Licensure & Compliance

The following information is provided to clearly explain WL3 Designs’ role in the design and development process, how regulated services are delivered, and what clients can expect regarding transparency and accountability.

Regulated Partnership Model
Licensed oversight where required.
Verification Up Front
Name + license + board link.
One Point of Contact
WL3 coordinates end-to-end.

Why Compliance Matters for You

At WL3 Designs, we are committed to transparency about our role in the design and development process.

WL3 Designs provides design, planning, and project coordination services that help shape ideas, support decision-making, and advance projects from early concept through design coordination and documentation preparation.

Where architectural, engineering, or other regulated professional services are required by law or jurisdiction, such services are performed by appropriately licensed professionals. WL3 Designs works collaboratively with these licensed consultants to integrate their input into the project workflow and help align design intent with technical and regulatory requirements.

No documents produced by WL3 Designs are intended to be, nor should they be relied upon as, permit-ready architectural or engineering documents unless they have been prepared, issued, and sealed by the appropriate licensed professional.

For each engagement, we clearly define roles, responsibilities, and deliverables in writing so clients have a shared understanding of the scope of services, including when licensed professionals will be engaged.

If you have questions about the scope of our services or how we work with licensed professionals on your project, please contact us.

How We Deliver Licensed Services

  • Trade Partner Agreements (TPAs): WL3 Designs maintains ongoing partnerships with licensed architects and engineers across multiple states and internationally.
  • Verification: Before your project begins, we provide the name, license number, and board verification link for the licensed professional of record.
  • Transparency: WL3 Designs does not independently seal or stamp documents. All licensed work is performed by our professional partners.
  • Integration: WL3 Designs coordinates the entire design and permit process so clients benefit from licensed oversight without added friction.

Benefits to Our Clients

  • Permit-ready documentation
  • Reduced resubmittals and approval delays
  • Clear accountability and professional responsibility
  • Transparent scope and pricing

Custom Pricing & Project Value

Every project is unique. WL3 Designs provides custom proposals based on project scope, jurisdictional requirements, and the level of licensed coordination required — rather than generic pricing formulas.

Jurisdictional Notice

WL3 Designs LLC is domiciled in Arizona and provides services through licensed trade partners in approved jurisdictions.

Arizona Nevada Texas California Costa Rica

WL3 Designs does not provide licensed architectural or engineering services in the State of North Carolina. Projects originating in North Carolina will not be contracted or pursued.

Questions About Compliance?

We encourage clients to ask questions and verify credentials.

Request Clarification

Frequently Asked Questions

We encourage clients to ask questions and verify credentials. Below are straight answers to the most common compliance and permitting questions we receive.
Do I need an architect or designer for permitting in Arizona?

It depends on whether the project is residential or commercial — and which AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) you’re in.

Residential (most single-family work)

For typical, conventionally constructed single-family residential projects, Arizona state law and many local jurisdictions do not automatically require a licensed architect to prepare or seal permit drawings. In many cases, a qualified designer can produce plans that meet submission requirements.

That said, “not required” does not mean “no professional involvement.” Residential projects commonly trigger sealed documents or engineered submittals when:

  • Engineered components are involved (trusses, long spans, special framing, unusual loads, specialty connections)
  • Site-specific conditions exist (soil concerns, drainage, hillside lots, utilities, unusual grades)
  • Local jurisdiction thresholds are exceeded (size, height, complexity, or scope)

Reality: Many residential projects fail plan review not because an architect was “missing,” but because required engineering or AHJ-specific documentation was identified too late — after the first correction notice.

Commercial (and non-simple projects)

For commercial projects, most AHJs require a registered design professional and stamped engineering due to life-safety requirements, occupancy classification, accessibility, and systems coordination. Commercial permitting is far more stringent and leaves very little room for uncoordinated submissions.

At WL3 Designs, we don’t guess what “should” be required. From Day 1, your project is reviewed by our architecture, structural, MEP, and civil coordination team to confirm exactly what your specific AHJ expects — no more, no less.

Why do plans fail permitting even when they look “correct”?

Permitting is not about how drawings look — it’s about compliance, coordination, and completeness. Most failures happen because key pieces weren’t aligned before submission.

  • Engineering added too late(structural/MEP/civil requirements discovered after first review)
  • Zoning/setback conflicts or site constraints not addressed early
  • Missing/inconsistent documentation(energy/code requirements not AHJ-specific)
  • Life-safety/accessibility issues (especially commercial) not coordinated across sheets
  • Jurisdiction assumptions(“This passed in City A, so it’ll pass in City B”) — it often won’t

The fastest projects aren’t the ones with the shortest drawings — they’re the ones where the submission is coordinated enough that the AHJ doesn’t have to ask for the missing pieces.

Can I use pre-designed or online plans for my project?

You can — but it’s important to understand what those plans usually are. Most pre-designed or online plans provide architectural drawings only(floor plans, elevations, sometimes basic sections). What they almost never include are AHJ-specific code references, local zoning verification, or the stamped engineering required for approval.

Most online plans are intentionally generic. They are typically not:

  • Reviewed against your jurisdiction’s adopted code cycle or amendments
  • Coordinated with site conditions such as grades, drainage paths, utilities, easements, or constraints
  • Packaged with structural, MEP, or civil engineering seals that many AHJs require depending on scope

As a result, they are rarely permit-ready as-is. Plan reviewers commonly require:

  • Structural engineering(foundations, framing changes, load paths, lateral systems, trusses)
  • Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering(loads, sizing, energy compliance)
  • Civil documentation(grading, drainage/stormwater, site utilities where applicable)

Many clients come to us after discovering their “ready-to-build” plans still require revisions, added engineering, and resubmittals — often costing more than a coordinated package from the start.

Our role isn’t to discourage pre-designed plans — it’s to make sure what you submit is complete, compliant, and approvable for your specific site and AHJ.

How much does WL3 Designs typically cost compared to other firms?

WL3 Designs is not the most expensive option.

Our pricing is built around Achieving Architectural Harmony — involving architecture, structural, MEP, civil, and compliance from Day 1 so nothing is designed in isolation and nothing is discovered too late.

Most firms — including high-end boutiques — provide architecture only and coordinate engineers separately, leaving the client managing multiple consultants.

WL3 Designs offers everything needed under one roof, with one point of contact responsible for the entire coordination chain.

You’re not paying for independent drawings — you’re paying for a fully coordinated, permit-ready package with one accountable team.

This approach reduces resubmittals, delays, and downstream costs while providing clarity and accountability throughout the process.

When is stamped engineering required beyond what architectural plans cover?

Stamped engineering may be required depending on scope and jurisdiction, even when architectural plans exist.

This commonly includes:

  • Structural: foundations, framing changes, load-bearing modifications, lateral systems
  • Mechanical: HVAC sizing, ventilation, energy compliance
  • Electrical: service upgrades, load calculations, panel changes, life-safety systems
  • Plumbing: water, sewer, gas systems, fixture counts, sizing calculations
  • Civil: grading, drainage, stormwater management, site utilities

At WL3 Designs, you have our full team involved from Day 1 to confirm exactly what engineering is required — no more, no less — so you’re not surprised mid-review with added scope or delays.

What causes permit delays or rejections most often?

The most common causes include incomplete drawing sets, late engineering involvement, zoning conflicts identified too far into the process, and assumptions based on other cities or counties. These delays are rarely random — they’re usually the result of missing coordination early on.

When should engineering be involved in a project?

As early as possible. Engineering introduced late often forces design changes, cost increases, or resubmittals. Our process integrates engineering intentionally from the outset so decisions are made once — not corrected later.

What does “holistic architecture” mean in practice?

It means design decisions are made with permitting, engineering, cost, and constructability in mind — not in isolation. The goal isn’t just attractive drawings, but a smoother path from concept to approval to construction, with fewer surprises along the way.