Most people think the permitting clock starts when drawings go to the city.
But long before that, the space is already changing.

Design is finding a shape.
Your brand is trying to land in the room.
Code is quietly drawing a fence around what is possible.

This is what really happens before permits, when the project is still soft enough to move.

1. The brand steps into the room

Before anything is drawn, there is a question.
What does this place feel like when someone walks in from the rain?

In these early meetings we talk about

• who you are serving

• what your brand feels like in real life, not just on a logo

• how you want people to move, pause, gather, and leave

• how quiet or how loud the room should be

We are not just placing equipment.
We are deciding what kind of day your space gives someone.

2. Flow and operations find their path

Then we look at how the space actually works when it is busy.

For restaurants and cafes

• order points and pickup

• kitchen lines and prep

• dishwashing loops

• staff circulation that does not collide with customers

For clinics and studios

• arrival and check-in

• waiting or lounge spaces

• treatment or work rooms

• staff-only paths and storage

Good flow is invisible.
Bad flow is something customers feel but cannot describe.

3. Visibility and frontage

A business lives or dies on whether people can see it and understand it in seconds.

So we study

• the view from across the street

• sightlines from the sidewalk or parking lot

• how the entry reads from a moving car

• where signage can go, and what the lease allows

• how much of the activity inside should be visible to passersby

• If there’s an aesthetic that matches your online presence

Sometimes a small shift in the entry, the counter position, or the window layout changes how many people decide to walk in.
Those decisions are made during the design process, not during construction.

4. Code sets the boundaries

While we are talking about brand and flow, code is quietly doing its work.

We review

• occupancy classification

• occupant load and how many people you can seat or serve

• plumbing fixture counts

• accessible routes and clearances

• fire separation and any required ratings

This is the fence around the project.
Inside it, the design can move.

5. Systems get tested against your idea

After that, we check whether the building can support the story you are trying to tell.

Mechanical, electrical, plumbing

• can the space support a hood and grease duct

• is there enough panel capacity for your equipment

• is there a place for makeup air to enter and leave

• can plumbing reach where you need sinks and fixtures

• does the sprinkler system still work with the new layout

Sometimes the design adjusts gently around existing systems.
Sometimes the systems must be rebuilt to match the design.

6. Landlord approvals shape the edges

In many Washington leases, the landlord must review your drawings before they ever see the city.

They care about

• what happens at the storefront

• penetrations through the structure and roof

• how you tie into existing systems

• signage and lighting on the exterior

• the level of finish and how it affects their building long term

Some are flexible partners.
Some are strict.
Both will influence what you can actually build.

7. GC pre-pricing brings reality into the room

While drawings are still evolving, we bring a contractor in to walk the space.

They help identify

• items that will drive cost

• structural work that looked simple on paper

• existing conditions that might cause delays

• smarter ways to phase or build the work

Pre-pricing is not about shaving everything down.
It is about aligning scope, cost, and schedule so you are not surprised later.

8. The permit set finally takes shape

Only after all of this does the permit set really begin.

We assemble

• floor plans and reflected ceiling plans

• code plans and life safety diagrams

• mechanical and plumbing information

• details that show how the work will be built

By the time drawings go to the city, they are not just technical documents.
They are the distilled result of your brand, your operations, your budget, your landlord, your building, and the rules of the jurisdiction.

Why this early phase matters

If you rush this stage, the city becomes your design partner in the worst way.
They will push back where layout, code, and systems do not align.

If you give this phase the right attention, permits become a review, not a redesign.

The pre-permit work is where we protect your schedule, your budget, and the feeling of the place you are trying to create.