Phase 1: Pre-Project Consultation

Here are the first two things to know about our Pre-Project Consultations. One, it’s free. And two, it is NOT our main purpose to get you to sign a contract during this visit.

In short, it won’t cost you a dime and there is no sales pressure.

Instead, here are the goals for this phase:

1. Find out if we are a good fit. Not everyone is interested in hiring a superior contractor and will instead judge on price alone. To be sure, we keep our prices fair and reasonable, but if you are looking for the absolute cheapest, we are not likely a match.
2. Discuss your hopes and dreams for your home. We are big believers in LISTENING – especially during this initial phase. Taking extra time to discover what you really want is one of the keys to our success.
3. Talk ballpark budget numbers. Okay, let’s get real. Dollars and cents are always a consideration. During this initial phase, we can match your dream home against your budget and see if they match. We are skilled at showing you how different choices will affect your overall budget. This gives you the information you need to make education decisions.
4. Explaining how we work. We’ll clearly explain how your home build will be supervised, start to finish. We’ll also tell you about the installers who will be doing the work. We tell you how change orders work, how we make sure everything will meet or exceed code requirements, and lots of other details. We find most contractors don’t take the time to do this and it leads to confusion and stress later.
5. We’ll also tell you about our warranties and how we stand behind what we do. Nothing is left unclear and we are always straightforward.

If you like what you hear, we can move to Phase 2…

Phase 2: Preliminary Design & Feasibility Study

The initial consultation was to go over the ideas for your project, understand your budget, and determine if you are ready to take the next step.

Now during phase 2 we produce CAD drawings of floor plans, details of the different sections of your new home, and 3D computer modeling. We begin going over these drawings, discussing your feedback and the changes you would like to see.

There is a small fee for this phase – typically between $2,500 to $5,000 depending on the size of the project and the project scope. Anything that comes out of this part of the process you own, so if you decide for any reason not to continue with us, you don’t lose the preliminary design work.

Phase 3: Construction Documents & Final Design

This phase is for refining the design and nailing down every detail. A complete set of construction documents is also produced, including a full set of plans that contain the details necessary to obtain permits.

Also, a construction contract will be created that will show the complete scope of work with specifications spelled out. A list of allowances will be provided for all items not yet specified.

Phase 4: Construction

Now we are prepared to move to actual construction. Did you notice all the effort that was put into thoughtful planning before we reach this phase? That’s not an accident! All that prep work is about to pay off.

Before we begin, we’ll need you to sign off on the plans and sign a contract for the construction phase. Next we submit the plans to the county for the appropriate permits.

We also develop a comprehensive schedule. A Gantt chart will be made showing all work to be performed. All subcontractors will be notified of the upcoming project. We will place orders for items based on the plan, including allowances for products that will take time to arrive.

As the job progresses, we’ll have weekly or bi-weekly meetings with you at the site to discuss any potential issues or changes that need to be implemented. Any changes in the scope of work will be documented with signed change orders.

We’ve also invested in software that gives you 24/7 access to your project status. Our customers love this because they can keep tabs on the project around their busy schedule. We’ll post project updates, including photos, online for you on a regular basis. You’ll have a special login for your project that gives you exclusive, private access.

Also, you should know that we have a superintendent on site EVERY DAY to make sure everything is being done to our high standards. Many companies simply call in sub-contractors with zero supervision and check on the job “every week or so.”

When we come to the end, we’ll do a final walk-through and create a final punch list of items. Once we have that completed, we’ll go over your warranty.

Phase 5: Warranty

Finally, we’ve reached Phase 5 – we explain your warranty and give you a copy in writing. Most builders stick with the warranty required by law. We go beyond that. We warranty labor and materials for 5 years, and warranty against structural defects for 10 years.

We’ll sit down with you and go over the details with you – you’ll have peace of mind knowing you are protected with our outstanding warranty.

Now there’s nothing to do but enjoy your new dream home!

If we sound like your kind of company, contact us to schedule a Pre-Project Consultation.