Drawn for consent, not just for show
Every home is documented the way New Zealand councils assess plans, so it prices accurately and gets through consent without a stack of requests for further information.
Residential design · New homes & extensions · New Zealand
Residential design services across New Zealand
Our residential design services cover new homes, extensions and renovations across New Zealand, drawn around your site and the way you actually live, and documented to get through council consent without the back-and-forth. Based in Palmerston North, working throughout the Manawatū and nationwide.
Why people build with us
A home that fits you, drawn to actually get built
A good house design is the part of the project you live with for decades, yet it is where the least money gets spent. We treat the design as the thing that makes the whole build work, resolved on paper before it costs anything to change, and documented so your builder can price it and your council can consent it.
LBP Design Class sign-off
Scott is a Licensed Building Practitioner with Design Class, so the restricted building work on your home is designed and signed off by the person who drew it.
85% of our work is repeat or referred
The business has grown almost entirely on word of mouth and repeat clients. That only happens when the design works and the process is straightforward.
Do I need an architect to design my house?
For the vast majority of homes in New Zealand, no. A Licensed Building Practitioner with Design Class can legally design your home and sign off the restricted building work that goes to council. The word “architect” is a protected title under the Architects Act, it governs who can use the term, not who is allowed to design houses. Plenty of New Zealand homes are designed by building and architectural designers who are not registered architects.
Scott studied architecture for five years and worked under a registered architect for five more before becoming an LBP Design Class practitioner. You get that depth of training, with a credential that covers the full scope of typical residential design. If you want to understand the distinction properly, the architect vs architectural designer explainer lays it out.
What does the residential design process involve?
It runs in clear stages. We start with a conversation about your site, your budget and how you want to live in the home. From there we develop a concept that tests the idea on the actual section, orientation, sun, slope, views and access all shape it. Once the direction is settled we develop the drawings, then prepare the full building consent set with the supporting documentation a council expects to see.
The aim throughout is drawings a builder can price accurately and build from, and a consent application that gets through without a pile of requests for further information. You can see how we structure a project on the design process page.
How much does residential design cost in New Zealand?
It depends on the size and complexity of the project, the site, and how far you want the documentation taken, but we always give you a clear scope and fee before any work begins, so there are no surprises. Residential design fees in New Zealand commonly work out to a few percent of the total build cost.
It is worth saying plainly: the cheapest set of drawings is rarely the cheapest project. A design that is properly resolved prices accurately, gets through consent first time, and avoids the expensive changes that come from problems no one spotted on paper. That is where the value of good design actually shows up.
What we design
Residential work, across the board
New custom homes
A home drawn around your section, your budget and the way you actually live, not a generic plan you have to fit yourself into.
Custom home design NZ →Extensions & renovations
Adding space or reworking a home you already love, designed to sit with the existing house rather than look bolted on.
Home extension design NZ →Local to Palmerston North
Designing in the Manawatū means knowing the PNCC consent process, the local wind and soil conditions, and the suburbs first-hand.
Building somewhere warmer and more efficient? Our insulated panel design page covers the low-energy side of residential work.
Common questions
Residential design, your questions
- Do I need an architect for a new house in New Zealand?
- No. For most homes, extensions and renovations in New Zealand you do not need a registered architect: a Licensed Building Practitioner with Design Class can legally design your home and sign off the restricted building work for consent. The protected title 'architect' is about who can use the word, not about who is allowed to design houses. Marsco Architecture works under LBP Design Class, which covers the full scope of typical residential design and consent documentation.
- What does the residential design process actually involve?
- It usually runs in stages: an initial conversation about your site, budget and how you want to live; a concept design that tests the idea on the actual section; developed drawings once the direction is settled; and finally the full building consent set: plans, elevations, sections and details: with the supporting documentation a council needs. We hand over drawings a builder can price and build from, not just a pretty picture.
- How much does residential design cost in NZ?
- Design fees vary with the size and complexity of the project, the site, and how far you want the documentation taken. As a rough guide, residential design fees in New Zealand commonly sit in the range of a few percent of the build cost. We give you a clear scope and fee before any work starts, so there are no surprises. The cheapest drawings are rarely the cheapest project: a well-resolved design that gets through consent first time and prices accurately usually saves far more than it costs.
- Can you design a home anywhere in New Zealand?
- Yes. Palmerston North and the wider Manawatū is our home patch and where most residential work sits, but we design homes nationwide. Palmerston North airport is five minutes away, which makes getting to a site straightforward. For remote and rural work we are used to designing around access, conditions and the way a place is genuinely used.
- What's the difference between a custom home and a group-build home?
- A group-build or kitset home is a fixed plan you fit yourself into: efficient, but it was designed for a generic site and a generic family. A custom home is drawn around your section, your budget and the way you actually live, so the sun, the views, the slope and your daily routine all shape the design. If your site or your needs are at all out of the ordinary, custom design almost always gets you a better house for the money.
Thinking about a new home or an extension?
Tell us about your site and what you have in mind. There's no cost to start the conversation, and you'll get a straight answer about what the project needs and how we'd approach it.