Separate the numbers
For our planning conversations, conditioned living area means the heated and cooled living space. A garage or covered porch is not part of that figure. Designed covered area is the basis of the Farris Planworks custom-design fee and includes the covered areas identified in your agreement.
That distinction matters when comparing plans. Two homes with similar living areas may have very different garages, porches, and total covered areas. Ask what a published figure includes instead of relying on its label alone. Confirm the measurement method and scope before using a number for pricing.
Use a clearly labeled example
Illustrative example—not a project or quote
- Heated and cooled living space
- 2,400 sq. ft.
- Attached garage
- 600 sq. ft.
- Covered porches
- 400 sq. ft.
- Total designed covered area in this example
- 3,400 sq. ft.
At $1.50 per square foot, the illustrative base design fee is $5,100. The $5,000 minimum applies when the area-based calculation is lower. This is a design fee, not a construction price; final area and scope belong in the agreement.
Uncovered patios and decks, open-to-below voids, and separately priced buildings are not added to this example. See our custom-design scope for the current inclusions.
A room allowance is not a finished floor plan
The Lifestyle Fit range starts with preliminary space allowances and adds allowances for walls and movement between rooms. It helps frame a conversation. It does not prove that your home needs that exact area or that a larger existing plan contains waste.
Actual dimensions, furniture, stairs, site conditions, structural decisions, accessibility, and specialized uses can change the result. Some shared uses work well together; others need separation. A small total is not a success if the rooms fail to support daily life.
Do not turn every saved square foot into a dollar promise
If a revised plan becomes smaller, ask your builder to price the actual changes. Moving a wall, changing a roof, removing a bathroom, and shortening a hallway are different scope changes. Multiplying removed area by a whole-home average does not establish the amount you will save.
Keep performance in the conversation, too. The U.S. Department of Energy describes home energy performance as a coordinated system: decisions about the building and its systems affect one another. A floor-area total alone does not describe comfort or energy use. Read the DOE’s design-for-performance guidance.
Bring to your meeting: the plan’s stated area, what that number includes, your priority spaces, and the areas you would be willing to rethink.