Process

Our Process

Our Proven Process Saves Time, Money and Headaches

Remodeling can be a very confusing and frustrating experience. In 30 years of business we have found that proper planning and professional design can make it a fun and exciting experience. We prefer fun and exciting, don’t you?

Starting from scratch – While we work with several architects and designers, many of our projects are developed with our in-house designers using a two-phase design approach.

Phase 1 Design: For projects like additions & major renovations, we start with our Phase 1 Design Agreement. We use a 3-D CAD software called Chief Architect to help you visualize the project as a picture to virtually walk through the project. The goal of Phase 1 is to come up with a design that you will love, and a preliminary budget based on this design. The fee for Phase 1 is $500 + $5/sf of the addition or renovated space. There is no requirement to move forward with Distinctive Remodeling, so you can keep the renderings and plans, but they are not “Ready for Construction” at this point. All the selections, engineering and construction drawings are still needed to be able to build it. This leads us to:

Phase 2 Design: The goal of Phase 2 design is to make all the selections, develop all the construction details, and get the budget down to the penny. To do this we have to know the brand, make, color and quantity of all the materials that go into your project. Our designers will work with you to find the best products to fit your style, budget and taste. During this process we also bring our team of professionals out to your house to look at all your existing conditions, so they can estimate their trades and get us the best pricing for each. Sometimes we need to bring in an engineer to size beams, or evaluate an existing structure item. The fee for this phase is 6% of the budget that comes out of the Phase 1 design. When Phase 2 is complete, we have a complete set of plans, specs, selections, and a contract, ready for construction.  We then apply 50% of the Phase 2 fees toward the construction contract amount.

For our customers that already have a set of plans from their designer or architect, we sometimes go straight to Phase 2, or, depending on the scope, we may use an Hourly Design Agreement. An hourly agreement is also used for simple consulting. Feel free to call 919.772.3335 or email with any questions.

Bonus: For clients that are technologically inclined, we offer a secure online portal—where you can see progression photos, approve change orders, and check the build schedule, no matter where you are or what time it is.