(508) 881-7992

Site Consultations

Start your home project with a site walkthrough.

A site consultation — looking at your site and talking through your vision with a qualified design and sales team — is a vital way to start your home construction or remodeling work. In fact, it might be the most valuable 60 minutes you spend in the entire project.

GMT Home Designs has conducted these consultations for many years, with many clients, covering a wide range of home design and construction projects. Our service focuses on these goals:

Refining your vision and goals 

This opportunity to talk through the project, right at the building site, gives the design and sales team a new level of understanding, and the chance to think creatively about what's possible. We learn more about your requirements, style, and preferences, and connect that with our deep understanding of New England home styles, materials, and trends.

"Is my project doable?" is the first question. Most of our clients already have an idea of what they want, but need to confirm that their plan can work visually. At times we also identify structural issues. For instance, a garage foundation that wasn't built to support a desired additional story over the garage is one instance we've encountered

Finding creative solutions

But a site consultation goes far beyond a simple yes-or-no assessment. Client after client has told us that the biggest value of this discussion came from our ability to help think up approaches they hadn't considered yet. 

For example, turning a nook in the current home into an office space might free up room in your intended home addition for a larger family room or an additional bedroom for guests or kids. 

This kind of creative thinking happens quickly and naturally in a site consultation, and it's exciting for homeowners to see new possibilities.

Knowing the full site

While not a construction-focused meeting at this early stage, "being there", physically present at your site, helps the team assess the physical place from a design perspective — the topography, orientation of the planned structure, surrounding context of the neighborhood and town. We evaluate questions such as:

  • How is your current space being used?
  • What do you like best or least?
  • What ideas might make your project work even better visually?
  • What features of the site or current home will affect your design choices?
  • What ideas might help your home stand out more, or fit in more seamlessly, in your town and your natural setting?

This process can also help our clients and construction partners be aware earlier of any challenges that might need to be overcome, and how site details might affect your cost and timing — an electrical panel upgrade that will be needed to support new space, for instance.

Gaining an understanding of budget, time requirements, and how the design/build process works

Homeowners gain valuable insights into likely project details, timelines, and processes. Having informed, realistic expectations makes the entire renovation or construction project smoother and less stressful.

Getting to know the team

We're talking about your house here! It's a big investment, and it affects your life, comfort, and happiness every single day. So before you sign a contract with a design firm or design/build team, it's smart to know who you're working with. Handshakes are much better than email or Zoom for that.

We bring "the Travis trio" to our walkthroughs. You'll meet our founder and design lead, as well as team members who would manage the project on a daily basis. This gives both you and us a chance to make sure we're a good fit, and if not, we can help you know what you're looking for

Site Consultation fees and scheduling

GMT Home Designs provides architectural design and design/build services for new home construction, additions, and remodeling projects throughout New England.

Depending on the nature and scale of your project, our Site Consultation service fee is between $250 and $500. It's an investment of valuable time for both you and us, and we work to make it worth every penny. You'll gain important knowledge about your site, new ideas for your project, realistic expectations, and a better understanding of the design/build process.
 

Your construction project starts with an architect

Get started

SITE CONSULTATION FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Our site consultation is the most valuable 60 minutes you'll spend on your project—it's where possibilities come into focus and unrealistic expectations get reality-checked before you've spent a dime on plans.

You'll meet "the Travis trio"—our founder and principal designer Glenn Travis, his wife Carrie, our Project Coordinator, and their son Evan Travis, Director of Business Development. This isn't a sales pitch; it's a working design session right at your property.

What we cover:

  • Walk your property to understand topography, orientation, views, challenges, and opportunities
  • Discuss your vision, must-haves, nice-to-haves, and budget realities
  • Evaluate structural possibilities and constraints (can that garage support a second story? Is that wall load-bearing?)
  • Discuss potential zoning considerations, setback requirements, wetlands, easements
  • Brainstorm creative solutions you haven't considered. Our clients consistently say this is the most valuable part!
  • Assess timeline implications and likely next steps
  • Provide honest feedback on feasibility and ballpark costs

What you'll leave with:

  • Clear understanding of what's possible vs. what's wishful thinking
  • New ideas for approaching your project
  • Realistic timeline and budget expectations
  • Awareness of any site challenges
  • Confidence about whether we're the right fit to work together

The consultation fee is $250-$500, and it's credited toward your design fees if you move forward with GMT. We've done thousands of these consultations across New England—it's where great projects begin.

Absolutely—in fact, clients who "already know what they want" often benefit most from site consultations.

Here's why: What you envision and what's actually buildable, optimal, or code-compliant on your specific site are often different things. We've encountered countless situations where a homeowner's initial vision needed adjustment based on site realities—and the consultation revealed even better alternatives.

Real examples from our consultations:

A couple wanted to add a primary suite addition above their garage. Because of the age of their home, the garage foundation would have needed to be reinforced (which is common) and the rooflines were a bit complicated. As we considered cost, we realized there was another part of the house that could be converted into a larger primary suite at a much better price point for them.

Another homeowner planned a large primary suite addition off the back of the house. On site, we realized the location would block afternoon sunlight into their existing family room. We repositioned the addition to preserve natural light while capturing better views—an improvement they never would have anticipated from interior-only planning.

The consultation also prevents expensive mistakes:

  • Discussing conservation restrictions, setback locations, and septic requirements for specific projects
  • Understanding electrical panel capacity before planning major kitchen appliances
  • Discussing HVAC options when adding square footage
  • Recognizing other limitations (for example, if a "perfect" window location would require structural beam upgrades)

Even if your vision doesn't change, you'll gain confidence it's achievable and understand what's required to execute it properly. That alone is worth the investment before signing any design contracts.

The more prepared you are, the more productive the consultation becomes. Here's what helps maximize our time:

Documents to gather (if available):

  • Property survey or plot plan showing boundaries, setbacks, easements
  • Existing house plans or blueprints (even old, incomplete ones help)
  • Any previous design concepts or sketches you've explored
  • Recent property inspection reports if you have them
  • HOA architectural guidelines if applicable

Visual inspiration:

  • Photos of spaces you love (Houzz, Pinterest, magazine clippings)
  • Examples of what you DON'T want (equally valuable!)
  • Pictures of existing spaces you're modifying

Written thoughts on:

  • Budget range (even rough parameters help guide discussion)
  • Must-haves vs. nice-to-haves
  • Timeline constraints (need completion by specific date?)
  • How you use your space (entertaining, working from home, kids, pets)
  • Pain points with current home (what's not working?)

Questions to think through:

  • Will this be your forever home or 5-10 year residence?
  • Are you planning any other major projects in the next few years?
  • Any family changes anticipated (aging parents, growing kids, empty nest)?
  • How long do you plan to live in the home?

Don't stress if you don't have everything—we've conducted consultations where homeowners brought nothing but enthusiasm and ideas. But the more information you can share upfront, the more specific and valuable our feedback becomes.

Most importantly, bring an open mind. The best consultations happen when you're receptive to ideas you hadn't considered. That's where the real breakthroughs occur.

"All fine architectural values are human values, else not valuable."

- Frank Lloyd Wright