Answers to the questions we hear most about custom home design, architecture, engineering, permits and costs in Lincoln, Omaha and across Nebraska. Don’t see your question? Contact us and we’ll be glad to help.
Pricing depends mostly on the finish level you choose for the home. The lot and neighborhood also play a big role — not just because lot prices vary, but because covenants can add requirements like extra brick, stone, or stucco on the street-facing sides (or overall percentages), which bumps up the budget.
We have a handy tool on our site that gives you a solid ballpark figure. Head over to www.acrehouseplans.com, search our house plans, and you’ll see a breakdown of what that home could cost based on the finish level you pick. There’s also a checkbox for a finished basement. Once you’re done, just add your lot price and use the mortgage calculator to see if it fits your budget.
Important disclaimer: This is just a tool to get you in the right realm of possibility. You should always have an experienced local contractor give you final numbers for your specific project.
When it comes to square feet, budget, and finish level, most contractors are going to say that you get to pick two, and then they get to pick the third. If you are more concerned with square feet and the finish level, then the builder is going to tell you the cost. If you aren’t as concerned with the square feet but you need a nice-looking home and have a dialed-down budget, then the contractor will tell you where you need to be in your overall square feet.
The honest answer is: it depends – and that is a good thing. Every project has a different purpose, budget, site, level of complexity, and definition of success. A straightforward, economical building may require fewer design studies and details than a high-impact custom project where every material, view, and experience matters. Your fee also depends on how much support you want from ACRE, which consultants are needed, and how many decisions you want us to manage.
For context, one statewide Nebraska cost report lists architectural fees ranging between 8%-10% of construction cost for residential projects and 2.5%-10% for commercial projects. Publicly posted local hourly pricing is limited, while broader market references commonly show architect rates of approximately $120-$260 per hour. These are market benchmarks – not a quote for your project. These are industry benchmarks not ACRE pricing.
ACRE may structure fees as a fixed amount, hourly services, a percentage of construction cost, or a combination. Before providing a proposal, we want to sit down, understand your goals, define the desired design level, and agree on who is responsible for what. A price provided without those conversations may be easy to compare, but it often means your project is being pushed into someone else’s standardized process. We would rather build the right process around you.
The biggest driver of architectural fees is the cost of construction and the two factors that determine this are:
These factors can fluctuate a great deal during the early stages of design. As is the nature of custom projects, the design changes as you go. When the scope of the project changes, meaning complexity or size changes, design fees rise.
Fees: Fixed vs Hourly
For commercial projects architects offer fixed pricing for projects with a pre-defined scope of work, like most commercial buildings or multi-family and mixed-use projects. The main factors involved include:
For custom home projects, architects will charge an hourly fee, a fixed fee (using a formula they’ve determined), or a combination of both. This is because the scope of the project changes as the design develops.
Unlike production homes, high-end custom homes include:
Because of this, there is no one-size-fits-all price for a high-end custom home. The final cost is determined through collaboration between the client, architect, and builder.
A well-designed luxury home floor plan that maximizes functionality may be more efficient than a larger home with unused space. High-end residential construction focuses on quality and usability rather than size alone.
Yes. We can provide anything from focused design services to full project support through construction. The right level depends on the project, your contractor, your experience, and how involved you want to be.
There is one important Nebraska requirement. For projects subject to the Nebraska Engineers and Architects Regulation Act, the owner must arrange for licensed design professionals to provide at least minimum construction-phase services. Those services include visiting the site as regularly as necessary to determine whether the work is proceeding generally in accordance with the permitted technical submissions and processing technical submissions required from the contractor, such as specified shop drawings or product submittals. The law does not establish a fixed number of visits; the appropriate frequency depends on the project and construction progress.
That minimum scope is different from full construction administration. Services such as reviewing payment applications, helping resolve owner-contractor disputes, attending regular construction meetings, preparing change documents, or providing more frequent observations may be added when they bring value to the project.
Clients who want to reduce design-team costs during construction can select a limited, minimum-required scope, with additional questions and visits billed hourly. In that arrangement, the owner and contractor take on more responsibility for day-to-day coordination, communication, and confirming that the drawings are followed.
Our goal is to make the responsibilities clear upfront so there are no surprises when construction begins.
Source: Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects – Regulation Act Handbook
Nebraska does not require a licensed architect for most residential home plans. What you need is a complete, code-compliant set of drawings that satisfies your local building and safety department. That said, creating permit-ready plans usually requires a technical professional. In most cases, working with an experienced home designer is a more affordable option. Plans for homes over 10,000 square feet do require a licensed architect, and complex projects may also need an engineer regardless of who you choose to work with.
The core difference between a home designer and an architect is licensure and legal scope.
Architects: An architect is a licensed and regulated professional with a protected title and defined accountability. Architects study design and building performance, including life safety planning, building code analysis, structural concepts, and coordination of complex systems. They have completed the training and gained the necessary experience to facilitate the design of large, complex projects across various project types, including residential and commercial.
Architects work on residential projects that involve designs over a certain square footage, unusual structures, complex sites, or conditions outside standard housing practices. Their license allows them to take responsibility for projects that exceed the scope usually handled by home designers under state law.
Homeowners may hire an architect when the design is highly specialized, when technical challenges increase risk, or when state law rules require architect involvement due to building type, size, or occupancy.
Home Designers: A home designer creates residential layouts, space plans, and construction-ready drawings for houses and similar structures. These drawings usually support permit applications and contractor pricing. They may not include specialized engineering for structural systems or complex mechanical designs.
Many home designers study drafting, building science, and residential design. They do not hold the same professional license as architects. In Nebraska, home designers often work on single-family homes, renovations, and additions that follow prescriptive building code paths. These paths use standard code solutions rather than alternative engineered methods.
Home designers turn a homeowner’s goals, budget, and lot limits into a buildable plan. They focus on function, circulation, room relationships, and code-compliant layouts. Detailed layouts and drawing packages form part of residential home design services, while structural engineering or specialty systems often require separate professionals.
For most residential designs, interior remodels and additions, and some small-scale, one-story building projects, you can get by without needing a licensed architect to stamp your project, but for all other projects licensed architects and professional engineers are required to provide design and construction phase services. These include:
At ACRE Design + we have both home designers and licensed architects to fit whatever your project requires. We can help you determine what services you need. Call us today.
Our team of diverse professionals has a wide range of experience on all types of projects. In our office, we have experienced home designers who, combined, have designed or drafted permitted drawings for over 2500+ homes in Lincoln, Omaha, and the surrounding areas.
When it comes to design and constructability methods, we have seen it all. When considering a design, most clients don’t consider the type of construction they want or even the options available. We use our experience and willingness to learn to stay ahead of new methods and code updates, ensuring smooth transitions from planning to the field. We work hard to provide quality not only in the design but also in the documents associated with the project. We are always ready for our next cool feature that requires outside-the-box thinking.
Initial consultation meeting
Design packages
Initial design meeting
Stages of Design
Billing & Finalization
Our custom home design process can take from 2 months to a year. This is all based on the level of client engagement, number of changes, and complexity of the home. We know that good design takes time and never want to rush you through the process of designing your dream home.
A few ways clients typically show up in the process:
Wherever you land on that list, you’ll always have a chance to weigh in before anything is final.
Yes, and there are actually two ways this shows up for our clients.
If you’re going through a full custom home design with us, 3D visuals come standard as part of that process. You’ll get a walkthrough, basic screenshots of your space, and a front rendering so you can see your home coming together before it’s ever built.
We also offer 3D rendering as its own standalone service. This is popular with clients who want polished visuals for marketing a listing, showing off a finished project, or who want a more in-depth look than what comes standard. Depending on how much detail you’re after, this can include exterior and interior renderings, dollhouse views of each level, a full 360° exterior spin video, an interior walkthrough video, and even VR-capable viewing once your project wraps up. These come in tiered packages, so you can choose the level that fits your project and budget.
Either way, our goal is the same: to help you see the space before it exists, so there are fewer surprises once construction starts.
At ACRE Design, we want the homes we design to actually get built. That’s why we have the hard conversations up front.
While some drafting firms see only about 50% of their plans get constructed, we average over 90%. In some cases, we’ll tell you we don’t want to waste your time and money by drawing something we know won’t meet your budget once it goes out to bid. Because we’re deeply involved in the current pricing of homes in the Nebraska market, we have a strong sense of what will and won’t work.
Once we agree that your budget aligns with the square footage and scope you’re targeting, we begin the design process. Revisions are a normal part of that process—we discuss the reasons behind them and their impact on cost as we go. Involving a contractor early (and including them in design meetings) is often a smart way to stay dialed into a home that fits your overall budget.
Ideally, hire an architect before you purchase the land – or at least while your purchase agreement still includes a due-diligence contingency.
A property can be technically “buildable” and still be a poor fit for the building, budget, or experience you are envisioning. Before closing, the design team can help review zoning, allowable uses, setbacks, easements, access, utilities, topography, drainage, floodplain conditions, neighboring zoning, and potential restrictions on building height, placement, or appearance. A civil engineer may lead the land-development and infrastructure work, but the architect helps ensure those decisions support the final building rather than simply creating a compliant parcel.
This early planning is especially important for commercial developments, acreage properties, phased projects, and sites where the future building location affects roads, utilities, stormwater, parking, or grading. Moving a drive, utility, building pad, or detention area is much easier while it is still a line on a plan.
ACRE can begin with a focused site-feasibility review before you commit to full design. We cannot eliminate every unknown, but we can identify major risks, test whether your goals fit the property, and coordinate the right consultants. Spending a little on planning before the purchase can prevent significantly larger compromises and expenses later. The goal is not simply to buy land – it is to buy land that can support your vision.
The city of Lincoln requires a Building Permit, an impact fee permit if within the city limits, a curb cut, sidewalk, and approach permit, a water service application, a wastewater/sewer application, and an INOI Permit. Other permits from subcontractors include Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing.
Licensed Contractors are preferred and must register and meet the city requirements or homeowners for work on their primary residence.
Energy Code compliance with a 2018 REScheck.
Lincoln, NE is on the IRC International Residential Code 2021 with some Local Amendments to the code. You can find the information on the current codes at lincoln.ne.gov Building & Safety Codes.
The energy requirements are on the 2018 IECC with local amendments.
You need a structural engineer whenever the building’s structure falls outside the prescriptive rules of the adopted building code, when the code specifically requires engineered design, or when the building official requests engineering to verify safety.
For houses, common examples include unusually tall wood or concrete walls, large openings or long spans, heavily loaded beams, complex roof systems, elevated rooms or decks, retaining walls, hillside foundations, unusual lateral-force-resisting systems, poor or variable soils, and designs that do not fit the prescriptive limits of the locally adopted residential code. Even when engineering is not legally required, it may still be valuable when the design is complex or when you want to reduce uncertainty during construction.
Nebraska’s licensing requirements also depend on the project’s size and occupancy. Under the current Nebraska Board rules, an R-3 single-family home through four-plex is generally exempt from the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act when it is less than 10,000 square feet. Commercial exemption limits vary by occupancy – for example, less than 1,000 square feet for assembly, less than 3,000 square feet for business or mercantile, and less than 5,000 square feet for factory, storage, or utility occupancies.
These exemptions address when Nebraska requires licensed design professionals; they do not override the adopted building code or local requirements. An exempt project may still contain beams, foundations, retaining walls, or other components that require engineering. We review the complete project and explain exactly where structural engineering adds safety, clarity, and value.
Commercial Drawing Requirements for Lincoln
Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects – Do I Need an Architect or Professional Engineer?
Getting permits in every state, city or county jurisdiction can vary massively depending on the population and size of the municipal area. Even some neighborhoods have covenant restrictions with architectural committees to regulate size, material, etc. We do projects all over, so we do our due diligence to meet the expectations those various jurisdictions may carry. When working in new areas, we will use our resources or contact planning departments to gain an understanding of what is required. We strive to get permits through on the first try, but if redlines arise, we will correct the plans accordingly. In various situations, a structural engineer may be required to adequately meet the city requirements. If that is the case, ACRE Design has an in-house structural engineer, and we can take care of those items if they arise for an additional engineering fee.
Building a home on rural land offers more options for laying out your property than urban sites offer. There may be specific spaces you want to incorporate into your layout such as views, a garden, a shop, a wraparound porch, or maybe a fishing pond.
But designing a home for rural living is different from choosing a house in a subdivision. Your land matters. The slope, driveway access, trees, utilities, views, and drainage all affect how the home should sit on the property.
That means helping customers think through more than the floor plan. It means looking at how the home, land, outdoor spaces, and budget all work together.
Here are the key considerations when designing a rural home:
Building on rural land is local. Soil, weather, county requirements, access, utilities, and common customer needs can vary from one area to another. Give us a call today. We’re here to help you realize your dream home.
A sloped lot, flood zone, or challenging soil condition is not automatically a bad site – but the site needs to help lead the design from the beginning.
On a sloped lot, we look at how the building can work with the grade instead of fighting it. That may include a walkout level, stepped foundations, retaining walls, adjusted floor elevations, or a different building orientation. We also study drainage, driveway slopes, accessible routes, utility connections, and the amount of excavation and fill required. A beautiful view can be an opportunity, but excessive grading and retaining can quickly become major construction costs.
For flood-prone property, the first steps are confirming the mapped flood zone, base flood elevation, local floodplain rules, and required permits. In Lincoln, development in a floodplain – including grading, filling, and building construction – requires a floodplain development permit. The design may require elevation, flood-resistant construction, controlled grading, or other measures coordinated with the civil engineer and local authority.
Soil maps are useful for early screening, but they are not a substitute for a project-specific geotechnical investigation. A geotechnical engineer can evaluate bearing capacity, settlement, expansive or collapsible soils, existing fill, groundwater, and appropriate foundation and slab recommendations.
ACRE coordinates the architect, structural engineer, civil engineer, surveyor, and geotechnical engineer so these conditions become part of one design strategy. The earlier we understand the site, the better we can protect the budget and turn constraints into useful design opportunities.
Absolutely. If it is a building, we are interested in helping you design it.
ACRE works on pre-engineered metal buildings, post-frame or “pole” buildings, barns, shops, garages, outbuildings, and other acreage structures. We can develop the floor plan, exterior appearance, interior layout, code strategy, accessibility, site relationships, and coordination with utilities and other consultants. We can also provide structural and foundation engineering when that scope is not included elsewhere.
For many pre-engineered metal or post-frame buildings, the building supplier provides the structural design of its proprietary framing system through a professional engineer licensed for the project location. In that arrangement, ACRE coordinates the overall building design and makes sure openings, column locations, reactions, anchorage, foundations, and connections between systems work together. Depending on the supplier and project, ACRE may design the foundations or the complete structural system.
We also enjoy projects using nontraditional materials or methods. We have worked with shipping containers and other unusual building concepts when they made sense for the client’s goals. These projects often require more research, detailing, code coordination, and collaboration, so the fee generally increases with the complexity and number of unknowns.
Our internal phrase is, “Let’s get weird.” Bring us the idea that does not fit neatly into a catalog. We will help make it safe, practical, code-compliant, and buildable – without losing what made it exciting.
We provide detailed floor plans for additions, remodels, and renovations. Like our custom home design, we work with you to determine what the best plan of action is for making changes to your existing home.
Commercial tenant improvements (TI) and office remodels is the process of altering an existing commercial interior to fit a new tenant’s operation. Since you’re usually working within an existing shell, clients are often under time and lease pressure. Here’s what’s typically involved:
Pre-design / due diligence
Design phase
Engineering & systems
Code & permitting
Construction phase
Cost-driving factors
Yes, we handle many multi-family, ADU, and garage apartment designs in Nebraska and across the midwest, although the design requirements depend heavily on local city or county zoning.
Local Rules and Regulations
Design Considerations
Tell us which city or county in Nebraska your property is located in and our professionals can check the exact zoning rules and requirements for your project.
We start with a solid baseline of 2X6 exterior walls, and that gets you a minimum R19 batt insulation or R23 with BIBs. From there, if you want to go beyond conventional, let’s look at ICFs or SIPs where that can offer a higher energy performance. We can design it all depending on your budget.
If you hire our Interior designer, she can guide you to more sustainable material choices. All of these are client specific but can easily be done when requested.
For smart home technology, we partner with local contractors who specialize in these systems and design the plans to accommodate them whenever it’s a client priority.
We don’t lock ourselves into one style. Whether you’re drawn to modern prairie, craftsman, farmhouse, transitional, contemporary, or something that blends a few styles together, we can design it. Rather than pushing a signature look onto every project, we start with what you’re drawn to and build the design around that.
We collaborate well and often with builders, engineers, interior designers, realtors and many other trades. What is good for our partners is good for us as well. We partner with like-minded individuals and organizations that have client-focused solutions at the top of their minds. When we all serve the client, we all win in the end. Doing this requires us to play many different positions depending on the scope and requirements of each client. We want to make sure we look for these qualities in the partners we continuously collaborate with.
We have a portfolio for Residential and Commercial on our website or you can browse our house plans to see additional work we have drawn for clients.
We love when clients leave us a review. We encourage it often, so new clients have an easy source to gain clarity on our commitment. It can be very helpful for new potential clients to browse them when deciding on a new firm. So be sure to leave us a review after we finish your next project! If a client would like a reference from a past client so they may get a more in-depth view of our process and be able to ask questions, we can look to provide a list of clients that may have a similar scope.