how we work and what to expect

As someone who grew up with a father that was a gifted salesman,  Jeff learned at an early age that business is about relationships.  To him that means understanding what it is the client wants and needs, and being able to translate that into something they will want to live with and love.  Clear, concise communication is the key to smooth projects, no matter the scope or size.  That's why we begin all of our relationships with a casual meeting to let you describe what you are trying to accomplish with your project.  Whether it's a full home Passive House retrofit or a simple bathroom remodel, we strive to listen first, before we explain all of the exciting possibilities. This is really just an informal conversation, but we have learned over the years how to bring out the less obvious desires you may have for your project.


Once we have a good idea of your needs and desires for the project, we get to work with our team to translate that into a specific written plan with options that we present to you with a rough budget.  Once you approve of the rough budget, we work out exactly what you want and convert that rough document into a specific written scope of work that details everything that we will be doing for your project, accompanied by plans drawn by our CDO/architect partner Juhani Kelvin.  This scope document becomes the largest most important part of the contract as it describes not only what we will do, but also exactly what what is excluded.  Any changes that need to be made later to accommodate modifications to this plan will also be submitted in writing for your approval and become part of the overall contract documentation.  At no time will there be any question of where we are in the project or what remains to be completed.


In addition to the contract, a schedule based on the included scope will be issued.  There are two types of schedules, which work in tandem.  The first is the schedule to completion.  It details the timeline we expect will be needed to accomplish each stage of the project, including planning/permitting, demolition, construction and so on.  The second is the schedule of payments that is intrinsically tied to the schedule to completion.  As we complete each phase or sub-phase we will submit billing for those completed phases.  At no time will you be asking yourself if we have completed the work that you are paying for.  The final phase, the 'punch list' phase, will be completed to your satisfaction before we ask for our final payment so you will always know that your project has our highest priority.