How we work
From the first conversation to the final walkthrough.
Seven steps, one team in the field the whole way. Here is what happens, in order, and what you will know at each step before the next one starts.
The short version
Listen, look underneath, build, backed for life
- 01
Listen
Tell us about your project. Greg or our team calls you back within one business day and comes to see the house.
- 02
Look underneath
Drainage, soil, foundation, structure. We look there first, before anyone talks about finishes, because that is where budgets break.
- 03
Build
Our own long-term tradesmen do the work. You hear from us before you have to ask.
- 04
Backed for life
If any issues arise related to the work we perform, we address them promptly and professionally.
Step by step
The seven steps, in the order they happen
This is the process behind every project, from a kitchen to a custom home. It is also the document we hand you at the first meeting.
- 01
Let's talk
We get acquainted and find out whether we are a good fit. We ask a lot of questions about your vision and priorities, talk about your budget in relation to that vision, and go over schedule, your role in the project, and what you can expect from us.
- 02
The Professional Services Agreement
Before any construction contract, we plan. The PSA is a paid planning agreement: it produces a clear project plan, a schedule and a line-item estimate, and it is where selections get made. It often covers design and engineering, septic evaluations, and sometimes demolition and discovery work when we need to see what is behind a wall or under a slab before we can price it. Planning this way is what keeps change orders down later. The PSA does not obligate you to build with us, and you own the design work it produces.
- 03
Project development
With the PSA results in hand we sit down and go through the project together, for as long as you need: scope, plans, progress payments, timeline, logistics, concerns, and how we will keep in touch during the build.
- 04
The construction contract
By now the design and the plan are approved and you know who will be on your project from start to finish. We put the scope, the estimate and the schedule in one agreement for both of us to sign.
- 05
Project management
During the build we order the materials, schedule the trades, oversee and coordinate the work, and keep you up to date on progress and on anything that comes up.
- 06
In-process changes
However carefully we plan, you may want to change something along the way. We are set up for that: the contract explains how the cost and schedule effect of a change is worked out, and we price it and show you before we proceed.
- 07
Project completion
We inspect the work against the standard we started with, walk the project with you, answer the operational questions (appliances, heating and cooling, anything else), clean up inside and out, and leave you a document to note anything you run across later. Then the craftsmanship is backed for life.
“It just takes a little more thinking and processing the project to make everything work. ”
Why the planning comes first
We find the problem before it finds your budget
Drainage, soil, foundation, structure. We look there first, on every project, before anyone talks about finishes. It is the least glamorous part of the job and it is where budgets break.
It shows up in the work. On the Hoover addition, water was draining toward the house, so the drainage was corrected before the addition went up. On North Lynn Street, a soil analysis and a site-specific foundation design came before a single design decision. At El Cielo, the retaining wall and the septic system went in before the structure, because the lot left no other order.
Finding those things in the first week instead of the fifth month is what the PSA is for.
Our promise
Backed for life
“
One customer's roof, originally built for the previous owner, developed a problem years later after heavy rains. We came back and fixed it. That is what the guarantee means in practice, and it is a promise about workmanship, not about price.
Straight answers
Questions about how we work
What is a PSA, and why do you use one?
A Professional Services Agreement is a paid planning agreement we put in place before any construction contract. It produces a clear project plan, a schedule and a line-item estimate, and it is where selections get made. It often covers design and engineering, septic evaluations, and sometimes demolition and discovery work when we need to see what is behind a wall or under a slab before we can price it. Planning this way is what keeps change orders down later.
Does the PSA obligate us to build with you?
No. The PSA does not obligate you to enter into a construction contract with us, and you own the design work it produces.
Should we get other bids?
You should feel confident in whoever you choose. What we would say is that a bid without a plan behind it tends to grow through change orders. The PSA exists so that the number you compare is built on the actual scope.
How long will it take?
It depends on scope, and we say so. You get a written schedule with the estimate, and we keep you posted as the work moves, including when the unexpected shows up.
What happens at completion?
We inspect the work against the standard we started with, walk the project with you, answer the operational questions, clean up inside and out, and leave you a document to note anything you run across later. Then the craftsmanship is backed for life.
Google reviews
What homeowners say about working with us
“He always answered calls, text or emails promptly and guided us through the project without any problems or frustrations.”
“Greg and his team did an absolutely wonderful job on our remodel. The craftsmanship and communication throughout the project made working with Greg a pleasure.”
“He listened to our needs, created a clear budget and helped us stay within it…”
Request an estimate
Tell us about your project.
The form takes two minutes. Greg or Pam calls you back within one business day, and the first visit is where the estimate range starts.