If your building from Scratch and it is a 50 unit project or more get an experienced multifamily architect like  Humphreys out of Dallas. if your building a smaller project you could go to several new apartment projects in your area pose as a potential renter and get their floor plan layouts then use the ones you think will fit the building you have or are building. 

.- Pulling from tax records and any other public information source, what can you figure out about the layout of the home and the space? 

I have also done a preliminary layout of lots that will allow access to ALL lots from this FSR.

Wix is VERY easy to use and gives you a lot of options as far as templates and layout.

On Monday, we were discussing the bathroom layout and my contractor again reiterated his stance that we need to move waste plumbing around in the bathroom.

Learn the layout of the area.

There are multiple classes based on size and layout of property. 

We plan to talk to him tomorrow to lay out the terms.

I know I said $ but this is just how they charge.It's hard to say how much for maint and capex because I don't know the layout, how many roofs, basements, slab or crawl.  

I like option 2 because it's the safer, more conventional layout.