STEP 1: [First meeting]
At our first meeting, we will all sit down and discuss your wants and desires; we will take notes and roughly sketch out your ideas. Our approach to additions/remodels is somewhat different in nature than either designing a custom home or modifying an existing plan, but we will still give your project our undivided attention from start to finish.
When you call our office and explain that you are contemplating an addition/remodel, we will set up an appointment to meet with you at your home to discuss your needs. This meeting will be the basis of your addition/remodel project. We will walk through your home, taking notes and making sketches of your ideas, answer questions about design possibilities, and even take a look at your property.
We will then review your information and present you with our contract. Also, at this time I can give an approximate fee for the job. We will strive to remain as close as possible to this figure, keeping in mind that projects change a lot during the course of completion. This fee varies from project to project and with the amount of changes required. We will also collect a deposit at this time.
STEP 2: [Planning process]
If we haven’t already done so, we will then set up a time convenient for both parties to meet at your home to record the existing conditions.
When we arrive at your home, we will confirm the ideas discussed at the previous meeting. We will then begin measuring your home, or the areas in question; we will take pictures of the exterior elevations, any interior areas involved, and any special features we feel are necessary to the project. Of course, if you have a set of measured plans, that would help speed the process along. At this point, we will need from you an accurate survey of your property and a copy of any restrictions your neighborhood may have.
STEP 3: [Design process]
Now, the design process has begun. We will return to our office and begin by translating our notes and measurements into a sketch of the existing conditions. Then we will begin transforming your existing house into your new dream home.
From here, the design process is the same; we meet to discuss the drawings, make changes, meet again, etc. This process is very similar to the custom home design process.
STEP 4: [Third meeting OR phone consultation / e-mail]
The ideas and changes discussed previously will be the subject of this meeting, as well as any new ideas that may have come to you afterwards. Again, new sketches may be drawn to reflect these new ideas. The front elevation will also be discussed during this time, along with ideas regarding the rear and side elevations. This review meeting may take one to two hours. You will again be given copies of the sketches to take home and examine.
By this time, all of the new ideas and changes will have been addressed; the remaining elevations will have been roughly sketched out; and the request for final working drawings will have been made. In some cases, though, STEP 4 may be repeated several times at your request, just to make sure you are getting everything you have requested.
STEP 5: [Optional]
When all of the changes to the floor plans and exterior elevations have been made, we will calculate the square footage. We will then make copies of these drawings and the site plan for your use in obtaining preliminary price bids from your builder and a bank set for the appraiser. It usually takes three to five weeks for this part of the process.
STEP 6: [Final Approval]
This is the final part of the design process; one could say the most important part. This is when you give us the go-ahead to start the final working drawings of your new home. All the drawings necessary to finish the project will be drawn, checked over, and updated as needed to get your plans to you. When we are satisfied that your plans measure up to our standards, we will have prints made of your home plans. We will provide you with a total of five sets plus a building permit set; the balance of the design fee will be due at the time of delivery. Additional sets will be run as needed, and you will be charged according to the number of sets requested.
Our Design Questionnaire has been developed to help you begin the design process needed to plan your new home, addition, or renovation. This document will focus on each area of your home and allow you to begin to make many design choices. The process of designing and building a new home will have you making hundreds of decisions before completion.