Scope of Services

We will meet and talk about your ideas for the project and develop a list of goals. I may need to field measure your building to be able to understand in drawing the existing conditions. I may also contact the local jurisdiction to understand the zoning restrictions on your property. I will then take your goals and develop strategies and options to accomplish your goals. I do this by building a computer model of your project from which I can generate plans, elevations and views of what the proposed design will look like.

We will then meet and review what I have produced. I typically like to place strategies in opposition so that we can look at a full range of solutions and work towards building a consensus of the solution that best suits your needs. I will then finalize the model so you can sign off on the design.

The design is turned into a series of drawings and specifications to explain it graphically and in words. These documents will establish in detail the scope of the project and the contractual obligations that your building contractor will be required to perform. The drawings communicate the information that your building contractor will use to determine the quantities, qualities and the configuration of the work and to solicit bids from subcontractors and suppliers.

The Construction Documents will be used for submittal to the jurisdiction having regulatory authorization over the building of your project. They will review the documents that are submitted and develop a series of questions that I will lead the effort to respond to. I use a point by point question and response to resolve any issues and explain the project to your local jurisdiction.

The bidding process ideally begins at the completion of the design phase of the project where several contractors can be solicited to determine their interest in your project and help us define a probable construction cost. I can help you select which building contractor you feel that you can work with. They will use the completed Construction Documents to solicit final subcontractor bids and finalize both the cost of the project and the construction schedule.

During the construction phase I will be your advocate to get the design built as has been approved by you. Issues and unforeseen conditions may arise where it is important to come up with solutions that work with the design that has been developed. Towards the end of the construction effort we will review the construction and create a list of items for the contractor needing correction and/or completion. The building contractor will use this list for his final push to complete all the work and turn over the project for your use.

As the design develops we will discuss interior features and materials such as floors, walls, tile back splashes, ceiling features, lighting fixtures, and built-in cabinetry. We will look at various products and discuss whether they would be proper to use in a specific circumstance. If your project involves built in casework, I will develop schematic plans and cabinetry elevations to solicit bids from various suppliers. We will work together to make the decisions that will be documented in the drawing set.