Design Time Residential

704-877-3641 Start your plan
About Designtime Residential

Building Homes People Have Dreamt About Living In

For more than 25 years, DT Home Plans has helped homeowners, builders, and developers across the Carolinas turn raw ideas into beautiful, build-ready custom home designs.

Start your home design See our process
Allendale custom home rendering by DT Home Plans
Our Story

Custom Home Designers in Charlotte, NC & Surrounding Cities

"Providing professional home plans isn't just about building places for people to live — it's about creating homes that people have dreamt about living in."

Designtime Residential specializes in custom home design services. Our residential designers are well-grounded professionals backed by over 25 years of first-rate experience. Driven by the goal of offering the best home plans, house plans, and home design services using impeccable standards — and providing enjoyable experiences for our clients — we have successfully served hundreds of households who have consistently expressed complete satisfaction with our work.

We're adept at creating innovative custom designs and working with contractors and subcontractors to ensure every project is completed on time and done the right way. We take pride in residential designs that are not only beautiful, but practical. We primarily serve North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

We invite you to take advantage of top-notch residential design services that employ the latest and most advanced professional practices to create homes that are efficient, sustainable, and match the lifestyles of our clients. Our guarantee is not only to meet your expectations, but to exceed them.

Michael W. Harmon CEO & Chief Visionary
25+Years of design experience
500+Homes designed
3States served (NC, SC, GA)
100%Customizable plans
How we work

Our Custom Home Design Process

Every project is different, but the process is similar. Most of our clients have never undertaken a large remodel or built a new home — so we built a clear, five-step path that takes the guesswork out of "where do I start?"

01

Needs Assessment

Before starting design, we determine your wants and needs. We'll interview you when we meet — often our questions, observations, and experience uncover things you may not have considered. We'll also discuss a preliminary budget and review your plot plan so we know what we have to work with on your building footprint.

What you can do
  • List everything you want and need, then prioritize.
  • Gather images that inspire you.
  • If possible, involve a builder or GC for construction input.
02

Schematic Design

We develop drawings that illustrate spatial relationships, scale, and form. These keep the focus on overall design, room orientation, and flow — accurate but abstract. We iterate together: you review, we adjust, we discuss again. Deliverables include foundation plan, floor plans, sections, elevations, and roof plan. Electrical plans available on request.

What you can do
  • Set aside time to thoroughly review the drawings.
  • Understand that not all decisions are made at this stage.
  • Share your thoughts openly — every detail matters.
03

Design Development

This phase builds on and refines schematic design decisions. Window locations, sizes, and types are determined. Exterior and interior materials are examined and presented. We begin working with a structural engineer, and key details of the design are developed alongside their input.

What you can do
  • Sign off on the drawings to give approval for the next phase.
04

Construction Documents & Permitting

We add technical detail, energy-code compliance information, and integrate the engineer's work so your contractor has a complete description of the project. We coordinate with a structural engineer to get drawings reviewed and sealed — we have several we regularly work with if you don't have your own. This document set is also used to apply for a building permit; if the building department requests corrections, we work directly with code officials to address them.

What you can do
  • Make time for a final review of the construction documents before permitting.
05

Construction Support

During construction, we remain available for questions as they come up. Builders and contractors can reach out directly so the design intent carries through to the finished home — exactly as you envisioned it.

What our clients say

Trusted by Homeowners, Builders & Developers Across the Carolinas

In all my years in the construction industry, Designtime was without a doubt one of the most professional companies I have worked with. Great to work with, quick to respond to all my comments and questions, and easily able to explain the reasons why. I highly recommend this company for any of your future construction projects.

William P. Architectural Services

It was a great experience working with Michael at Designtime. We designed a floor plan we liked for our dream home and Michael was very efficient drawing it up in CAD with all elevations. The process was very simple and fast — even with the changes we had along the way. Michael supplied a variety of ready-to-print PDFs which we used for the permitting process.

Michael O. Homeowner

I worked with Michael on a floor plan design for constructing a new house. His work was excellent and he provided me with a sealed document which will help to get city permits.

Mohammad M. Architectural Services

I employed Mike to produce new residential plans for our dream home. I hired him due to the great level of communication and commitment he presented.

Ryan S. 3D Modeling
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The most common questions we hear from homeowners, builders, and developers exploring a custom home design.

Do you offer customizable house plans for North Carolina?

Yes — every North Carolina house plan we design can be customized to suit your specific needs, lot size, or design preferences.

What makes your Charlotte design firm different?

Our design firm in Charlotte, NC stands out for its client-focused approach, decades of hands-on experience, and an uncompromising commitment to functional, stylish home plans.

Are your plans suitable for South Carolina as well?

Absolutely. While we specialize in North Carolina home plans, we also provide designs fully compatible with South Carolina building codes — and we serve clients in Georgia too.

Can you work with my builder or contractor directly?

Yes. Our home designers regularly collaborate with builders and contractors throughout the Carolinas to ensure a seamless construction process from drawings to ribbon-cutting.

Do you provide permit-ready drawings?

Yes — our architectural designers produce plans that are engineered and ready for permit submission. If the building department requests corrections, we work directly with code officials to address them so you don't have to.

What kinds of services do you offer?

Two main offerings: Conceptual Design (floor-plan and layout development — the creative foundation of a project) and Construction Drawings (a complete set of CAD-drafted residential construction documents including floor plans, all four exterior elevations, wall sections, and roof plans).

Get started

Let's Design the Home You've Been Dreaming Of

Ready to begin — or just want to ask a few questions? We'll get back to you within one business day.

Start your home design 704-877-3641