Design Process
President James Moylan has been in the custom building industry for over 15 years. We would like you to think of Design Builders, Inc. as your personal design build consultant. We’ve dealt with hundreds of different manufactures and have installed over 300 deck, screen porch, sun room, and addition projects. If you have any question about materials, designs, or styling don’t hesitate to give us a call. As our client you can reach building consultant anytime during business hours. Design builders is considered by its customers as the best design build firm in Montgomery County, Howard, and Fairfax counties. To provide our customers with a wealth of ongoing information on the construction industry , we encourage you to follow our blog, become fans of Design Builders on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our monthly newsletter. These are all great resources while considering design, layout, and material choice for your project. Design Builders views itself as a problem solving company. We provide the service of enhancing our client’s backyards and homes. We have customized our design process to pin point the needs you are trying to address and the wants you have for your dream home. We encourage you to think of the big pictures. Is this going to be the final stage of the project? Or do you plan to further enhance you backyard and home in the future. We should always build with the big picture in mind.
Design Process
1. Phone Questionnaire
-When a potential customer first makes contact with Design Builders Inc. via phone or email, we will set up an initial phone meeting to go over the desired project. During this phone meeting we get all the customers contact information and try to get a general idea of the project they had in mind. We discuss the materials to be used, budget for the project, desired completion date for the work, and financing options.
2. Confirmation email
-After a date has been set for the initial estimate meeting a confirmation email is sent out with a checklist of items to be gathered by the home owner including the site map or property plat and any HOA application forms they may need to be filled out for the project. We also send a list of preferred vendors and materials to be used for the project to get the creative juices flowing.
3. Initial Estimate Meeting
-Please allow one to two hours for the initial estimate meeting. At the initial meeting we provide customers with catalogs and brochures for products to be used, information about Design Builders Inc. and reference names of past DB clients. We go through our comprehensive Estimate Questionnaire that will help generate creative design thought and pinpoint the needs and wants for each customers individual project. At this initial meeting, the design consultant will take photographs and measurements in order to create a 3D rendering of the proposed project attached to the clients home. This is the only way to get a realistic visual of how the project will affect the house and yard.
4. Design and proposal
-Our promise to our customers is to have the design and estimate completed within 48 business hours. We typically create two designs so the home owner can see a couple of options. Once the design is received we go back and forth on the design until the final project scope of work is completed in detail. Upon delivery of the design, the client will also receive an estimate for the work to be done. Our estimates are good for 30 days. After the design and estimate has been received by the customer, we follow up with a phone call to set up the follow up meeting and contract signing.
5. Contract signing
-At the follow up meeting, we go over the detail project scope of work to make sure no detail has been overlooked. We review the contract, scope of work, and warranty documents. Once everyone is in agreement, we take care of the paperwork and schedule the project start date and pre-construction meeting. At the contract signing meeting, we also take care of other paperwork such as the permit application, tree affidavit, and HOA application. We make sure that the site plan for the property has been located and make copies for our records.
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