For Projects in Design Development
Design Development Is When Stone Decisions Have Maximum Flexibility. Use It.
Design Development is the window where material decisions still have room to breathe. The concept is defined. Material directions are being explored. But specifications aren’t locked, budgets aren’t finalized, and procurement timelines haven’t been committed. This is the ideal moment to bring in stone advisory — when every question can still be answered and every risk can still be mitigated without disrupting the project.
Material assumptions haven’t been verified against reality
The design direction calls for “Calacatta-type marble” throughout. But is that available in the quantity needed? At the quality level the rendering promises? Within the budget the client expects? Within the timeline the project requires? These assumptions often go unverified until procurement begins.
Specifications are being written without sourcing intelligence
The architect writes a stone specification based on catalog information and sample chips. Nobody has checked whether the specified material exists in sufficient quantity, at what cost, or with what lead time. The spec locks in assumptions that may not survive procurement.
Budget estimates are based on material names, not market reality
Early budgets often use cost-per-square-foot averages based on material category. A Calacatta range of $85 to $350 per square foot is too wide for budget confidence. The project needs specific material identification to produce reliable numbers.
Substitution risk isn’t being managed
If the primary material becomes unavailable, what’s the backup? If nobody has identified alternatives during DD, the substitution will happen under procurement pressure and the result will be a compromise.
We verify material assumptions: confirming that the design’s stone direction is available, realistic in cost, achievable in timeline, and sourced in sufficient quantity for the project scope.
We provide planning-grade cost ranges based on specific material identification — not category averages. Your budget gets real numbers tied to real lots.
We identify procurement risks during DD when they can be mitigated: availability risk, lead time risk, yield risk, and substitution risk. Each risk gets a documented mitigation strategy.
We help write specifications with procurement-grade precision: block-level identification, finish standards, acceptable variation ranges, and substitution protocols that protect the design intent.
The Situation
An architecture firm in DD on a 15,000 square foot medical office lobby had specified three stone types: a honed limestone floor, a polished marble reception wall, and a quartzite elevator vestibule. The design budget assumed $95 per square foot average for all stone. The firm wanted to verify feasibility before entering CDs.
What Happened
Our scope review identified that the limestone and quartzite were available domestically at prices within the budget assumption. The marble, however, was an Italian variety that would require international procurement at $175 per square foot — nearly double the budget assumption. We identified a domestic marble alternative that achieved 90% of the visual intent at $110 per square foot, and an Italian alternative from a different quarry at $135. The firm presented all three options to the client with realistic cost, timeline, and visual comparisons. The client chose the domestic alternative. The decision was made during DD, when it cost nothing to adjust. Had it surfaced during procurement, it would have required a specification amendment, client re-approval, and schedule disruption.
Stone Scope Review
The ideal DD engagement. Verifies material assumptions, provides planning-grade costs, identifies risks, and builds the foundation for procurement-ready specifications.
Stone Strategy Engagement
For projects with complex stone programs. Full sourcing plans, fabricator evaluation, and risk documentation that feeds directly into CDs.
Specification Support
We help write or review stone specifications to ensure they contain the procurement-grade precision that protects design intent through the bidding and construction process.
Is DD too early to engage a stone advisor?+
DD is the ideal time. It’s when material decisions have maximum flexibility and minimum cost to adjust. Earlier (SD) is fine for conceptual feasibility. Later (CD or procurement) means risk has already been baked into the specification.
What do you need from us at the DD stage?+
Design intent drawings or renders showing stone applications, material direction (specific names or general aesthetic goals), target budget for the stone scope, and the project’s anticipated construction timeline. We work from whatever level of definition exists.
How does your DD work affect the CD specification?+
Directly. Our scope review findings — specific material identifications, verified cost ranges, procurement timelines, and risk mitigations — become the factual basis for the CD stone specification. The spec moves from assumptions to verified data.
18 Years
in Luxury Natural Stone
Former Antolini
Luigi & C Spa — 9 Years
Co-Founder
Stone Trend (Seattle)
How to Specify Natural Stone on Commercial Projects Without Leaving Gaps
The specification document most architects write for stone is incomplete. Here's what's missing and why it matters when the project reaches procurement.
Read more →What Actually Drives the Cost of a Natural Stone Scope
Why one Calacatta costs $85/sf and another costs $350/sf. Not a price list — a framework for understanding the factors that determine project cost.
Read more →The Real Timeline for Natural Stone Procurement — and Why Most Teams Underestimate It
From stone selection to installed surface, the procurement timeline is longer than most project schedules assume. A realistic breakdown for architects and PMs.
Read more →DD is when every stone decision is still adjustable. After CDs lock, the cost of change multiplies. Invest the diligence now.
Show me the project.
Start with a free 15-minute sanity check. If the project needs deeper work, we can decide that together.