GFD Architectural Design

Highly recommend Frank! We actually ended up with 2 plans. The first one, that was exactly what we told him we wanted, was way too expensive to build, so he was then faced with the challenge of giving us what we wanted in a footprint we could afford to build. Not only did he pull that off, he was extremely fair and upfront with the cost of what was effectively a 'do-over'. We'll be breaking ground soon, and can't wait to see the real-life 3D version.

Where do I begin?!?! We set out on our journey to build our dream home by looking at house plans on every website we could find. We had a good idea of what we wanted but everything we found that was even remotely close to meeting our wants and needs, required major changes; only adding to the already high price of the plans. We then decided to switch gears and look for a custom home designer, one that would take our dreams into consideration while providing us with not only structural knowledge but also budgetary guidance. It didn’t take long to find Frank Dollar of GFD Architectural Designs out of Cleveland, GA. His website was super informative and detailed all the way down to his pricing (which is very helpful when you are on a house building budget). My husband and I really liked the looks of his work so we decided to reach out. He was very quick to respond and just like that we were on our way to building our dream home! The entire process was stress free and Frank was wonderful to work with. He always made time for our questions and his explanations regarding the structural aspects of our new home helped us to understand why certain things were necessary and how we could save money. His knowledge and expertise as a builder and home designer allowed for all of our dreams to come to fruition. And the 3D views that Frank designed made us fall even more in love and we cannot wait until we see it come to life! We love our new home but we also love the fact that it is one of a kind and no one else will ever have the same design. We highly recommend Frank for all of your custom home design needs. Jason & Mary Carrollton, GA

Our house burned downed 3 days before Christmas 2018. We were overwhelmed and stressed with the rebuild process and were desperate to find an architect who would be able to work with our existing foundation and stumbled across Frank via a Google search. From day 1, he put our minds at ease. After our initial contact, we found Frank to be, extremely, knowledgeable and we were, immediately, put at ease. Throughout the process, he found ways to save us money and was always available whenever we needed him. He never told us what we "wanted" to hear, but, instead, told us what we "needed" to hear. Frank is very open and honest and was always available when we needed him. He made the process painless and we would highly recommend Frank!

Frank was wonderful to work with. He is very personable and extremely patient, we had made several changes to our plans at the last minute, and he never lost his cool... He is knowledgeable in his field and made several recommendations, but is never pushy. He was great to communicate with, quick to return an email or phone call, and always let us know if he was going to be away for a few days, so we do not have to worry about getting a response. I feel like we have become friends, and will invite him to come see our house once it is build.

I really enjoyed working with Frank. He was very patient and helpful when designing my house plans. I strongly recommend Frank to anyone looking to build a home.

Frank is an excellent home designer, as a framer in his past life, he understands intricacies and importance of structure and roof design to ensure there are no issues and minimal waste (time & cost savings) during construction. Many times architects will design something that is not realistic on the field and will cost an arm and a leg when executing. Frank is able to value engineer many things in his design to save on construction cost. Highly recommended.

I worked with Frank to design a custom lake house in Dawson County. I strongly recommend Frank to anyone building a home. He was responsive and knowledgeable. He also made sure to design the house we wanted while giving input and recommendations when needed.

Frank was referred to us by our builder and we have been blown away by how professional, experienced and honest he is. His previous professional builder experience shines through as he walks you through different perspectives on a home design. He helped us in each and every step of our new home design, from start to finalization. Frank advised us in all aspects of the home design from functionality, placement, down to the fine details of appearance and purpose. Frank was patient and understanding while we had our review periods, answered all of our questions in a professional and timely manner, and we never felt rushed or pressured to make decisions. He guided us by the hand during the entire process. We would recommend him to all of our family and friends. Frank Dollars quality, experience, professionalism and his honesty is exceptional. Thank you Frank for helping us design our dream home! We couldn't have done it without you by our side.

I selected Frank after talking to several other professionals--and I am very happy that i picked him to design our home. From the very start of the process to the end Frank was a true professional and, friendly to boot! He was patient with us in our quest for a perfect house which required several design changes before the final plan. His knowledge as a formal builder was really helpful in creating our design keeping costs in perspective. Our plans are complete and we will start building in the near future. I have no doubt Frank will be ready to help should we have questions along the way!

I have worked with Frank over the course of several years and several (to say the least!) designs to come up with our perfect barn and house. He has always been patient, accomodating and listens to what I have to say. His knowledge, professionalism and responsiveness is unparalleled. The barn has been built and his plans were easy for our builder to follow. Frank was always available to answer questions during that process. I would recommend his services to anyone looking to make their dream home come true!

My builder recommended Frank to me and what a pleasure it was for me to work with him. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. Frank kept me in the loop from beginning to the end. This is my first home being built. He brought up details that I hadn't even thought of. Frank Dollar is the best!

Frank Dollar is not only a former home builder turned architectural designer, he is also: * a master framer who knows how to design a build-able roofline that does not cost million dollars but looks like it does * a skillful designer who can proportion and create rooms and spaces to suit any lifestyle * a caring mentor who guides new and experienced clients skillfully through the entire process of designing and building a custom home by providing insight on budget, best practices, material choices and overall project management * a skillful negotiator who can combine differing wants, needs and tastes into real solutions for living (he should have been a marriage counselor) * a true southern gentleman and professional (and now for us lifelong friend) who wants nothing more but to design dream homes for his clients We are at the end stages of the design process with Frank on a 3500 sq.ft. custom home in the North Georgia mountains. Our appreciation and respect for his skills has grown with every interaction and most often when working through the many design challenges that come with a custom home. This is not our first custom home but because of Frank's patience and skill it will be our best. We would unconditionally recommend him to anyone building a new home.