The Process

Potential clients are often concerned about how the entire process of building a new custom home or renovating an existing home will unfold. Their concerns are not unfounded: after all, it's not often that homeowners take the giant step of embarking on a custom building project. What follows is a brief overview of the process I follow when working with my clients.

Schedule

The first step for any client to consider is the desired schedule for the entire building project. Most projects take at least 4 weeks to design and draw even if it is only a small addition. Just taking the time to schedule meetings to review design options and make revisions before beginning the construction drawings can take several weeks depending on "life" schedules.

Depending on the jurisdiction in which the project is located there may be additional requirements such as verifying the condition of a septic system and well in rural parts of the Puget Sound. This step alone can add 4 weeks or more to a schedule. Some agencies will also require a preliminary meeting to review the planned project before a permit can be requested.

When all things are considered together it is a good idea to try to have a minimum of 10 weeks set aside for the design and permitting process. This seems like a long time but is probably the quickest most professionals would be able to get drawings done and have a permit issued for construction. If the project is in a larger jurisdiction such as Seattle, this time can be much longer due to the backlog of permits that are waiting to be reviewed by the city.

Program & Notes

Most projects begin with an interview between the client and me to develop a written list of the requirements for the design. How many rooms will it have? What activities will occur in each room? What types of finishes will it have on the exterior and interior? These questions and answers become the "Program and Notes" and are used to begin developing a basic floor plan option that will satisfy the requirements of the project.

Schematic Design

The initial drawings that are developed from the program and notes are called Schematic Design drawings. These are usually drawn at a small scale so that several design options can be sketched out quickly to present to the client. The first meeting to review drawings involves the floor plans of the new space to see if all of the rooms are interconnected in a way that satisfies the client's needs. From here the floor plans are revised and exterior elevations are then created to begin showing the form of the project. A small scale Form Model may also be produced to help visualize the project in three dimensions.

Design Development

Once the schematic design phase has developed to the point where all of the rooms and forms seem to be in the right places the drawings are then increased in scale to create the Design Development drawings. These drawings are done at a scale four times the size of the schematic design drawings.

This larger scale allows the client to begin deciding the sizes and quantities of materials to be used in the project. Windows and doors can be located to maximize views. The layouts of cabinets, appliances and fixtures can be laid out with more detail that allows for some initial cost estimates to be obtained from prospective contractors. These drawings also allow installers to begin calculating the quantities of finishes that will be required for floors, walls, ceilings, roofs and siding.

Construction Documents

Once the design phase is mostly complete then the drawings that will be used to build the project can be produced. These drawings generally include all of the information the contractor will need to build the basic project and obtain a building permit from the appropriate governing agency. Most agencies require at a minimum a site plan, floor plans, exterior elevations, building section and structural plans and details.This could be 5-6 sheets of full size drawings for a small one-story house or over 20 sheets of drawings for a large custom residence.

Bidding & Negotiation

Unless the client has a contractor in mind that they are planning to use the next step is to begin interviewing prospective contractors for the project. This can occur earlier in the design process and quite often a selection is made based more on how the personalities of the client and contractor match then on who has the lowest estimate for the work. Estimates of construction cost are initially based on the size of the project and types of finishes desired. However, until the drawings are complete and all of the finishes are selected these estimates will always just be a range of costs. When the completed drawings are given to a contractor it will usually take 3-4 weeks to get an accurate cost of construction.

Construction Administration

Once the building permit has been issued and construction begins there are always questions that arise during the building phase. These questions are frequently handled with phone calls between the contractor and architect but will usually involve the architect visiting the site several times during construction. No project is ever perfect from start to finish and quite often these site visits end up changing elements of the design that improve the overall function or look of the building.

This phase also involves the architect reviewing the monthly invoices submitted by a contractor during the project. This review will determine that the amount of money being requested matches the work that has been completed and that the project is proceeding according to the proposed schedule.

The final step in this phase is the creation of Punch Lists. These are lists created during walk throughs of the project that show all of the items that still need to be completed prior to client occupancy. The client, contractor and architect generate these so that there are multiple sets of eyes looking for anything remaining to be done. Even a small addition involves hundreds of separate items and it is easy to overlook the small things without these lists.