Design-Build · Veteran-Owned · DC · MD
One Team From First Sketch
To Finished Build.
This is design-build: your concept, drawings, budget, permits, and construction handled by one accountable team. Every great project starts with a conversation, not a contract. Here’s exactly how we work, start to finish, so you know what to expect at every step.
How Design-Build Works at Sonny’s
Four steps. One point of responsibility. You always know what’s next and what it costs before you commit.
Book a Call
This is where we meet. You tell me what you’re thinking about — a kitchen, a bathroom, an addition, an ADU, a steel building, a custom build. I listen, I ask questions, and we figure out if the project fits what we do. Bring photos, sketches on a napkin, Pinterest boards — whatever helps me see what you see.
- A clear sense of what’s possible with your space and budget
- A general idea of where pricing would land
- Honest feedback — including “this isn’t the right project for us” when that’s true
On-Site Design Consultation — Credited to Your Project
Once we know there’s a real project here, we go deeper — and the full fee is credited toward your project when you build with us. Usually on site if you’re local, or extended video with photos and plans if you’re not. We walk the space and talk materials, layout, finishes, and the things that actually drive cost up or down.
- A written summary of the scope as we understand it
- A rough budget range based on what you’re describing
- A clear list of decisions you need to make next
- A recommendation: full design services (Step 3) or straight to a build estimate (Step 4)
Full Design Services — Architect & Stamped Drawings
Some projects need real drawings, structural engineering, MEP coordination, and a licensed architect’s stamp: additions, ADUs, container home builds, ground-up custom builds, and any work requiring permits beyond a simple remodel. We bring in our architect partner and quote the design package fee per project — based on square footage, complexity, and engineering — so you see exactly what it costs before you commit a dollar.
The drawings are yours. If you ever decide to build with someone else, you take them with you. No strings.
Buildout
Once the design is locked in, we build a real construction estimate from the actual drawings — not a guess. Sign the contract, deposit puts you on the schedule, and payments are tied to milestones: you see progress, we get paid. When the work is done, we walk it together, fix anything that needs fixing, and stand behind it with our warranty.
On-Site Estimate — Credited to Your Project
Your consultation fee isn’t a cost — it’s a down payment on getting it right. The full fee is credited toward your project when you build with Sonny’s. Pick your project type and book your on-site visit below.
Small–Mid Commercial
$499
Tenant improvements, storefronts, and small building projects
Book Small–Mid CommercialLarge Commercial
$750
Full buildings, multi-suite, institutional and government facilities
Book Large CommercialA Note on Container Homes & Custom Builds
If you’re building with shipping containers, stacking them, or doing anything outside a standard remodel, your project starts at Step 2 or Step 3 — not Step 4. Stacked or modified containers need a licensed engineer’s stamp, and counties don’t approve a container home off a sketch — they want stamped drawings, calcs, and proper permits. If anyone says they can build you a container home without going through design first, they’re cutting corners on permits or saving a surprise for you down the road. We’d rather do it right the first time.
Try It Yourself · Free
Design Your Steel Building in 3D
Planning a garage, workshop, barndominium shell, or commercial steel building? Use our 3D designer to build it yourself — set your dimensions, doors, windows, and colors, see it from every angle, and get instant pricing. Then we turn your design into a real quote and a real building.
✓ Instant pricing ✓ Commercial & residential ✓ CSI-authorized builder
Financing provided by Foundation Finance Company LLC, subject to credit approval. Not all applicants will qualify.
Ready to Start the Conversation?
Book a call and tell me what you’re building. No pressure, no commitment — just a real conversation about your project.
