We are from out of state, and plan to build our retirement home in northern Michigan. We found Jeffrey online and met with him when we were in the area. The day after our meeting, we called him about a lot we found, and he hopped in his car and drove 30 minutes to meet us there and walk the land! His energy, enthusiasm, excitement, creativity, knowledge, and commitment have been evident from our first meeting. Jeff has been to our lot (we've since purchased it) three times, provided drawings and vision, answered our multitude of questions with expertise, and encouraged us to make this dream a reality while keeping in our budget. We have a couple of years before it's time to build, but we're very grateful for this type of "welcome" into this process that Jeff has given us. We're so looking forward to life in northern Michigan!Read More

The design work on our new home was great. JRN was able to create a unique rustic home on a our property. He took great care to consider all our wants and fit the home on a small hill with woods as a backdrop. Lots of windows allow us to see our beautiful property from all sides. He created a house that was not just standard, but had many specially designed features.Read More

Jeffrey is a true professional. He did a wonderful job designing our addition which consisted of a family room, den and covered porch. The covered porch was the most challenging part of the design but Jeffrey made it happen and on budget. The covered porch was very important to my wife especially and we could not be more pleased. He is very caring, innovative and works hard to save his clients money on project costs. I would not hesitate for one minute to recommend him to others. He will work with his clients to come up with the best design on budget and often can find areas to save money.Read More

Jeff is so helpful! He had amazing ideas and helped us with not only inspiration but with saving money as well! Really appreciate his help!!Read More

I have worked with Jeffrey Rice and JRN Design Associates llc and I would like to give a compliment to the very careful Design Build process he has and his desire for finding the best design solutions available for the clients construction budget. His process for "Building on Budget by Design" allows for the opportunity to value engineer the entire home and he is a pleasure to work with as well.Read More

I have a ready to build plan that Jeff reviewed for me. WOW! He immediately saw several ways in which it was labor, read COST, intensive, and suggested how we could slightly change it, saving me a great deal of money while still allowing me to keep my style AND adding better functionality to the space. I do not give reviews easily but this company deserves it! I’d not hesitate to hire Jeff to not only design my next home, but to also build it! He knows his stuff! I just wish I had met him before I had the original plans drawn. Don’t make the same mistake I did, contact him FIRST!Read More

We hired Jeffrey initially to design our lake house remodel. He did an excellent job of listening to our wants and needs, and found a way to provide both within our budget. We were so pleased we hired him to function as our general contractor as we live out of state. He is honest and reliable and very talented. We absolutely recommend his service!Read More

We had a wonderful experience working with JRN. From the start, Jeffrey demonstrated exceptional professionalism, dedication, and expertise. Despite the challenges posed by our very small and sloping lot, he went above and beyond to provide valuable design advice and workable solutions to avoid future foundation problems that will save a lot of time and money to our home building plans. His commitment to ensuring the best outcome for us was evident in every interaction. Jeffrey's extensive architectural knowledge and proactive approach made a significant difference to make the hard decision to look for another property. We genuinely appreciated his honesty and concern for our best interests. He was always responsive, attentive, and willing to go the extra mile. If you're looking for a builder who is not only skilled on value engineering to save a lot of money, but also has a deep connection to the building trades in the Traverse City area, I highly recommend JRN Design Builders. Jeffry truly cares about his clients! We are grateful for his efforts and look forward to potentially working with him again in the future.Read More

Jeffrey is professional, quick and super easy to work with. We've altered our plans a few times and he had no problem adapting to our wants and needs. He is very easy to communicate with and responds back quickly. He walked our difficult lot (tall grass, weeds, trees, mounds etc) with no problem just so he can visualize the best way for our home. He does a great job at trying to incorporate our family with 2 young ones in our meetings, very family friendly.. I would highly recommend and we look forward to moving forward with our design.Read More

We have had an excellent experience with JRN Design during the design and construction of our new home. We especially have appreciated the "Building on Budget by Design" process which provides complete cost transparency, as well as excellent collaboration in finding ways to reduce building cost while still providing a great looking and functional end product. We highly recommend JNR Design ... especially in the current construction environment.Read More

Top Notch communication throughout our project. Designed our dream cabin in the woods. Definitely worked hard for us with sub contractors to keep our project moving. Jeff is an honest and responsive contractor/designer with the integrity to do what’s best for his clients.Read More

We had the honor and privilege to work with one of the most amazing designers here in Norther Michigan! We worked with Jeff and we went through two iterations of the preliminary design stages over the past two months. After first round of design and moving on to pricing acquisitions, we found we were getting near our budget. We re-assessed the layout and decided we did not need a basement and Jeff was able to provide the same plan with all the rooms we needed in the second iteration of preliminary design. Furthermore, not only did he offer recommendations for more cost-savings, these changes also offered a new style for the house which we really love. This is a program everyone should consider especially during these crazy times where material and labor costs keep going up and up! Thanks, Jeff for providing such a positive experience for us! Many thanks, John and MirandaRead More

Jeff has been really great to work with. Very knowledgeable and committed to keeping on budget. His approach to the build by design concept is really unique and it really works! We are first time home builders and his experience and process driven approach has been really helpful. We're very close to finalizing our design and I'm looking forward to getting the project started!!Read More

As a building professional builder of 23 years I have had the great pleasure of working with Jeffery and JRN Design Associates. His work ethics, design philosophy and ability is extremely beneficial to anyone interested in accomplishing their true design interests, great value and budget control. The approved National A/A course Jeffrey has published for continuing education is a remarkable accomplishment and testament to his dedication and passion for Design and his genuine love for helping others find the truth with it.Read More

Jeff was a pleasure to work with. He was able to use his knowledge of the architecture/building process to give us a design under budget. I would highly recommend Jeff if you only have basic ideas of what you are looking for but are open minded to his money saving design ideas.Read More

I have found JRN to be a highly talented, knowledgable and creative architect. Jeff's ability to assess a non comforming situation and present viable alternatives while still keeping fhe clients vision in mind, is essential as a custom builder when building with a fixed budget. Jeff was able to meet with my client, come up with 3 solid ideas, explain them, drawing it out giving them visual representation of there options. His process and technic for working through the design process while keeping an eye on costs, is essential in todays market. I have found JRN to be a solid company built on integrity and trust.Read More

Jeffrey Rice has been a real pleasure to work with! I have been struggling with building a wood barn. The designers and builders I contacted before Jeffrey wanted to spend as little time as possible with my project. Jeffrey took his time exploring what I wanted to make sure I actually got it. Many people have an idea what they want to build, but because they don't have the knowledge base , the=y end up with something different. Jeffery made sure to answer all my questions and make sure what he designed was exactly what I wanted. Jeffrey's value design process makes sure to deliver the plan I want at the most economical price. He has saved me thousands over other designers!Read More

Jeff was great, helped me with my project to the end. We had a renovation project and Jeff provided excellent advice and overall service to the end. Their slogan "Build on Budget by Design" was exactly on par with my project. Many thanks!!!Read More

Integrity and honesty in any business are hard to find. Not the case with Jeff. From the beginning of my house design project Jeff put me in the drivers seat. Jeff encouraged, coached, and lent expert advice through the whole process. He has a natural eye for artistry and a refined program to keep you on budget. In a world that asks you to spend more for less, Jeff enables you to spend less for more. At every turn if there was good news or bad, Jeff had suggestions on how to refine the plan to stay on track. We never got too far ahead in the design to where we couldn't make a change. If you are looking to build a custom home yourself or with a builder I would highly recommend you use JRN Design Associates to work with you. Whether your budget is small or large if you are not "building on budget by design" you're doing it wrong! Thanks Jeff!Read More

Jeff looks at the building process non-traditionally. While working with the customer, he prides himself on building value into every aspect of the process resulting in a more informed consumer coupled with a lower cost. Great job Jeff!Read More

I spoke with Jeff about designing an addition to our home and he was extremely helpful. Jeff took the time to talk to me about the details of the project and potential solutions. He was very thorough and his expertise were obvious. Due to some setbacks in the project, I was unable to hire Jeff during our first call. If the project goes through, Jeff will be the first person I call to hire to design our addition. I highly recommend discussing the design to any of your projects with Jeff before pursuing!Read More

Jeff came to us highly recommended and he has exceeded our expectations from the beginning. We were looking for someone who would take our ideas and design concepts and craft them into a beautiful functional home that meets both our vision and construction budget. His process for "Building on Budget by Design" allows one to see the concepts requested, but goes much further and illustrates how to potentially improve upon it for either design sake or practicality and efficiency. It's all about design and budget acquisition relative to your true needs and valuable inventive solutions to accomplish it without compromise. The value that JRN Design Associates, llc brings to the table is immeasurable, first based on the dedication to the client's design needs and secondly with the collaborative effort and information regarding pricing, plan adjustments and valuable trades. We feel fortunate to have him working with us and become more certain with each step that we could not have made a better choice.Read More

Jeff is a great listener and communicates well. He was able to help me with the design phase of my remodel in a fraction of the time that other designers wanted to spend drawing plans that I wasn’t even sure I would like. I would be glad to work with him again.Read More

We have had the pleasure of working with JRN for designing our first home. Jeff Rice has been a great asset in this daunting task. He has guided us through each phase of the project thus far. He was able to design our dream home, all the while maximizing square footage and keeping us within our budget.Read More

Jeffrey far exceeds his company's motto "Building on a budget by design". We contracted him to design our home and was very pleased with his creativity, passion for efficient cost containment, work ethic and timely delivery. We were able to work real time over a long distance in a very positive collaborative way. I highly recommend JRN for your design project.Read More

The reason why I enjoyed working with Jeff is I really like the fact he takes the vision you have and tweaks it to make it bigger, more spacious and more cost efficient. Jeff has a unique way of restructuring what you want to do to get you more space and also save you money-- getting you more bang for your buck. For him, it's not about the money, it's about his passion for the work.Read More

Jeff is an extremely competent professional. Working with him is a pleasure. He thinks outside the box while bringing his client's design objectives into a concise set of usable plans. I would highly recommend him to anyone who is contemplating a building or remodeling project.Read More

Jeffrey has offered insight and vision into our ongoing project which has been invaluable. He has a keen eye and a straightforward approach which directly, and even indirectly, simultaneously lead to a better end result with substantial savings. His overall knowledge of the industry, trades, energy cost savings, and alternate solutions result in a better outcome for all. I highly recommend JRN Designs to anyone seeking excellence.Read More

J.R.N. has exceeded our expectations in how responsive, quick and creative he has been in working with us to create house plans. His first set of plans arrived within 24 hours of meeting with us. Jeffrey has had the patience of Job in creating alternative plans and revisions as we explore all of the various possibilities. We are learning how we can creatively maintain our modest budget without sacrificing quality or style. For example we are using a square footprint for our bungalow that includes the garage, eliminating the need for two foundations and two sets of trusses. J.R.N. is all about using design to build within budget and this gives us peace of mind.Read More

The architect designed an addition, doubling the size of the business. He took the design that I gave him and modified it significantly to include the existing structures that were already there and saved us a ton of money. Would recommend.Read More

Jeffrey Rice and J.R.N. Design Associates essentially has a revision-less design process that is allowing us to work through to better planning solutions with the knowledge of competitive pricing and design development. Jeffrey is providing real guidance that is help us truly be in control of our plan and construction costs. We feel empowered and confident we will "Build on Budget by Design" as others have been able to do. Thank you Jeffrey !Read More

As a local builder, I've worked with Jeff on multiple projects in the past year and can say without reservation that the level of dedication and commitment that Jeff brings to the table is far and above any other designer or architect that I've worked with. His ability to get jobs done and his availability at each bend in the road is truly remarkable. In this recent era of labor shortages and an almost acceptable level of absence by most professionals in the construction industry, it's extremely telling of Jeff's character that he's always a phone call away and always seems to make the time and be available when others are nowhere to be found. The reason for this is simple: Jeff loves what he does and it shows with the quality of his work and his willingness to do whatever it takes to deliver. I look forward to many years of working with Jeff. I wish that others in our industry brought similar qualities and traits to the table. Ken Nielsen Nielsen Construction Services, LLC Imagine, Design, BuildRead More

My wife and I were both relieved to have the experience, creativity, and value of having Jeff on our new home construction team. His talent and passion for design truly shows. Jeff is a gentleman to work with and a pleasure to be around. Thank you Jeff.Read More

I found Jeff to be extremely professional and enthusiastic towards meeting my goals and budget. Jeff spent many hours focused on my project needs and discovered an alternative route in our layout which saved us large sums of money, time, and yard space. I have done 2 other major building projects in the past without the help of a designer, after meeting with Jeff and watching his process of leaving no idea unexplored, I realise I have left a lot of money on the table in past projects. I feel that Jeff only has the client's interest at heart, is honest, and extremely capable of providing the services and savings he makes claim too. Moreover he only recommends vendors and contractors who share in his honesty and professional values...Client needs and budget first, let reasonable profit follow at a distant second.Read More

I run a sawmill in Mesick MI and have been planning on building a house using my own materials for years. I've talked to numerous builders and architects but no one seemed to be interested in really helping me with my project. Then I called JRN Design. From that first conversation I had with Jeffrey I knew that he was someone I wanted to work with. We met and spent three hours talking about services that he could offer and the direction that I wanted to take in the design of my new home. He was genuinely interested in getting the design I requested while also maintaining the budget I required. The vision JRN showed in designing my home was amazing! Jeff took what I wanted and gave me alternate design suggestions and saved me literally tens of thousands of dollars while keeping the look I wanted. In short I didn't get stuck with the costly inefficient design direction I first requested, but was able to understand and learn how to receive greater plan efficiency with the combination of planning and competetive pricing. Truly staggering what I was able to discover and save with JRN! I cannot recommend their services highly enough. Thanks Jeffrey for helping me to "Build on Budget by Design".Read More

We contacted Jeffrey B. Rice from JRN Design Associates on-line and soon after meeting him felt confident of his design skills and his desire to provide a home plan direction that fits our lifestyle and construction budget. JRN Design, in unison with his associate builder’s program, allowed us to competitively price our project. He actually provided two different directions; one at a conservative level and the other at a grander scale. With an ability to analyze different builder’s pricing structures through J.R.N.’s design process, we were very pleased that JRN positioned us to receive the grander scaled plan direction, within the guidelines of our desired budget! Additionally, he offered continued design support during construction that allowed us to adjust the plan to reduce roof costs further. Zach Liggett. Elk Rapids, MI.Read More

I have been working with Jeff Rice now for about a year or so with goal of designing and building our dream home in Cedar Michigan. Until now it had been nearly impossible to find building professionals who are truly looking out for me. Jeff has shown that his sole objective is to design a home that meets my needs and wants while at the same time tenaciously trying to save me money. He has been tremendously resourceful and creative in his approach to finding the most cost effective ways to build our home. Jeff has a great ability to take my napkin type scribbles and turn them into an elegant design on paper. But he is more than just a designer. His contacts and resources have helped to save us a great deal of money and he has helped us to muddle through the complicated building process. I am very appreciative of Jeff. I couldn't imagine building our home without him on our team. -Jim Travioli,Read More

After my first meeting with Jeff Rice, I immediately concluded that it would be prudent for me to have him re-design my two building, 5 unit condo project. This was a big step for me in that I had already spent considerable monies with other firms on existing plans. In any event, we set about working together to achieve that end. Jeff has re-vitalized the project with substantial cost saving design improvements. Jeff Rice is creative and diligent. He communicates well and responsively. I will engage JRN Design Associates on other projects and would highly reccomend the firm for other client/job opportunities. Wayne Kiley Developer/OwnerRead More

We are still in the design phase of our project, but I wanted to write about our experience up to this point. With creativity and economic sensibilty, Jeff Rice at JRN Design has helped us answer several big questions as we try to shape our addition. He listens to our ideas and then presents other options that might work better at a lower cost, if possible. I'm sure we will be extremely happy in the end, with a good balance of form and function.Read More

JRN was recommended to me by a friend here in the Detroit area. I am so glad I found Jeff Rice. We are in the planning stages for a new home in Suttons Bay Twp. He has always been available to meet with us, walk the property and always promptly returns phone calls and e-mails. We are already seeing the benefits of his "staying on budget by design". He has significant experience in the field and his ideas are innovative. It is obvious that his priority is to please us; the customers, and to keep our costs to a minimum. When our wish list comes up hard against the budget, he has not failed to come up with ideas that lets us have the best of both worlds. We are excited to go through the process and move in to the final product. Again, I feel very fortunate to have found Jeff Rice and I definitely would recommend him to a close friend.Read More

We hired Jeff Rice last year to work with us on designing our retirement home. He took our thoughts about what we wanted to have in our custom home and designed it better than we had imagined. He walked us through every part of the design process and what he came up with surpassed our dreams. Anytime we called with a question he would answer or meet with us. Jeff is very easy to talk to and excellent at designing and staying within your budget. Our house is in the building stage right now and we have gotten great comments on our design. We have given Jeff's name to a few people who were interested in working with him. Thanks Jeff, for our wonderful retirement home and we will continue to pass along JRN Design.Read More