service, we offer a la carte work, such as site and zoning analysis, schematic design, material mood boards, permit sets, 3D modeling, and rendered 3D. If you only need one piece, let’s talk more!

You hire your contractor directly, but we can help match you with the right contractor(s) best suited for your project. We prepare the drawings contractors bid from, help you review those bids, and stay involved during construction so what gets built matches what was designed.