Our Design Process | Normerica Timber Frame Homes

Our design process revolves around you.

When you decide to build a new home (or cottage, or addition), the design of your home is the most important aspect of your project. Every decision you make—both interior and exterior—flows from your plans.

You have a vision of your new home. A look and style all your own. Normerica specializes in helping you achieve that vision and express your style in your new home design.

That’s why every Normerica building project starts with a conversation about you. We learn about your goals, vision, space requirements, budget, and architectural style. When feasible, we also come to your building site to understand the topography, views, access, vegetation and trees.

We look forward to sharing existing designs and photos of our previous projects with you for more inspiration. You might already have a clear vision of what you want. Or, you may need a creative partner to help draw it out of you. Either way, we guide you every step of the way.

Watch the full video of this home coming to life!

Your design options  
with Normerica.

Generally, you have three ways to collaborate with Normerica:

Custom

Semi Custom

You Have Existing Plans

A | Custom Design Process

The Normerica custom design process ensures a one-of-a-kind result.

Step 1

Design “Kick-off”

After dreaming and consulting with our sales team you’ve decided you are ready to begin the exciting process of designing a custom home. A Design Agreement with Normerica is the first step to bringing your vision to life. We then setup a “kick-off” meeting with the new Normerica design team via phone call, an online call, or in-person meeting. We discuss your goals and budget, and review plans, photography, and renderings together for inspiration.

Step 2

Design Development

It usually takes four to six weeks for Normerica to develop plans and elevations suitable for presentation to you. During this time, we continue to provide consultation as your design takes shape. Normerica designs in Revit, an advanced building information modeling (BIM) software. This technology gives us the ability to show and tour you through your design in 3D. We then discuss and implement your feedback, making the changes you desire until we finalize your design together.

Step 3

Pricing

After completing the design development, Normerica prepares a price quotation for the materials package for your building. At this stage, an initial project budget can be prepared by a contractor based on the plans. Whether you have your own contractor, need to be introduced to one in our network that services your area, or want Normerica to do some or all of your build, we can help. Developing a realistic and achievable budget at this stage is important to have the confidence in proceeding with next steps.

Step 4

Detailed Building Plans  
and Production

Once you approve the materials quote, Normerica converts your plans to a detailed set of engineered construction drawings, including engineered shop drawings for the prefabricated components of your materials package and an HVAC design. The compiled drawings package is suitable for permit submission to your local building authority.

At this stage, while your materials components are being assembled at our manufacturing facilities, constructions starts! Following the plans to the centimeter, we proceed to the precision manufacturing of your building package components using automated technology. This can include the timber frame, wall panels, floor panels, and roof.

Step 5

Delivery

With your materials compiled and prefabricated components produced, Normerica coordinates the staged delivery of your materials package to your job site with you and your builder. When the time comes to install the timber frame, Normerica always sends a technical representative to the site to assist your builder's crew with the timber frame installation and to review important details.

B | Semi Custom Design Process

The Normerica semi custom design process starts with one of Normerica’s existing home plans.

Using our previously developed design, you can change it in any way to suit your preferences and building site. With hundreds of designs in our archives, you can find and customize a design to meet your unique needs and wants. This approach typically saves time and associated design costs compared to a completely custom design process. You either skip or expedite steps 1, 2, 3 in the custom home process outlined above.

How much can you change? Virtually everything is on the table. The plan you start with is just that, merely a starting point to help us understand your vision, space requirements, and what inspires and excites you. The plan gives us a creative direction that we can customize in any way to make it right for you.

If your modifications to our existing plans are relatively minor, Normerica can mark up the set of drawings with the changes. Then, with these modifications, we can develop very accurate pricing for a materials package. More substantial changes to the plans usually requires going to a Design Agreement with Normerica and through an iterative process with our team to more fully develop and finalize the modified design.

C | You Have Existing Plans

The Normerica team loves working with other talented professionals.

If you already have architectural plans or want to continue to collaborate with your architect/designer, no problem! The Normerica team loves working with other talented professionals. We can get involved in designing and supplying elements of the building or we can take the concept through to the permit set of drawings.

Our Values

We promise to deliver a client experience and outcome that you love and that stays true to our values.

Normerica stands for:

Originality
Craft
Humanity
Technology
Teamwork

Normerica is a licensed HCRA and TARION home builder. We offer a variety of construction options. We always send an on-site technical representative on-site to provide support to your builder during the shell construction.