01 · You
It starts with you.
We begin by getting to know you: how you live day to day, how you gather and unwind, and what you need from your home now and in the years ahead. That understanding becomes the brief every design decision answers to.
Blend Projects
Client guide
For clients across Canada & the USA
What to Expect
Building with Blend
Design-led custom prefab homes
01 · Why build with Blend
Professional design. A fixed-price Home Kit. A trusted local builder.
We design and deliver highly refined homes through a proven, system-based approach that prioritizes clarity, efficiency, and design integrity. Pairing professional design and planning with a fixed-price Home Kit gives you confidence before you commit to manufacturing or construction.
Blend develops the architecture, engineering, and prefabricated building system. A trusted local builder completes construction on site. That’s how we build across Canada and the United States, with the design quality and performance that define every Blend home.
The result: A clear, coordinated path to your home, built for predictability.
Why this process works
01
Clarity before commitment
Design, coordination, and pricing are done before manufacturing begins.
02
Cost certainty
Each phase ends with a sharper estimate, so you decide with real numbers.
03
Involved your way
Hands-on or guided, without giving up control or design quality.
02 · How it works
Two teams, one clear plan.
Blend leads design, planning, and Home Kit delivery. Your local builder leads construction on site. We coordinate the technical details so everyone works from the same plan.
Blend leadsBuilder leads
Both, side by sideYou approve
BlendYour local builder
Design & planning
4–8 weeks
Design Phase 1
Concept, feasibility & Home Kit pricing
$20,000–$35,000
Early site input and initial coordination
You approve the design and preliminary estimate (±20%)
6–8 weeks
Design Phase 2
Permit-ready design & coordination
$20,000–$35,000
Builds the detailed project budget with Blend
You approve the Class D estimate (±10%). Permits are submitted.
Construction
Manufacturing
Home Kit fabricated, checked & packed
Site preparation
Excavation, foundation & site services
Shipping & delivery
Sequenced to match site readiness
Site ready for unloading & staging
Assembly support
Milestone visits + up to a week of consulting
Kit assembly
Installs the structure & enclosure
Optional
Owner’s Representative
Oversight, budget & quality review
On-site construction
Finishes, systems, inspections & completion
Welcome home.
03 · Design & planning
Your home, designed from a blank page.
Design is the heart of every Blend home, and where the most important work happens. Design Phase 1 is a fully custom design process, shaped entirely around you: your site, your climate, and the way you want to live. Every home we design is unique to the people who will live in it.
Floor plansMassingWindows & doorsCeilingsArchitectural details
01 Understanding how you live
02 · Site & climate
Designed for your land.
Orientation, sun, views, slope, access and climate all shape the home. We place and orient it to make the most of your site, and confirm what local zoning and bylaws allow.
03 · Form & massing
Finding the right form.
Form is where your home starts to take shape. We explore size, roof, height and layout together, testing how the home sits on the site and captures light and views.
- SizeBuilt in 8′ bays, from 5 bays (40′) up to 10 bays (80′). Shown: R5, R7 and R9.
- RoofGable or shed, with adjustable pitch and peak.
- HeightSingle or double storey.
- Connected volumesMultiple buildings linked by breezeways, designed through Blend Studios, our new high-level custom design practice.
04 · Plans & details
Refined with you, room by room.
Floor plans, windows and doors, ceilings and architectural details are developed together and refined with you, so every space works the way you want it to.
R5R7R9Connected
Example layouts. Every plan is designed for its owners.
Your design is complete, approved by you and priced before anything is manufactured.
Design Phase 1
Custom design, feasibility & Home Kit pricing
Timing~4–8 weeks
AgreementDesign & Planning Phase 1 Invoice
Design fee$20,000–$35,000
Design & Planning runs in two phases, both finished before your Home Kit is released for manufacturing. In Phase 1 you work closely with the Blend team to shape the home around your site, climate, and lifestyle: floor plans, massing, windows and doors, ceilings, and architectural details. We confirm feasibility and price your Home Kit.
What you receive
- Title sheet & project info
- Zoning & bylaw summary
- Site plan
- Main & second floor plans
- Drop ceiling plan
- Exterior elevations
- Building sections
- Door & window schedule
- Initial Home Kit estimate
- Initial coordination with your builder
Third-party consultants may be required for some items.
Design Phase 2
Permit-ready design & coordination
Timing~6–8 weeks
Paid whenPhase 1 design & estimate approved
Design fee$20,000–$35,000
Phase 2 completes the design and prepares the project for permitting and construction. We finalize the architectural, technical, and consultant work, align the design with local zoning and code, and build a detailed budget with your local builder. By the end, the Home Kit scope and price are clearly defined.
What you receive
- Interior design plans
- Foundation plan
- Electrical plans
- Material specifications
- Key architectural details
- Consultant coordination
- Complete permit drawing set
- Detailed project budget
Consultants include structural, energy, and others as needed. Permit application, submission, and follow-up are handled by you or your general contractor.
Design fees are $20,000–$35,000 per phase ($40,000–$70,000 for both), confirmed after your discovery call based on your project’s complexity. Both phases are part of every project, and you approve Phase 1 before Phase 2 begins. Fees are a maximum upset price, adjusted only if the scope grows.
04 · Your build team
Three roles. Clear responsibilities.
Every Blend project balances design expertise, system coordination, and local construction knowledge.
| Who does what | You | Blend | Builder |
|---|
LeadsSupports
05 · The Blend Home Kit
What’s included
Every physical component of the home’s structure and enclosure, plus the engineering, documentation and support that make sure it goes together as designed.
The Home Kit, taken apart
Six components, engineered to work together.
- 01Floor system, SIP or truss
- 02Glulam frames + steel connections
- 03Structural wall + roof panels
- 04Exterior membrane (WRB)
- 05Windows + exterior doors
- 06Interior walls
Foundation shown for context; it’s completed by your builder.
Plus the work behind it
Engineering, documentation and support.
Structural engineering
Specific to your approved design, covering the house and kit structure.
Permit & construction documentation
Permit-ready drawings per local bylaws, full specifications, and construction documents (IFCs) for your builder.
Assembly supervision & construction admin support
Pre-construction coordination, site visits at key milestones, and up to one week of on-site or remote consulting with your builder.
05 · Working together
Contractor Responsibilities
Your local builder brings the site, trade and construction expertise that completes your home. Working alongside you and Blend, they take care of:
- Site work, excavation & foundations
- Utilities, services & off-site infrastructure
- Construction labour & trade coordination
- Materials beyond the Home Kit scope
- Fixtures & finishes
- Landscape design & site finishes
- Permits, inspections & occupancy approvals
- Site supervision & site safety management
- Construction warranties & workmanship guarantees
Third-party & municipal costs
Consultant and municipal costs aren’t in the Home Kit price and vary by site. They’re always approved in advance and billed only as incurred. Services coordinated by Blend carry a 15% administration fee.
06 · Construction phase
Manufacturing & delivery
With the design final, Blend coordinates fabrication of your Home Kit through our manufacturing partners. Meanwhile, your local builder prepares the site so it’s ready when the Kit arrives.
Manufacturing
- Final detailing & fabrication documents
- Coordination with manufacturers & suppliers
- Production scheduling & sequencing
- Quality oversight during fabrication
- Packaging of components for transport
Shipping & delivery
Blend schedules shipping to match your construction timeline. Components ship in the order they’ll be installed, and delivery is timed with your builder so the site is accessible and equipment is ready for unloading.
Meanwhile, your builder
- Site preparation & excavation
- Foundation construction
- Primary site services
06A · Assembly
Your builder installs the Kit. We guide it.
- Pre-construction coordination review
- Site readiness & foundation interface review
- Two site visits at key milestones
- Up to one week of on-site or remote consulting
- Direct technical coordination with your builder
Advisory only. Blend doesn’t supervise construction, direct labour, manage site safety, or take responsibility for workmanship or code compliance.
06B · On-site construction
Completed by your local builder
- Site prep, excavation & foundations
- Utilities, services & off-site infrastructure
- Kit assembly, with Blend support
- Construction labour, sequencing & supervision
- Finishes beyond the Home Kit scope
- Permits, inspections & occupancy
- Site safety, compliance & warranties
Blend isn’t the builder, general contractor, prime contractor, or construction manager, and isn’t listed on any permits.
07 · Optional add-on
Owner’s Representative
Want more support during construction? Blend can act as your advocate, advisor, and technical representative while your builder stays responsible for the work on site.
- Oversight & coordination with your builder
- Budget tracking & cost reporting
- Schedule & milestone management
- Quality review against the design intent
- Review of change requests
- Builder, consultant & manufacturer coordination
- Issue resolution & decision support
- Regular progress updates
Well suited if you
- Prefer a hands-off or guided build
- Are building remotely or have limited time
- Value third-party quality review
- Want confidence in budget, schedule & design
Your interests, protected.
08 · Costs at a glance
What you pay, and when.
Home Kit payments
Kit released for detailingPrimary structure installed
| Stage | Milestone | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design | Phase 1 fee | At project start | $20,000–$35,000 |
| Design | Phase 2 fee | At preliminary design approval | $20,000–$35,000 |
| Manufacturing | Initiation | Kit released for detailing; secures your production slot | 25% of kit |
| Manufacturing | Release | Final detailing done; kit enters fabrication | 25% of kit |
| Manufacturing | Pre-shipping | Kit fully manufactured, before shipment | 40% of kit |
| Assembly | Final milestone | Primary structure installed | 10% of kit |
Design fees are $20,000–$35,000 per phase ($40,000–$70,000 for both), confirmed after your discovery call based on your project’s complexity. Both phases are part of every project, and you approve Phase 1 before Phase 2 begins. Fees are a maximum upset price, adjusted only if the scope grows.
Design fees
Non-refundable, billed against Blend design labour at the rates below plus 20%. Unused fees are credited toward your Home Kit.
Changes
Significant design changes or added scope may be billed time-and-materials. Your PM gives regular budget updates.
Additional services
Extra revisions, detailing, site presence, or project management, billed at cost + 15%.
Blend labour ratesPlus 20%
- Project Management $105/hr
- Design $105/hr
- Site Supervisor $95/hr
- Project Coordinator $95/hr
- Carpenter $85/hr
- Labourer $65/hr
Ready to start your home?
Tell us about your site and what you have in mind. We’ll walk you through the process and the next steps.
