An independent, third-party plan review — architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, floor trusses, and roof trusses — resulting in a Cost Optimization Report identifying exactly where your plans are costing more than they need to.
At Strata Edge Group, we show you where the money still is in your plans. Our third-party review identifies discrepancies and issues, and delivers a Cost Optimization Report with specific recommendations — architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, floor and roof trusses, and framing — each one tied to a savings for the builder. Strata Edge Group does not replace any of your licensed trade partners, and does not provide calculations or engineering. Every review is conducted by an experienced Strata Edge Group analyst with more than 30 years in residential construction, working closely alongside architects, structural engineers, truss manufacturers, and mechanical and MEP teams — a specialist in cost-saving recommendations that don't change the structural integrity of the home or, in most cases, the approved look of the elevation.
From national production builders to regional and build-to-rent developers — the same disciplined, third-party plan review applied at every scale.
National and regional builders working from a shared plan family, where one overlooked detail repeats — and compounds — across every home in the community.
Buildings with repeated unit types, where the same inefficiency carries floor after floor, building after building, across the portfolio.
The same cross-discipline plan review applied to commercial buildings, churches, and schools — any ground-up or renovation project with plans worth a second look.
Currently available in 22 states across the nation — and growing.
Material, labor, and specification efficiencies, identified line by line — without changing the structural integrity of the home or, in most cases, the approved architectural look of the elevation.
Plan-noted substitute products, so that if a specified material becomes scarce or expensive later in the community, an approved switch is already on paper — instead of a stalled phase.
Confirming that zone-specific and jurisdiction-specific requirements are actually reflected in the plans, not just assumed to be handled.
Discrepancies identified and routed to the design team while they're still a plan note — before they become a field problem.
This isn't about anyone falling short. Architects, engineers, and trade partners are each responsible for their own scope — and doing that job well. No one's role is to look at all of it together, at the same time, before it's built.
Architectural, structural, mechanical, and truss documents are typically prepared and approved separately, by separate teams — which is normal and correct. It also means no one is positioned to look at how all of them fit together, or what a change in one discipline could unlock in another.
A specified product can become scarce or dramatically more expensive by the time a community reaches a later phase. Without an approved alternate already noted on the plans, a builder facing that shortage often has no fast, compliant option to switch.
Fire zones, wind zones, and local amendments carry requirements that don't always get flagged clearly — even after plans clear planning and a first plan check.
A missing detail caught before submittal is a plan note. The same gap found in the field can mean an RFI, a delay, or — in rarer cases — rework on homes that are already complete.
Every trade partner is looking out for their own scope, and doing it well. Strata Edge Group's role is simply to be the one set of eyes looking at all of it together, on the builder's behalf.
A third-party plan review of your full document set — architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, floor trusses, and roof trusses — resulting in one deliverable: a Cost Optimization Report the builder can act on.
Strata Edge Group was built on more than 35 years of direct, daily engagement across every discipline of the building industry. Our founder and principal analyst has not observed these industries from a distance — they have operated inside them, working daily alongside architects, structural engineers, home builders, mechanical contractors, plumbing contractors, electrical contractors, framing contractors, building departments, planning departments, and onsite inspectors.
That depth of cross-discipline experience is what makes our analysis fundamentally different. We understand not just what each trade produces — but how each trade's decisions affect every other trade on the project. We have sat in value engineering meetings for three decades alongside architects, structural engineers, mechanical teams, and builders, and we know what those meetings are built for: each discipline doing its own scope well. There might be a structural question — can a 4x6 do what a 6x6 is doing on an enhanced elevation's shed roof detail — but rarely much more. Almost no one at that table is positioned to question a specified exterior product, or to ask what happens if that product becomes hard to get. That isn't a shortcoming of anyone in the room. It's just not what those meetings are for.
Strata Edge Group exists to provide the perspective that no one in that room will ever provide — an independent plan review conducted exclusively in the builder's interest, delivered confidentially, with no obligation to any design professional, trade partner, or jurisdiction.
Confirmation that the correct codes, zoning, and jurisdiction-specific building department requirements are being followed for your project.
Practical, field-grounded assessment of whether the plan set can be built efficiently as drawn, before a single frame is started.
Line-by-line identification of specifications, dimensions, and details that carry hidden material and labor cost.
Overlay and cross-reference of architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and floor and roof truss documents simultaneously.
Daily Working Relationships Across
The process is straightforward and designed to create zero disruption to your project team, your design relationships, or your internal operations.
The builder submits its plan set securely through our confidential intake process. We accept architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and floor and roof truss documents in standard digital formats. All submissions are treated with complete confidentiality.
We overlay all submitted disciplines — architectural over structural, mechanical over framing, truss layouts against architectural and structural — and compare them simultaneously. This reveals conflicts, coordination failures, and inefficiencies invisible when each document is reviewed in isolation.
A thorough line-by-line review of each discipline document looking specifically for cost savings recommendations: alternative product specifications, overhang and detail dimensions that carry hidden cost, and framing details carried forward from prior projects without re-evaluation.
Each identified opportunity is associated with an estimated cost savings — calculated per unit, per building, and where applicable, across the full community — so leadership can evaluate which recommendations to pursue, in what sequence, and with what urgency.
All findings are compiled into a confidential report delivered exclusively to the builder or developer. We do not consult with, present to, or communicate with the builder's architects, engineers, or trade partners. Our role ends at the report — your team takes it from there.
These are representative examples of the types of findings a Cost Optimization Review identifies. Each one begins as a single observation on a single plan.
A plan set had already cleared planning and its first plan check when review found the project sits inside a high fire hazard severity zone, without the Chapter 7A / WUI detailing the code requires — no fire-treated callouts for exposed starter board, fascia, or rafter tails. A neighboring project in the same fire zone, prepared by a different design team, had the same requirements detailed correctly from the start — a reminder of how easy zone-specific details are to miss, even after plans clear the building department. Caught before submittal, it's a plan note. Caught after homes are occupied, it can mean removing completed roof edge material to add the fire-treated components after the fact.
A 24-inch roof overhang was specified across an entire plan family. Review identified that reducing the overhang to 12 inches would eliminate two full rows of starter board on each home — removing both material and labor — with no impact to appearance or code compliance.
A 5½" × 11½" glulam beam was specified throughout with no alternative product noted. Review recommended adding a plan note identifying a 3¼" × 11⅞" LVL as an approved alternative — requiring no engineering change and no redesign, protecting the schedule when glulam availability is constrained.
Overlay analysis of architectural and mechanical plans against structural documents identified FAU unit locations positioned directly over large flush beams — insufficient clearance for equipment access and service. Identified before first submittal, this is a note revision. Identified in the field, it's a delay.
Plan review identified perimeter blocking called out at five blocks in locations where calculated lateral forces required only three — a specification carried forward from a prior, higher-demand site. The correction eliminated unnecessary material and labor from every repetition of that condition across every unit in production.
An illustrative excerpt — findings are always specific to the plan set reviewed, and every report is confidential to the builder.
The ideal stage depends on where your plans are in the process — first submittal is generally the sweet spot: early enough that findings are still simple plan notes, late enough that the plan set is fully coordinated. But we are frequently engaged on projects already in production, and we deliver meaningful results there as well.
Strata Edge Group has been retained on active communities across multiple phases of construction — where builders suspected there were cost savings in their plans that hadn't been realized because no one had looked across all disciplines simultaneously. In each case, we identified optimization opportunities that did not alter the architectural character of the homes, did not compromise structural integrity, and did not require resubmittal or redesign — yet saved the builder hundreds of thousands of dollars across the remaining phases.
Before first submittal to the building department. Maximum flexibility — every finding is a plan note or revision.
Plans are in plan check. Findings can be incorporated before the permit is issued — no resubmittal required.
Community is permitted and building. Optimization opportunities apply to all remaining phases.
Even at Phase 8 or 9, remaining-phase savings can significantly exceed the cost of the review.
Every engagement includes a complete review of every plan, every elevation, every building type, and every unit type submitted. We do not provide partial reviews or summary assessments.
Full trade coordination analysis — architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and floor and roof trusses — with a cost-quantified findings report. A typical 3-plan community runs $3,000–$4,500 total.
All unit types and building configurations, full trade coordination analysis, and a cost-quantified report. Negotiable for larger building types or portfolios.
Priority scheduling and ongoing access for builders with continuous plan volume across multiple projects or communities. Contact us to discuss your pipeline.
Discounted pricing is available for division-level retainers covering all of your division's communities under a single agreement. Recommended for home builders or developers with more than 4 new projects a year and 10 existing communities in production.
Click here if interested in a specialized division pricing quote for your division →Every home or business is different — an immediate quote is provided within 24 hours of plans uploaded. Community and multi-plan packages are negotiable, and all fees are discussed and confirmed prior to engagement — there are no surprise charges. Payment terms are established at time of proposal acceptance.
Typical review turnaround is 3–5 working days, depending on the size of the project or community.
Every firm at your table is protecting its own scope. Strata Edge Group is the only entity at the table working exclusively for you.
We review all disciplines simultaneously — the way the building actually has to come together. That perspective isn't available from your architect, engineer, truss manufacturer, or framing contractor.
We have no relationship with your architects, engineers, or trade partners. We don't soften recommendations out of professional courtesy. Our report is written for one audience: you.
Our recommendations come from decades of direct experience in residential construction, production building, truss manufacturing, structural coordination, and field-level inspection.
Confirmation that the correct codes, zoning, and the specific building department's requirements are being followed for your project — applied directly to your documents.
Strata Edge Group does not provide or replace any of your licensed trade partners, and we do not provide calculations or engineering. We bring cost savings recommendations to the builder or developer, who reviews them with their own architects and engineers and chooses which recommendations to move forward with.
We identify missing or incorrect detailing and notes before submittal — the kind of item that otherwise comes back from the building department as a plan check correction, costing the builder time and money to fix after the fact.
We identify plan discrepancies and search for issues that can be resolved on paper — before they become a field problem, an RFI, or a redesign once the community is already in production.
A single Cost Optimization Review that identifies $50,000 in community-level savings has returned its fee many times over before a single frame is started.
We partner with the builder, and with every trade on the team, with everyone's best interest in mind — to help build better homes, more efficiently.
Every engagement produces one deliverable: a confidential report organized for immediate use by your leadership team, purchasing department, and design professionals.
High-level overview of all findings, total estimated savings identified, and priority items for immediate leadership review.
Itemized list of conflicts and coordination failures identified through cross-discipline overlay, with discipline source and field impact.
Recommendations organized by discipline, each with an estimated savings figure per unit and projected community impact.
Findings from the truss package and structural documents including layout, bearing, hardware, and coordination concerns.
Recommendations for plan-noted product alternatives that provide supply chain flexibility and reduce lead-time risk.
All findings organized by estimated value, urgency, and implementation complexity, with a suggested sequence for design team engagement.
Whether it's your next build or a community already underway, tell us about the project. Once builders see what a single review finds, most bring us onto every project and community that follows.
Tell Us About Your Next ProjectFree estimate provided within 24 hours of plans uploaded.
Tell us about your project and upload your plan set. All submissions are handled with complete confidentiality. A free estimate is provided within 24 hours of plans uploaded; a full review typically takes 3–5 working days depending on the size of the project or community.
Strata Edge Group provides a Cost Optimization Report of advisory recommendations only. The builder is responsible for reviewing every item with its own licensed architects, engineers, and trade partners before implementation. Strata Edge Group does not provide or replace any licensed trade partner and does not provide calculations or engineering, and takes no responsibility for any issues, damages, or costs arising from any item on the report, whether or not implemented. Submission of this form does not create an engagement — all engagements are confirmed in writing. All submissions are kept strictly confidential.