Digital
Planning
Before anything is built, everything is mapped. We translate your ideas, your site, and your goals into a precise digital plan — so every decision is intentional and every dollar is accounted for.
What digital planning covers
Each pillar produces a concrete deliverable. Together they form the planning package every Insiteflo project is built from — eliminating guesswork before the first nail is driven.
Site visit, sunlight mapping, functional flow assessment. We document what the space is, how it moves, and what it wants to become.
Opportunities ReportWritten scope document with inclusions, exclusions, phasing plan, and change protocol. No ambiguity. No surprises mid-build.
Scope DocumentGeoreferenced site plan with setbacks, easements, utility locations, and drone photography overlaid into a single working document.
Site Plan PackageROM cost ranges, hard and soft cost breakdown, contingency recommendations, and value engineering options — before any design dollars are spent.
Budget FrameworkSpace Analysis
We begin every project with a structured site visit and space analysis. This is not a walkthrough — it is a methodical documentation of how light moves across the site, how people move through it, where the functional pinch points are, and what the site is physically capable of.
The output is an opportunities report: a written and diagrammed document that maps potential uses, flags constraints, and identifies the two or three design moves that will define the project.
Scope Definition
The most expensive mistake in residential construction is starting to build before the scope is clear. Scope creep, verbal agreements, and assumed inclusions are responsible for the majority of budget and timeline blowouts on North Vancouver Island projects.
Our scope definition deliverable is a written legal document: what is included, what is explicitly excluded, how changes are requested and priced, and how the project is phased if budget requires sequencing.
Site Mapping
A georeferenced site plan is the spatial foundation of the entire project. We document property boundaries, setbacks, easements, rights-of-way, utility locations, topography, and existing structures in a single working file used by every trade and consultant on the project.
For most North Vancouver Island properties, drone photography is included — providing accurate aerial context that ground surveys alone cannot capture, particularly on sloped, forested, or waterfront sites.
Budget Framing
We provide rough-order-of-magnitude (ROM) cost ranges based on current NVI trade pricing, material costs, and permit fees — before any design dollars are spent. This is not a quote. It is a framework for making good decisions about what to design.
The budget framework separates hard costs (labour, materials, equipment) from soft costs (permits, engineering, design fees, contingency) and identifies value engineering options where the scope can be adjusted without compromising the outcome.
How space analysis works
Click a zone on the diagram to explore what the analysis covers in that area of the site. Each zone yields specific insights that shape design decisions.
Inside a scope definition document
A scope document is not a wish list — it is a legal framework. Click each section to see what a real scope document covers and why it matters for your project.
Every item explicitly confirmed as part of the contracted scope. Line by line. Trade by trade. Material specification where relevant. If it is not listed as included, it is not included.
Items explicitly outside this scope — whether deferred to a future phase, client-supplied, or simply out of scope. Exclusions prevent assumed inclusions from becoming disputes mid-build.
When budget requires sequencing, the phase plan defines what happens when — ordered by structural dependency, site access windows, permit timelines, and owner priority. No trade waits on a decision that has not been made.
The process for requesting, pricing, approving, and documenting scope changes. Written change orders, approval timelines, and cost impact communication — before any change is made, not after.
Site mapping layers
A georeferenced site plan is a multi-layer document. Toggle layers on and off to see how each one informs the project — and why all of them need to exist in a single working file.
Legal lot lines from BC land title records. The legal foundation of everything built on the site.
Zoning setbacks, statutory rights-of-way, and registered easements — the buildable envelope.
Hydro, septic field, water service, drainage. Critical for siting structures and excavation planning.
Spot elevations and contour lines — drainage direction, cut and fill requirements, grade relationships.
Orthorectified aerial photography aligned to the site plan — actual ground conditions, not survey assumptions.
Mapped tree canopy and root zones for significant trees — required for permit applications in most NVI jurisdictions.
Budget framing breakdown
A budget framework is not a quote — it is a decision-making tool. Use the sliders below to see how scope decisions affect the overall project budget and hard vs. soft cost ratio.
Typical residential renovation on North Vancouver Island. Percentages shift with scope — this shows a mid-range whole-home renovation.
Adjust scope factors to see how the rough-order-of-magnitude total shifts. NVI pricing as of current market — for planning purposes only.
Planning deliverables
A written and diagrammed document that maps what the site is, how it moves, and what it wants to become. The foundation of every design decision that follows.
A written legal document: inclusions, exclusions, phasing plan, and change protocol. No ambiguity. No verbal agreements. No surprises mid-build.
A georeferenced, multi-layer site plan with drone photography overlay — the spatial document every trade and consultant on the project will use.
ROM cost ranges before any design dollars are spent. Hard and soft cost separation. Contingency recommendations. Value engineering options.
The planning process
Discovery Conversation
A 60-minute call or meeting to understand your project goals, constraints, timeline, and budget range. We ask the questions most contractors skip — because the answers shape every decision that follows. No obligation. No sales pitch.
60 minutes — remote or on-siteSpace Analysis Visit
A structured on-site assessment — typically 2 to 4 hours depending on site complexity. We document existing conditions, measure, photograph, and note everything the site is telling us. Drone flight included for larger properties or complex topography.
2 to 4 hours on-sitePlan Production
Site plan, space analysis report, and initial budget framework produced from the site visit data. Typically delivered within 5 to 7 business days. You receive a complete planning package — not a slide deck, not a verbal summary. A working document.
5 to 7 business daysScope Definition Workshop
A working session — in person or remote — to walk through the planning package together and build the scope document in real time. Every inclusion and exclusion is agreed and recorded. The change protocol is explained and signed off. This session turns a plan into a project.
2 to 3 hours — working sessionPlanning Package Delivery
Final planning package issued — georeferenced site plan (PDF and DWG), space analysis report, scope document (signed), and budget framework. This package is the foundation for concept design, permit applications, and trade quotes. It is also the document your lender, insurer, and local authority will ask for.
Complete package — ready for next phaseStart your planning conversation
Every project we build starts with a planning package. It is not optional — it is how we ensure that when construction begins, it begins right. Book a discovery call and we will tell you exactly what the planning phase will cost and how long it takes.