Custom residential design · Two ways to work with us
Your home, drawn for you.
When a stock plan isn't quite right — even modified — the answer is a home drawn for your lot, your family, and your life.
There are two calm ways to start: work directly with Max Sr., or work with the Fulbright design team under his oversight. If you are not sure which fits, call us and we will help you choose before you spend money.
Two Options · One Family · Same Craft
Work directly with Max, or with the team — your call.
Both options give you a complete build-ready plan set. The real choice is simple: how personally involved do you want Max Sr. to be, and what budget feels comfortable?
Principal Option · Founder Direct
With Max
Max Sr. personally draws every room, every line, every layout.
Principal projects are limited · Call to talk through availability
Starting at
$6.00
/ heated sq ft
2,500 sq ft · $15,000 · 3,500 sq ft · $21,000
3-payment schedule · Deposit, midpoint, delivery
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Max Sr. personally leads the design. He thinks through the layout, framing, views, and daily life of the home.
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Direct designer access. Calls and revisions are part of the process, so the design can settle in before final drawings.
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Complete construction document set. Floor plans, elevations, foundation, roof framing, wall sections, and plan notes.
Talk through the Principal option →
Free consultation · No obligation · 1–2 day response
Team Option · Fulbright Team
With the Team
Ryan, Rhett, or Tony draws your home — with Max's oversight and final approval.
Starting at
$3.50
/ heated sq ft
2,500 sq ft · $8,750 · 3,500 sq ft · $12,250
3-payment schedule · Deposit, midpoint, delivery
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Start with Max Sr. He helps set the direction, review your lot, and align the vision before drawing begins.
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The Fulbright team handles the drawings. Ryan, Rhett, or Tony draws the plan with Max's oversight.
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Same complete plan set. You receive build-ready drawings with the same sheets and care.
Ask about the Team option →
Free consultation · No obligation · 1–2 day response
If I'm personally drawing every line on your home, I can only do twelve of those a year and do them well. But the boys grew up watching me draw — I want them doing real work for families who want our design but can't commit to the Principal option fee.
MF
Max Fulbright Sr.
Founder · Lead Designer + Builder · 35 Years
The Principal option exists because some families want Max himself thinking through every room — and they should be able to have that. The price reflects the time it takes and the limits on Max's calendar.
The Team option exists because the boys — Ryan, Rhett, and Tony — are legitimately good designers who learned from their father. Every plan they draw passes through Max's desk before it ships. Nothing leaves the firm without his signature.
Same standard of craft, same complete deliverable, two different ways of working. Choose the one that fits your budget and how involved you want Max personally.
Initial consultation
Phone, email, or video call to understand your wish list, lot, lifestyle, and budget. Always free, no obligation.
Week 1
Preliminary floor plans
First CAD drawings of your home — fully dimensioned layouts showing room sizes, flow, and structure. Sent for your review.
Week 2–4
Revision & refinement
Back and forth on layouts, rooms, features. Most designs go through 2–4 revision rounds. No rush — we want it right.
Week 4–8
Exterior elevations
Front, rear, and side views showing rooflines, windows, materials, and architectural details. Refined until it's right.
Week 8–11
Construction documents
Complete build-ready set delivered by email. Floor plans, elevations, foundation, roof framing, wall sections, and plan notes.
Week 11–14
Option A · Modify an Existing Plan
Plan Modifications
Start from an existing plan and make targeted changes.
$750 – $4,500Per Modification
- 3–4 week typical turnaround
- Best when a plan is 70%+ what you want
- Transparent per-category pricing
- Foundation changes, room resizing, exterior swaps
- Modifications made by the original designer
Learn about modifications →
Option B · Design From Scratch
Custom Home Design
Designed from scratch for your lot, family, and vision.
$3.50 – $6.00+Per Heated Sq Ft
- 8–14 week typical timeline
- Best when nothing in catalog fits your vision
- Two pricing paths based on who draws the home
- Designed around your specific lot
- Full interview with Max Sr., at minimum
Choose your custom design path →
“
Max took the time to really listen — we had sketches on napkins and a bunch of ideas from different plans we liked. He pulled it all together into something that's uniquely ours. The process was smooth, the revisions were fast, and the final drawings were exactly what we needed to break ground.
Travis & Lauren K.
Chattanooga, TN
“
We had a tricky sloped lot and needed a design that worked with the land — not against it. Max designed a walkout basement plan that fit perfectly. His construction background showed in every detail. Our builder said it was one of the cleanest plan sets he'd worked with in years.
Daniel R.
Blue Ridge, GA
“
I was skeptical about doing this remotely — we're in Texas and Max is in Georgia. But it worked perfectly. Email, phone calls, and PDF revisions. We never felt out of the loop. The home we built is exactly what we dreamed about for 10 years. Worth every penny.
Sandra M.
Austin, TX
Common Questions
Quick answers.
How much does custom home design cost?+
Custom design is offered two ways. With Max (founder direct) starts at $6.00 per heated square foot — Max Sr. personally draws every line, unlimited revisions, limited to 12 projects per year. With the Team (Fulbright designers under Max's oversight) starts at $3.50 per heated square foot — one initial consultation with Max, then subsequent work with Ryan, Rhett, or Tony.
A 2,500 sq ft home costs $15,000 at the Principal option or $8,750 at the Team option.
What's the actual difference between the two options?+
With Max means Max Fulbright Sr. personally draws every room and layout, with unlimited phone calls and revisions throughout the process. You work directly with the founder from consultation through delivery.
With the Team means one initial consultation with Max to set direction, then all subsequent design work and communication is handled by Ryan, Rhett, or Tony — with Max Sr. reviewing and approving every revision before it ships. Both options deliver the same complete construction document set.
Why is With Max limited to 12 projects per year?+
Max Sr. personally draws every line on Principal option projects — which requires real time and attention. Twelve projects per year is the maximum he can take on while maintaining the quality and care that justifies the premium.
When Max's calendar is full, you can either join the waitlist for the next opening or choose the Team option with the Fulbright team.
How long does the custom design process take?+
Typical custom designs take 8 to 14 weeks from initial consultation to final construction documents. The Team option is often faster because the team has more combined capacity; the Principal option depends on Max Sr.'s schedule and the complexity of the project.
We give you a firm timeline after the initial consultation.
Can I start With the Team and upgrade to With Max later?+
If Max has availability and the project scope warrants it, yes — typically in the first 1–2 weeks. After preliminary drawings are approved, it's usually not practical to switch options because the design work is already in motion.
Most clients choose their tier upfront based on budget and how much direct founder access matters to them.
Do I need to be local to use custom design services?+
No. We work with clients nationwide. While we're happy to meet in person with local clients in the Georgia area, most custom design work is completed remotely via phone, email, and digital file sharing.
We've completed custom designs for clients in Texas, Maine, Canada, and everywhere in between. Distance is not a limitation.
How is custom design different from plan modifications?+
Plan modifications start with an existing plan and make specific changes — resizing rooms, changing foundations, adding porches. Modifications are typically $750–$4,500 and take 3–4 weeks.
Custom design starts from scratch based entirely on your wish list, lot, and lifestyle. If an existing plan is 70%+ what you want, modification is usually the better value. If nothing fits, go custom.
What if I like elements of different plans — can you combine them?+
Yes. This is actually one of the most common ways clients start. Love the exterior of one plan, the floor plan of another, the porch from a third? We can merge elements from multiple designs into a single custom plan.
Share the plans you like during the initial consultation and we'll build from there.
Ready to start
Let's design something truly yours.
