I want to start by saying that I'm genuinely grateful this long process finally ended with my…read morepermit being approved. Having the resolution was a relief, and the job captain became responsive toward the very end. Unfortunately, the overall experience with Streamline Design & Permitting was extremely difficult, and I think future clients deserve a clear and factual account of what occurred. Background I purchased a home where the previous owner had illegally converted storage space into a studio unit. When I received a code violation, I began the permitting process with another company, but their drafter became unavailable mid-project. That gave me a point of comparison for transparency, communication, and timelines. I interviewed two new companies. One said submission would take 3-4 weeks; Streamline promised submission within one week. Because I was losing rental income, I chose Streamline based on their faster timeline. In reality, the kickoff call didn't happen for a week, and the first submission went in roughly three weeks after hiring them. That slow start reflected the rest of what became a nine-month process. 1. Lack of Transparency The previous company had been clear about timelines, what the City typically requires, and how reviews worked. Streamline did not offer the same level of transparency. I repeatedly asked for City comments so I could understand progress, but I almost never received them directly. The only reason I became aware of several major issues was because the previous drafting company was still copied on City emails and forwarded them to me. This created the impression that I was not getting full visibility into City feedback or into avoidable errors being made. 2. Repeated Avoidable Mistakes Several errors added delays and extra rounds of review: * The first submission labeled the unit as a JADU, even though I explained during the kickoff call that my zoning does not allow a JADU. * When the title was corrected, the internal sheets still referenced "JADU" throughout. * After a phone call I requested with the City--where reviewers clearly stated the space must be submitted as a non-habitable owner's office unless I pursued an ADU--Streamline resubmitted it as "living space." This contradicted explicit City direction and triggered additional comments, delays, and added costs. When I asked about the error, I was given an explanation referencing terminology used on another project rather than a clear acknowledgment that a mistake had been made. None of these issues were proactively disclosed. 3. Invoicing and Lack of Clarity I repeatedly asked for a breakdown of how the billed hours were spent. The previous drafting company separated administrative coordination from drafting work. Streamline billed everything at drafting rates without itemization, including tasks like forwarding emails, coordination, and follow-ups--some of which I ultimately handled myself. When I requested clarification, the responses felt defensive rather than explanatory. 4. Communication Tone From Leadership When I expressed concerns about transparency and billing, the CEO's response felt dismissive. He stated that if I didn't like their pricing, I should have hired someone else, and noted that questioning hours could result in the project being placed on hold. This was after nine months of delays and multiple attempts on my part to express concerns constructively. 5. After the Permit Was Finally Approved Despite everything, I reached out again for the next phase (an ADU conversion) because I hoped Streamline might handle the next stage more smoothly, especially since the job captain I had worked with was no longer with the company. I requested drafting support only--not submission--so I could personally manage communication with the City. Instead of a drafting-only scope, I received a large proposal priced as if the project was starting from scratch. When I requested my CAD files so I could hire a different drafter, Streamline asked for additional fees. I ended up hiring a new drafter who is recreating the plans for less than Streamline quoted to update the existing ones. Summary Streamline presents very confidently on the sales side, but in my experience the drafting quality was inconsistent, mistakes were not acknowledged, transparency was limited, and communication lacked accountability. The job captain was pleasant and responsive at the end, but there were many avoidable errors throughout the process. The experience was far more stressful, time-consuming, and expensive than it needed to be. Final Note Streamline's contract includes a non-disparagement clause. Everything above reflects documented facts: dated emails, City correspondence, the project timeline, and written communication with Streamline. My intention is to provide an accurate account so future homeowners can make an informed decision.

Working with Devin and his team has been an absolute pleasure from start to finish. Their attention…read moreto detail and organization is unmatched -- every set of plans we've built from them has been clear, complete, and thoughtfully designed. As a contractor, that level of precision makes all the difference. They know the permitting process inside and out, and it shows. What could have been a drawn-out headache turned into a seamless, well-managed experience. Highly recommend to any homeowner or builder looking for a true professional partner in San Diego.

I am an apartment owner/investor and want to let other apartment owners know about my experience…read morewith Reverence Engineering. Last year, I obtained an inspection of the deck and balcony at my family's 10 unit apartment complex in order to comply with Senate Bill 721. After learning that our cantilevered balcony needed structural work, I began calling engineering firms. I chose Reverence Engineering because I wanted to work with a smaller firm and I was impressed with my initial call with principal engineer Brett Sauers. During that conversation, he explained in simple terms how he would approach creating plans and seeking permits for a major retrofit of our balcony walkway. From there, I was kept well informed by email at every step of the way. Because I live out of state and was not able to be present for any site visits, Brett prepared an explanatory video for me so that I could see exactly what he was seeing and understand how we could solve the structural challenges. The draft plans were ready more quickly than I expected and Brett personally addressed all my questions with patience and precision. The City took longer than I had hoped to do its plan review, but Brett's staff sent me weekly updates. In addition, they walked me through all the forms that I needed to sign so it ended up being a pain-free process from start to finish. I really couldn't be happier with the attentiveness of Brett and his team, as well as the outcome. They deserve accolades for exceptional structural engineering work, at a very reasonable cost.

I submitted a request to Reverence for an Architect in early January 2026, I received a call back…read morefrom Brett to go over the services Reverence provides and their approach to support the clients. At the end of the call, Brett stated he would work on the contract and send over for review. The following week, I called Reverence to better understand the timeline for contract creation so I could maintain realistic expectations; I was told I should have the contract that day (January 13) or the following day (January 14). I contacted Reverence on January 20, after not receiving a response and was advised a message would be sent to Brett for an update. I again did not receive a response (no callback nor email) and contacted Reverence on January 22 and again on February 2, and was provided a similar response (that I should receive the contract soon if not today or the next). I subsequently left a message on February 4, indicating that I no longer wished to proceed with their services and would look elsewhere. I have no doubt that Reverence provides customers with solid service once contracted, however, I find it is equally important to effectively communicate with prospective clients to ensure transparency. I would have gladly waited a few more weeks if that was the standard and was communicated to me. Hopefully future clients will have a better experience.

If you're doing an ADU in San Diego (or neighboring counties)-call Dreamcatcher!…read more When deciding to do an ADU garage conversion, I was lost and overwhelmed. I did my due diligence with the city to make sure it was allowed and then started calling contractors. They said I needed to start with an architect or draftsman and I got a few referrals. I also tried to find one on Houzz and Yelp. For most of the ones I contacted, I was a side job and they didn't really know that much about ADU's. I prayed about it and God opened the door. Once I found Dreamcatcher and started talking to Al and Chris, I knew they were on their game. Chris knew more about what to do and explained it better than all the other contacts I had made. We met to discuss ideas and then Al drafted them up. They went to the site and measured and then drew up the plans for submission to the city. They also connected us to the TItle 24 folks and sent the plans to them for us. They guided me through the steps and knew exactly about the process (back and forth with the city) and the order of how things should be done. Their fees were very reasonable (especially compared to the architects who want bigger jobs). Chris was communicative and answered my emails - she and Al know the rules and regulations-they guided me every step of the way. My plans were approved from the city in a timely manner and I couldn't be happier with the service I received from Dreamcatcher.

From the owner: Architectural drafting and design for custom homes, remodels, room additions, ADUs, garage…read moreconversions and patio covers. Also civil engineering drafting.

Andrew was a real pleasure to work with. He took on our master bathroom design, which is a very…read moresmall project for any architect. Despite this fact, he took his time when meeting with us and was very attentive to our needs. His design turned out great too! I will highly recommend him to friends and family because he's affordable, has great design ideas, and is great with his clients.

I highly recommend Andrew as he has an extensive knowledge of the trade. He was kind enough to…read moreanswer all my questions about permits (very important in the Oceanside area) FOR FREE. It is rare to find someone in this industry that genuinely wants to help others. Andrew's attention to detail really sets him apart from the rest!

When we built out our attic into a granny flat we wanted to do it right. Getting permits from the…read morecity is a pain you know where, but there are architects who take that off your shoulders! Ms. Rivera came highly recommended to us by friends and we were glad we hired her. She took care of all the permits and architectural planning requirements within a month and the contractors had no problem following the plan. Her professionalism and expertise was beyond our expectations and we will definitely use her services again in the future.

From the owner: San Diego's Expert Home Design Firm Walking You Through the Design Process as Well as the Permit…read moreProcess, Making Your Vision a Reality. Free On-Site Consultations. Call Us Today.

my experience with this company was absolutely horrible!…read morefirst of all to survey a property isn't the cheapest investment so you'd expect the service to be half way descent. This company took several hours to respond back to me to schedule appointment, that alone should have been a red flag but I still gave them another opportunity. Appointment time frame was 7:00am-7:30am, when he hadn't arrived by 8:30am I called them to see if he was late, they gave me BS that he was at the county getting info on my property. Then stated he'd arrive by 12:30-1:30pm again DID NOT SHOW! (keep in mind they already had my $1,500.00 deposit) Basically this went on all day didn't show up until 4:30 pm and the man that showed up had no idea what he was there for instead wanted to chat about his kids instead of getting the job done! I contacted there office and told them to just have him leave my property. waiting 9 hours is ridiculous. save your money and time stay away from this company!! unprofessional and unreliable, how people run there business like this is insane!

i have used kolibrien for my engineering needs for the past 5 years…read more honest, timely response, professional work when i needed my projects to move forward, john was there. the build it group thanks for being there john tim

Ryan was proactive and transparent when I reached out about a survey quote. Though I ultimately did…read morenot end up using their service, I would not hesitate to work with them.

It was less than 2 weeks before Christmas and we decided that we really needed a surveyor to make…read moresure that the granny flat we were planning to build would be within our setbacks. To do so we needed to determine our property lines with absolute certainty. We had called a couple of other surveyors and had been given what seemed like fairly inflated quotes for the job we needed done and none of them could help us until after the beginning of the year. Once I contacted ATC Design Group all of that changed. They emailed a proposal to me that same day detailing the work we discussed over the phone exactly for a reasonable price. I returned the signed contract to them that day and was able to schedule an appointment for the following week with their surveyor, Ryan, for the following week (the week before Christmas!) Ryan showed up on time. Not only did he do the work we agreed to exactly, he even did a couple of elevation readings for us at no extra charge. Working with Ryan and his company was an absolute pleasure!

We were in a position to have some plans drawn up for a simple kitchen remodel. Having no…read moreexperience or knowledge in this area we reached out to Lovelace Engineering who suggested many draftsman and architects for us to choose from. I made several calls one day, some people answered and couldn't help me, some were too expensive, some didn't answer but Jim did answer and he was knowledgeable, affordable and could see us within 24 hours. We were on a time crunch since our entire new kitchen was in our garage but we couldn't move forward without these plans. Jim came over the following day, took all our information and within 3 days had plans for us. When we took the plans to the county for our permit there were some simple corrections that needed to be done. Jim took care of the corrections and within 24 hours he had then completed and sent back to me. Thank you Jim for your hard work, prompt attention to our needs and willingness to help out to ensure we received our permit. If you are need of a professional design and draftsman Jim is your guy!!!!

From the owner: Residential architecture servicesread more

Kristin was referred to us by friends. We sat down with her back in 2016 and she came up with a…read morefabulous plan for pop-out and remodel of our kitchen. It was everything we wanted, large center island, no upper cabinets so we could have windows all around the kitchen area, walk-in pantry and a wine cellar. It just took us 1-1/2 years to get started....not sure what we were doing in that time because our kitchen is absolutely stunning! We chose one of her contractor referrals, W.A.Jackson Construction, and they were great to work with and did a fabulous job.

Kristin designed our master bath remodel and acted as the general contractor for the job. She made…read morethe whole thing so easy, from helping us decide what we wanted, to making sure the job got done on time. I would highly recommend her and look forward to working with her in the future on other house projects.