Are you uncertain about where to begin? Here are two ways to get started:
PHONE CALL
There is no charge for a 20-minute phone call to discuss your project and how I may be able to help you.
PROJECT PRE-DESIGN ANALYSIS
$750*
This option takes an overview of your project and tells you whether there are any stumbling blocks that you are likely to encounter, before you invest a lot of time and money in the process. Afterwards, you'll have the information you need to decide whether your project is feasible, what issues need to be resolved and what steps you need to take for a successful project. You'll save time, be better prepared, more knowledgeable and have more peace of mind that you are avoiding unpleasant surprises down the road.
WHAT WILL YOU GET?
In addition to a meeting at your home or property, you'll get a written report which contains:
At the end of this process, if you decide that you want to continue working with me, we can continue onto the design phase of the project, or you are free to take the report to another architect to continue the process.
Read TRUE STORIES below to learn how three clients could have avoided unnecessary costs and delays with a Project Pre-Design Analysis.
WHAT WILL YOU GET?
In addition to a meeting at your home or property, you'll get a written report which contains:
- A description of your project, including your needs, wants and goals
- A list of applicable zoning ordinances and required permits
- A project timeline
- A list of potential trouble spots, issues or concerns
- Recommendations
- Next steps
At the end of this process, if you decide that you want to continue working with me, we can continue onto the design phase of the project, or you are free to take the report to another architect to continue the process.
Read TRUE STORIES below to learn how three clients could have avoided unnecessary costs and delays with a Project Pre-Design Analysis.
* May include additional mileage charges for locations further than 40 miles away
TRUE STORIES
NONCOMPLIANT HOUSE
Clients hired me to design the interior layout of a home that they had purchased and planned to remodel. They had already hired a contractor to do extensive work on the outside walls and roof of the home, which was underway when I first met with them. In the process of researching the building codes related to their home, I realized that it would not comply without extensive additional work that they had not anticipated. It was questionable whether it made sense to spend the additional money to bring the home up to code rather than tear it down to build a new home which would better meet their needs. Beginning with a Project Pre-Design Analysis would have saved them the cost of construction work on a home that was potentially not worth saving.
HOME IN A FLOODPLAIN
I was brought onto a project by a contractor who had been hired to remodel a lakeside home. The homeowners had hired a drafter to draw plans for an addition, but the contractor needed a site plan in order to get a building permit for the project. In the process of doing the site plan, I researched the zoning ordinances and discovered that the home was located in an area subject to flooding. The beginning of construction was set back many months while the contractor obtained the additional permits that were needed. A Project Pre-Design Analysis would have alerted the homeowners and contractor to the additional requirements and permits at the beginning of the project, saving them from the construction delay.
UNDERSIZED ADDITION
Homeowners asked me to draw a floorplan for their addition, after getting construction estimates from two contractors based on the clients' estimate of how large an addition they needed. The clients based their budget and their financial planning on the construction estimates given by the contractors. As I drew the floor plan, however, I realized that they had underestimated how large an addition they would need because they had not taken into account items like stairs and the thickness of walls. They were dismayed to find that the addition would have to be significantly larger in order to include all of the spaces that they wanted. A Project Pre-Design Analysis would have given them a more realistic estimate of how much space they needed, saving them time pursuing construction estimates that were inaccurate.
Clients hired me to design the interior layout of a home that they had purchased and planned to remodel. They had already hired a contractor to do extensive work on the outside walls and roof of the home, which was underway when I first met with them. In the process of researching the building codes related to their home, I realized that it would not comply without extensive additional work that they had not anticipated. It was questionable whether it made sense to spend the additional money to bring the home up to code rather than tear it down to build a new home which would better meet their needs. Beginning with a Project Pre-Design Analysis would have saved them the cost of construction work on a home that was potentially not worth saving.
HOME IN A FLOODPLAIN
I was brought onto a project by a contractor who had been hired to remodel a lakeside home. The homeowners had hired a drafter to draw plans for an addition, but the contractor needed a site plan in order to get a building permit for the project. In the process of doing the site plan, I researched the zoning ordinances and discovered that the home was located in an area subject to flooding. The beginning of construction was set back many months while the contractor obtained the additional permits that were needed. A Project Pre-Design Analysis would have alerted the homeowners and contractor to the additional requirements and permits at the beginning of the project, saving them from the construction delay.
UNDERSIZED ADDITION
Homeowners asked me to draw a floorplan for their addition, after getting construction estimates from two contractors based on the clients' estimate of how large an addition they needed. The clients based their budget and their financial planning on the construction estimates given by the contractors. As I drew the floor plan, however, I realized that they had underestimated how large an addition they would need because they had not taken into account items like stairs and the thickness of walls. They were dismayed to find that the addition would have to be significantly larger in order to include all of the spaces that they wanted. A Project Pre-Design Analysis would have given them a more realistic estimate of how much space they needed, saving them time pursuing construction estimates that were inaccurate.
