F A Q ABOUT THE DESIGN BUILD PROCESS
Q: How do I benefit from hiring a Design~Build firm?
A: There are three key benefits that you realize by hiring us:
A: There are three key benefits that you realize by hiring us:
- Simplicity. A single point of contact from concept to completion allows you to manage your project, your ideas, your concerns, and all of the complexities of the process all in one place.
- Cost savings. Consolidating the processes allows us to maximize efficiency and altogether eliminate wasteful unnecessary items or steps. These advantages are often simple to find and create a tremendous impact.
- Time savings. Sequencing your project plan on a single calendar gives us the advantage of working processes concurrently or in immediate sequence. The result is a completed project often days or weeks ahead of schedule.
- Individuality. Our design team delivers a product that directly reflects your tastes and needs in a way that your family and friends will identify. We take the time to understand your ideas, your lifestyle, and your functional needs to deliver the change in surroundings that will best suit you.
Q: What is the typical process to execute a project like mine?
A: You will need to complete the following steps to get your project done (or hire the right vendor to complete the step):
A: You will need to complete the following steps to get your project done (or hire the right vendor to complete the step):
- Obtain a topographical map of your property. Depending on the extent of your project, you may need to show drainage, lot lines, existing utilities, and any easements. You may also require a soils report and an arborist report if your project is in Contra Costa County (civil engineer).
- Draw a set of plans, including floor plans, elevations, and working drawings that call out the building and waterproofing details (architect).
- Your plans will need to be stamped by an engineer if your build requires any material changes to the structure itself or the mechanical elements of your house (structural engineer).
- Submit to a design review for the necessary approvals (if you have an HOA or live in a heritage property) or secure permit(s) (project manager).
- Gather options and manage selections for building materials, finishes, accessories, colors, fabrics, appliances, etc. (designer).
- Screen and hire contractor(s) who will build your project to the specifications on your completed drawings and manage the inspections schedule through completion (general contractor or subcontractor).
Q: Do I really need to hire, schedule, and manage all of those functions?
A: No. A qualified, experienced Design~Build firm can serve as your interface for all of those step, and give you:
A: No. A qualified, experienced Design~Build firm can serve as your interface for all of those step, and give you:
- Value engineering for every step of your project
- Continuity of your vision and your plans throughout the entire process
- A single stop at any point for any of your questions or concerns
- Process efficiency from concept to completion.
Q: Is a Design~Build firm qualified to perform all of those functions?
A: A Design~Build firm is qualified to interpret your vision, advise you on your options, design your project, and manage all of the functions that require unique certifications. Our experience allows us to organize your project, select precisely the right vendors for your sequence of tasks, navigate the administrative requirements for all necessary regulations and approvals, and we can economize the process for everyone involved.
A: A Design~Build firm is qualified to interpret your vision, advise you on your options, design your project, and manage all of the functions that require unique certifications. Our experience allows us to organize your project, select precisely the right vendors for your sequence of tasks, navigate the administrative requirements for all necessary regulations and approvals, and we can economize the process for everyone involved.
Q. Will using a Design~Build firm get my project done faster?
A: Compared to hiring all of the necessary vendors and managing them yourself, our results are often much more timely. We can typically start on your project within a week, and the current marketplace is putting time demands on reputable architects and engineers that are pushing most of them several weeks or months out. And if we are managing the process, we also work on several parts of it concurrently.
A: Compared to hiring all of the necessary vendors and managing them yourself, our results are often much more timely. We can typically start on your project within a week, and the current marketplace is putting time demands on reputable architects and engineers that are pushing most of them several weeks or months out. And if we are managing the process, we also work on several parts of it concurrently.
Q. Will I save money using a Design~Build firm compared to doing it all myself?
A: It depends on how you value your time. Our design team has, cumulatively, over a century of experience in a variety of building styles that span the country. For comparison, let’s pretend you want to build a pool house on your property that doubles as guest accommodations (a fairly common request in our area). Here are some of the scheduling issues you will encounter that will force additional unforeseen time onto your project:
A: It depends on how you value your time. Our design team has, cumulatively, over a century of experience in a variety of building styles that span the country. For comparison, let’s pretend you want to build a pool house on your property that doubles as guest accommodations (a fairly common request in our area). Here are some of the scheduling issues you will encounter that will force additional unforeseen time onto your project:
- How long it will take you to find the right architect
- How far out she or he is booked
- How much civil and structural engineering the project will require
- The engineer(s) workload(s),
- How well the architect and engineer collaborate
- How many rounds of revisions they will demand of each other (and you)
- Changes to the building costs driven by engineering requirements
- Your familiarity with the less obvious requirements to build on your area
Q. What if I love the design so much I want to build myself another one just like it?
A: At the conclusion of our engagement, we relinquish the plans and ownership rights to you. Architects are entitled to the rights of authorship for anything they stamp, so even though you commissioned the creation of a plan set, if you love your Diablo home so much that you wish to build it again in Malibu, you have to license the plans from the architect again. Now, we are not qualified nor do we desire to give you legal advice, so we implore you to check on this detail if you think it may someday apply to you, but our founder and lead designer, David Brown, went through this very issue himself, and it is one of the reasons he has directed his career toward creating a Design~Build firm.
A: At the conclusion of our engagement, we relinquish the plans and ownership rights to you. Architects are entitled to the rights of authorship for anything they stamp, so even though you commissioned the creation of a plan set, if you love your Diablo home so much that you wish to build it again in Malibu, you have to license the plans from the architect again. Now, we are not qualified nor do we desire to give you legal advice, so we implore you to check on this detail if you think it may someday apply to you, but our founder and lead designer, David Brown, went through this very issue himself, and it is one of the reasons he has directed his career toward creating a Design~Build firm.
Q. What other advantages will I enjoy by using a Design~Build firm?
A: Because we are also builders, we are constantly assessing the longevity and value of your evolving ideas. Maybe you had brick pavers in mind for your veranda, and you found some additional resources that would cover the difference for travertine tile in a diamond pattern. That is a revision that anyone would love to make on your plans to give you a more beautiful result. But as a builder, we will advise you about the difference in installation cost, the additional substrate requirements, adjustments to the amount of anticipated waste in the process, and the maintenance of that material in the long term. It is common for other vendors to limit their thinking to their perceived customary scope of responsibility.
For many custom projects, we can be faster, more economical, more responsive, and a more fun partner in the realization of your dream outcome compared to the traditional process of hiring all of those vendors individually. A consultation with us is quick and free, and we invite you to tell us about your project so that you can get the information and find out for yourself whether we are a fit for getting exactly what you want out of your surroundings. Call, email, or use the contact form and we will respond to you quickly.
A: Because we are also builders, we are constantly assessing the longevity and value of your evolving ideas. Maybe you had brick pavers in mind for your veranda, and you found some additional resources that would cover the difference for travertine tile in a diamond pattern. That is a revision that anyone would love to make on your plans to give you a more beautiful result. But as a builder, we will advise you about the difference in installation cost, the additional substrate requirements, adjustments to the amount of anticipated waste in the process, and the maintenance of that material in the long term. It is common for other vendors to limit their thinking to their perceived customary scope of responsibility.
For many custom projects, we can be faster, more economical, more responsive, and a more fun partner in the realization of your dream outcome compared to the traditional process of hiring all of those vendors individually. A consultation with us is quick and free, and we invite you to tell us about your project so that you can get the information and find out for yourself whether we are a fit for getting exactly what you want out of your surroundings. Call, email, or use the contact form and we will respond to you quickly.
