Our Building Process
We understand that working in your home is a very personal and intimate privilege that we do not take lightly. We aim to provide value-add in all facets of your project, with clear communication and openness at every stage of our building process.
1. Discovery
During this discovery meeting, we will get to know you and understand the goals you have for your home. We will chat about budgets, timelines & our partnership together. We’ll also be sure to explain our building process and set realistic expectations.
Once we know that we will be a good fit for your project, and are confident we can meet & exceed your needs we set up an onsite consultation.
2. On-Site Consultation
We invite you to bring any plans, goals, ideas or even images to this meeting, this will help us fully understand your vision. During the visit, we will take any measurements while gaining an understanding of the style, function & finishes you are looking for. With our knowledge and experience, we will also be looking for any specific challenges we see – structural, mechanical, or other.
Following the onsite visit, we will develop a realistic budget range and get it to you as soon as possible. We have a high-quality set of building specs that we adhere to on every project. When providing the detailed quote, we will include a range of design options & finishes that will allow you to scale the budget up or down to fit your needs.
3. Preliminary Plans & Estimate
Here is where it starts to feel real, and we really get the ball rolling! First, we create a preliminary design agreement then collect phase one of a retainer payment, which varies based on the size and scope of the project. This allows us to get working for you right away & create a preliminary set of drawings. We use these drawings & plans along with allowances to further refine the budget.
Before we start developing any construction drawings, we go over the big picture items and priorities with you. We want to ensure a strong emphasis is placed on improving the overall liveability of your space. We also include an in-depth consultation about energy-efficient design and indoor air quality.
4. Construction Drawings
Once the preliminary plans are completed, we collect phase two of the retainer and begin work on construction drawings.
Here we also enlist our in-house interior designer or an interior designer you choose to work with. We have a small list of design partners that we are more than happy to pair you up with, based on your desired design direction. This helps kick off the project quickly & start working on product selections based on your budget. There is nothing worse than creating a design that vastly exceeds the budget.
5. Final Proposal & Contract
We want to give you the opportunity to work through as many design and selection elements as possible before finalizing the proposal and the detailed estimate. This also allows us to order any building material and finishing products at the onset of construction minimizing the risk of delays.
Once you feel comfortable with the proposal & we implement a contract we will collect a construction deposit. This secures your position in our production schedule and allows us to order supplies such as trusses, windows, doors, cabinets, flooring etc.
6. Construction
Renovations can be stressful, not to mention messy. We understand that we are working in your home, often around your family. We promise that we will always treat you, your home and your loved ones with the utmost respect.
Dust – we hate it too, and don’t mess around with it. We are serious about dust. We have a very strict dust control regimen that we implement on every single job that we do. This includes cycling furnace filters daily, plastic containment walls with magnet openings and state-of-the-art HEPA air scrubbers with multi-level filtration.
7. Change Orders
We anticipate that there will be some adjustments as the project progresses, and we want to ensure our clients get the exact results they are looking for. Changes may also come up based on discoveries along the way. Knowing this we always suggest keeping some budget aside to address the scenarios should they arise. That said, having our own in-house construction team allows us a much greater ability to accommodate any changes in the scope of work.
8. Turnover
This is always the best day for all of us – you get to take over your space again. We take time to walk you through everything and address any questions or concerns you may have. If there are any mechanical systems or maintenance items you need to know, we are sure to go through those as well – along with any suggested maintenance or operating schedules.
After a year, we will reach out and schedule a follow-up visit to check in and address anything that may arise. We take just as much care and pride in our after-client experience as we do with the construction phase.