On Bainbridge Island you can get a new home or a major remodel designed and built in one of two ways. With an independent architect, you hire the designer directly and then choose a builder, either through bids or a negotiated contract. With design-build, one company holds a single contract for both the design and the construction. Both routes go through the same City of Bainbridge Island permit review.
The architect route gives you more control over the design and the choice of builder. Design-build gives you one point of contact and lets design and construction overlap.
We should say where we stand. Bluefoot Architecture & Design is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm with a studio in Poulsbo, and we work as an architect on Bainbridge Island. We design; a contractor builds. This guide compares the two routes fairly, so you can pick the one that suits your project.
The table below compares the two routes on the points that matter most for an island home. Neither column is a better answer for every project.
| Question | Independent architect | Design-build firm |
|---|---|---|
| How many contracts? | Two: you and the architect, then you and the contractor | One: you and the design-build company |
| Who does the designer work for? | You | The design-build company |
| How is the builder chosen? | You choose, by bids or a negotiated contract, once the drawings are done | The builder is chosen at the start, because it is the same company |
| Schedule | Design is finished before construction starts | Design and construction can overlap |
| City of Bainbridge Island permit | The architect prepares the permit set and manages the submittal | The design-build team prepares and submits it |
| Checking the work on site | The architect reviews the work against the drawings for you | Checks are done inside the same company |
| Licence to check | Architect registration and the firm’s certificate of authorization | Contractor registration with L&I, plus whoever designs the house |
With an independent architect, design comes first and the builder comes second. Most residential projects follow the same sequence, which our guide to the five phases of home design covers in detail:
The strength of this route is independence. The person who designed your house is not the person selling you its construction. When the builder proposes a substitution, your architect looks at it on your behalf.
The Design-Build Institute of America puts the difference plainly: “The single contract for both design and construction is the fundamental difference.” In every other delivery method, design and construction sit under separate contracts. Design-build is growing fast across U.S. construction. FMI forecasts it will make up more than 47% of U.S. construction spending by 2028, according to DBIA.
On a house, the appeal is simple. You deal with one company from the first sketch to move-in day, and the builder can start on early work while details are still being drawn. The trade-off is that the designer’s employer is also your builder. You give up the chance to put finished drawings out to other builders.
In Washington, any company that offers to do construction work must be a registered contractor. RCW 18.27.020 makes it a gross misdemeanor to advertise, bid or work as a contractor without registering.
Architecture is regulated separately. Under RCW 18.08.420, a business that offers architecture needs a certificate of authorization and a registered architect in charge of that work. So it is worth asking any design-build company who actually draws your house.
The delivery method does not change who reviews your permit. Bainbridge Island is its own city, so the City’s Planning and Community Development department reviews every application on the island, not Kitsap County. The City’s permitting page gives these targets and rules:
Shoreline rules are the island’s biggest design factor. Development within 200 feet of the shoreline needs a Shoreline Substantial Development Exemption before the building permit, and larger projects need a full shoreline permit. Our Bainbridge Island building permit guide walks through each step.
Here is our view. On a waterfront or steep island lot, settle the design against the shoreline and critical-area rules before you commit to a builder. Those rules shape where the house can sit and how big it can be. A design that has to be reworked at review adds months, whichever route you chose.
An independent architect usually suits you when:
Design-build can suit you when:
Whichever route you take, these questions protect you on any Bainbridge Island project:
It can be, because design and construction can overlap. The City’s review is the same either way. Its first review is typically 30 days for a building permit and 60 days for planning projects, from the date the application is complete. A complete, well-coordinated submittal saves more time than the delivery method does.
Not by law. RCW 18.08.410(5) lets anyone design a residential building of up to four dwelling units. The City still needs a complete, code-compliant submittal, with engineering where the design needs it and shoreline approvals where they apply. Our guide Do I need an architect for a home addition in Washington? explains the rule.
Yes. That is one of the main reasons to hire an independent architect. Bluefoot does not act as the general contractor. We coordinate closely with your builder, or introduce you to builders we have worked with, and we support construction through the final walkthrough.
Applications go through the City’s online portal, which needs an account, and the application asks for owner and contractor information. When Bluefoot designs your project, permit documents and management are part of the service, so we prepare the set and manage the submittal.
No. Bluefoot designs, and a contractor builds. We take a project from the first sketch through 3D modeling, construction documents, permitting and construction support, for residential and commercial work.
Bluefoot Architecture & Design is an award-winning firm, named Best Architect in the 2026 Best of Kitsap awards, with more than 40 years of combined experience. Principal Architect Jay Volz leads our architectural work from our Poulsbo studio, and our interior design team works alongside him.
See our architect on Bainbridge Island page, our custom home design on Bainbridge Island guide and our full architectural design services. To book a design consultation, call 360-602-2965 or contact us with your project details.