1. First Meeting
The design and build process begins with a mutual interview at your home to determine if there is the proper chemistry between us. We encourage you to have interviewed several other contractors and before our meeting so you can compare the level of trust, professionalism, vision, and experience that is required for your project.
The following issues should serve as a checklist as you interview anyone for your project.
Green building products and practices:
In addition to recycling, are there any concerns about eco-friendly/sustainable products used in your project?
Universal design
Do you have friends or family members that would benefit from a more accessible entry, guest bath, or bedroom in your home?
Space planning:
Whether remodeling or building a new space, efficient use of all spaces should be a major goal for you and your builder
Everyday living:
Every household has unique needs, pets, and possessions which will be affected by this space in which you live. What are your current and future needs?
New technology:
Will you benefit from any new home or office technology?
Resale considerations:
How does the proposed work affect resale
Architectural style:
How will the new space serve to enhance or change that style?
2. Planning Stage
Most projects that require a set of plans start with hiring us for this service. Preliminary plans may range from hand drawn sketches to 2-D or 3-D CAD generated drawings depending on what level of detail you need to envision the project and fit within your budget. One set of plans and specs also assures you that any other bids you receive will be easier to compare. The plans are for bidding purposes only and not intended to be construction drawings. If Willow Creek is chosen to do at least 75% of the project within the following 6 months, half the cost of the plans will be credited back to you.
During this stage there will often be times when decisions must be made based on the cost or benefit of one design over the other. To keep the project within the budget and moving forward the estimating of these job costs goes hand in hand with the planning.
3. Budgeting Stage
Remodeling and renovation work is the most difficult thing to estimate in residential construction. As a result the cost estimating system used by Willow Creek is based on computerized database of localized building costs which has been in use for 44 years.
Together with our own job costing data our estimates are actually firm price quotes that provide a solid budget for your project. Also if you wish to do a portion of the work yourself we will provide guidance and show you what you will save for your efforts.
Our pro-construction contract combines both the planning and budgeting of your job into one agreement that covers both of these important functions.
4. The Owner/Contractor Agreement Options
In addition to the plans, specs and fixed price budget figures the agreement will also outline a construction schedule, progress payments and our standard terms and conditions.
For certain projects that are more difficult to estimate or will require more owner supplied labor it is more practical and economical to do a Time and Material contract. This type of agreement can reduce the cost of unknown risks for both parties and can reduce the over all cost by a substantial amount.
5. Project Management
Your project schedule will be closely monitored and updated as progress is made. Any changes made that involve extra costs will not be done unless agreed to in writing if they exceed $400. As progress payments are made you will not only be asked to inspect and approve the completed work but also to comment on our performance through a quality questionnaire so that we can correct or improve our service before the job continues.
6. Completion and Warranty Work
Near the end of the job you will be presented with a Pre-completion Punch List which will be completed with your job foreman. The remaining items will be completed according to our contract agreement and final invoice will be sent. At this time the owner Gary Peterson will meet with you to collect the check and personally review the quality questionnaires you completed and request a testimonial/reference from you.
At the one and two year anniversary of your job's completion you will be called on to discuss any work which you believe should be covered under warranty. If something comes up prior to that time you are encouraged to call the office and someone will be sent to your home to inspect the claim.
