Design Matters: The Importance of Master Planning in a Down Market

The housing market is cyclical, with unpredictable peaks and valleys. For residential developers, those slowdowns can feel daunting, but they also create opportunities. At FOCUS Engineering & Surveying, Site Civil Residential department manager Ben Duzett explains why downturns are the right time to invest in thoughtful master planning. “Markets have ebbs and flows,” Ben says. “If you’re master planning during the ebbs, you can be building and selling homes when the market is really flowing. If you wait until the market’s hot to start entitlements, you’ll miss the front window.”

Planning for Flexibility and Efficiency

When fewer people are buying homes, developers are cautious about new projects. That’s why Ben emphasizes the importance of designing plans that are both flexible and cost-effective. “A strong master plan gets you entitled to a code that’s flexible for the future,” he explains. “That upfront work sets a developer up for success for years to come.” At FOCUS, that means prioritizing efficiency in utilities, grading, and especially earthworks. “The best way to make a project economically feasible or unfeasible is by having a great earthwork plan versus not,” Ben notes. Careful planning reduces long-term costs and makes projects more resilient.

While market downturns slow sales, they also provide developers and design teams with breathing room to refine projects. “In a hot market, homebuilders need to get product to the table quickly,” Ben explains. “During a downturn, there can be flexibility on timing to make changes and maximize efficiencies.” This pause also supports team growth. “We’re hiring and training employees now so that we’re ready to handle the increased volume of work when the market picks up again,” he adds.

Building Lasting Communities

Affordability is a key pressure point in a down market. According to Ben, design choices directly affect whether homes remain accessible for buyers. “If we master plan a wider street, for example, that cost gets spread throughout the homes. Right now, a lot of planning is for smaller single-family homes, townhomes, and alley-loaded cottage-style homes,” he says. “The goal is to make them more affordable, and the right plan is crucial to that success.”

Master planning is about more than delivering houses. It’s about building communities that last. “One of the key principles is careful planning of higher density, because higher density is more affordable,” says Ben. “If you can create a community with step-up options from townhomes to smaller single-family to medium single-family, people stay because they love the community. That’s what helps build strong, and lasting neighborhoods.”

Investing Now for Long-Term Success

Developers who plan during a downturn are better positioned when the market turns. “If you’ve got density entitled and you’re moving into engineering, you’re ready to go when the market rebounds,” Ben says. “It takes time to get infrastructure in place. If you wait until it’s booming, you might miss the window.” By investing in master planning now, developers ensure they can respond quickly to renewed demand, rather than scrambling to catch up.

Downturns may feel uncertain, but they also present unique opportunities for foresight. As Ben puts it: “Money spent on a good master plan at the beginning of a project should deliver a greater return on the back-end. That’s the expectation.” For developers, communities, and future homeowners, careful master planning during a down market ensures projects are not just viable, but positioned for success when the cycle inevitably swings back up.

To partner with FOCUS Engineering & Surveying, contact our team at info@focus-es.com or (801) 352-0075.