Questions People Ask
Before They Build

We draw the project and we build it. The same team handles site analysis, the drawings, the permit set, and the construction, so the design and the crew answer to the same people. You get one point of contact from the first site walk to the final walkthrough.

Tell us the address and roughly what you have in mind. We set up a consultation, walk the lot or the house with you, and talk through zoning, budget, and what you want out of the space. Book a consultation on this site, call (402) 690-3567, or email info@denandburrow.com.

Yes. We are based in Lincoln and we take on projects well beyond it. We have designed and permitted homes in Southern California and we travel for the right job, so tell us where the lot is and we will talk through how we would run it.

We design homes from 400 square feet up to 10,000, and we take single rooms too, down to one permitted bathroom addition. Scope matters more than square footage, since a small addition with structural work can take more drawing than a straightforward new build.

Site analysis, zoning and code research, and a feasibility check come first, so we know what the lot allows before anything gets drawn. Then come preliminary floor plans, spatial layouts, and conceptual elevations that set the form, scale, and function of the home. The phase is collaborative and iterative, and it ends with a direction we both agree on.

Floor plans, site plans, elevations, and perspective renderings you can actually read and approve. After that comes the dimensioned construction document set, coordinated with engineering. That is the paperwork a lender, a plan reviewer, and a framing crew all need.

Yes. We prepare and compile the required documentation, submit it, act as the liaison with the city, respond to plan review comments, and carry revisions through to approval. Staying ahead of the review cycle is how we keep the schedule intact. You never have to chase a plan reviewer yourself.

Yes. Design is its own service, and a permit-ready set you hand to another contractor is a normal outcome. Most clients keep us through construction because the drawings, the price, and the crew come from one place.

Yes, they are the same thing. An accessory dwelling unit is a second, smaller home on a lot that already has a house, either attached to it or standing on its own. Backyard home is the plain-language version of the term. People build them for family, for rental income, or for the flexibility of a second space on the property.

Lincoln updated its zoning rules, which opened backyard homes up to more homeowners, and the answer still comes down to your specific lot. Start with our ADU Eligibility Checker at adu.denandburrow.com, which reads public GIS data and gives a preliminary read on the property. Then we confirm it with a real zoning and site review before you spend money on drawings.

Treat it as a starting point. The results are preliminary, built on public GIS data, and informational only, which puts them well short of legal, professional, or engineering advice. The tool also has no way to see your HOA rules, so talk to your HOA before you plan around a result.

Size follows zoning, the shape of the lot, and what you want the space to do. A detached backyard home can be a compact single story with two bedrooms, and an attached unit can be large enough for a second household under the same roof. We start from the lot and your budget, then draw the size that fits both.

Yes. We build under Nebraska contractor license #71724-25. Co-founder Colten Roth is a licensed contractor in the state with more than ten years of construction experience, and he oversees project execution, subcontractor coordination, and on-site operations.

Alec Calzada leads the architectural design and guides each project from the first conversation through execution. Colten Roth runs the build, Jacob Johnson turns the design into accurate construction drawings, and Max Doty designs. We are a small team, so the people you meet at the consultation are the people on your project.

We coordinate subcontractors, run the schedule, manage the budget, and inspect the site regularly. Active supervision and steady communication let us handle problems while they are still small. From groundbreaking to the final walkthrough, one team stays accountable for what gets built.

Yes, and we are happy to work with you if you do. We just do not think you should do it alone. Our construction consulting gives you a framework for the build, advice at each stage, and a team on call while you hire and manage the trades yourself. You keep control of the project and the savings, with someone experienced in your corner when questions come up.

Yes. Reviving historic spaces is part of why the firm exists, and it has been since we started in 2021. The approach is to keep what matters, replace what has failed, and update the systems without erasing the character of the house. Older buildings hide surprises behind the walls, so we plan the budget and the schedule with that in mind.

We would rather give you a real number than a fast one. Price follows square footage, site conditions, how much structural work is involved, the level of detail in the drawings, and the finishes you select. After the consultation and a look at your lot, you get a figure built on your project instead of an average.

Our Estimate Builder at calculator.denandburrow.com estimates the size of home you may be able to build from your income, monthly debts, credit score, and cash savings, plus the finish level you pick. Add your name, email, and phone to see the full budget and get the report by email with a report ID. Land is not included, and final eligibility still has to come from a lender.

Design depends on the complexity of the house and how many rounds of revisions you want. Permitting depends on the city review cycle and how fast comments get resolved. Construction depends on scope, the number of trades, and the weather. Once the drawings are set we price the build and lock a schedule, and that is the schedule we work to.

That is what the first phase is for. Site analysis, zoning and code research, and a feasibility assessment come before any drawing you would pay to develop, so the project gets measured against the regulations and your budget parameters early. If the lot will not carry what you have in mind, you hear it from us at the start.