Here is a general overview of the advantages of using our services:
Expert Guidance: We provide professional insight and creative solutions tailored to your needs, ensuring your project aligns with regulations, budgets, and aesthetic preferences. We help you get the information you need and allow you to understand the project's feasibility before you start.
Efficient Use of Space: Our experience in rearranging and reworking existing areas allows you to maximize the functionality of the space, where we consider factors like flow, usability, and comfort.
Cost-Effectiveness: As a result of our workflow when planning and designing your project, we help reduce unforeseen costs, providing a clear roadmap for builders and contractors to follow, reducing costly tear-outs and rebuilds.
Sustainability Considerations: We use eco-friendly solutions to provide energy-efficient and environmentally responsible designs.
Compliance with Regulations: Navigating building codes and local regulations is complex; we ensure that designs comply with all necessary laws, reducing the risk of costly legal issues.
Visual Representation: We provide clear visualizations of the proposed building, helping you to see and understand how spaces will look and feel before construction begins.
Project Coordination: Working with us often means smoother collaboration with contractors, engineers, and other stakeholders, ensuring a unified vision and efficient construction process because we speak their language professionally.
Do you work with out of province clients?
Yes, we have worked with clients out of province and in Europe (an exciting story). The building codes for different Canadian provinces are being harmonized, and until then, we will use the Ontario Building Code. This allows our drawings to follow the rules in the Ontario Building Code that closely follow or exceed the requirements set out in the National Building Code.
We are also familiar with the US International Residential Code.
We use remote networking applications such as Zoom, Teams and Google Meet to share our screen, discuss concepts and refine details in real-time.
Air travel is expensive, and visiting other far-flung locations is often not feasible; however, there are several more accessible ways to capture site-specific information. Using information from photographs, panoramic photographs, LIDAR site scans, cloud points, drone footage, and topographical surveys provides us with the accurate data we need.
It allows us to work efficiently with our remote clients in other provinces/countries/continents.
What are your rates? how do you calculate them?
We set our rates based on the cost of construction and the desired level of finishes (economy, average, custom, luxury), offering a fair fee structure that reflects the project's complexity and scale.
Our fees fall between what a realtor might charge for selling a home (6%) and what a painter blames for painting a new home ($5.00/SF). Our fees allow us to spend the time needed to prepare a design and construction drawings that are detailed, clear and concise.
This helps us proactively eliminate errors, allowing you to save more than we charge. We have learned from the experience of building homes using plans drawn by less experienced practitioners that our work can save you more than 15% of the construction cost for your project by eliminating costly constructability errors due to design flaws.
do you work with homeowners only?
We work directly with the client - the one who is paying the bills.
We do collaborate with various stakeholders like contractors, renovators, realtors, investors, and others, but our experience has taught us to work directly with the client, defined as the one paying the bill, whether that's a contractor, realtor, renovator, or homeowner, is the best way forward.
We have worked through a middle man who "hired" us, rather than the client. This made the process unnecessarily complicated, increased costs, and clouded communication. Oftentimes, a client's request was ignored, forgotten, or misunderstood. So working directly with us is the best solution.
Can you determine A range of the project's cost of construction?
Certainly!
Here's how we do it. We developed a tool using a data set of historical costs (invoices sent to us by the trades) of past projects we managed as a Project Manager. We've taken those invoices, combined them into a data set and then created a budget analysis tool.
It helps you to understand how your budget can be used to build:
The type of home (bungalow, 1-1/2 storey, 2 storey, etc.)
Level of finish (Economy, Average, Custom, Luxury)
Our tool creates an outline of the range of costs for the project on a line by line basis (foundation, framer, lumber, plumber, HVAC, drywall, insulation, painter, etc.). This allows you to compare the quotes you receive from trades to against your construction cost outline to determine if the quotes are within a reasonable range of cost or not.
For example, building a 2 storey home will save you 3% when compared to building a bungalow with the same livable area and finish level. The higher you go, the more the savings (yes, building up costs less than building out).
There, with that single piece of information your potential savings are upwards of $22K on a $750K budget. That $22K in savings will allow you to redirect it back into upgrading your finishes from an Average to a Luxury level or not spend it at all.
So you can have an average finished bungalow or a tricked out 2 storey home. The choice is yours based on your requirements.
That's just scratching the surface of what we can do for you.
do you provide other services other than drawings?
Certainly! We provide essential services tailored for your project, whether you're a contractor or working on light commercial projects and tenant fit-ups. Our offerings include:
Quantity Take-Off Service: We accurately calculate and organize the required lumber into lifts or loads, ensuring the right amount is on hand.
Constructability Analysis: We convert 2D drawings into 3D models to validate dimensions and clearances, from the underside of the footing to the top of the roof, making sure everything will fit seamlessly.
3D Modeling of Shop Drawings: We transform supplier and manufacturer drawings for stairs, windows, doors, cabinets, etc., into 3D models, verifying their fit within the project.
We firmly believe that getting a permit isn't enough; the drawings must be truly usable for construction, and our services are designed to ensure just that!
Do you provide scope of work documentation?
Yes, we provide Scope of Work documentation for your project as an additional service. The Scope of Work is developed to describe:
Who does the work
Where the material will be stored, handled and made secure
How the work will be executed
Timeliness and timeframes for the work
Protection of new and existing work
Materials to be used for securing the work in place
Equipment to be used
Methods of construction to be used
3D models showing phases of the project's build progress.
The Scope of Work sets out the "ground rules" of the project so conflict is kept to a minimum.
Can you provide a budget outline for the project?
We offer an additional service where we provide a budget outline, showing the range of costs for major construction activities in your project. Whether you're a contractor or homeowner, this outline can be a powerful tool to gauge if the quotes from trades are reasonable and to understand if your project is feasible considering the budget available.
This service is particularly valuable as it helps you see how even small changes can significantly impact how funds are distributed across different areas of the project. It's a hands-on way to manage and make the most of your budget.
Interested in utilizing this valuable tool for your project? Feel free to contact us at [email protected] for more information or to get started!
what's a constructability analysis?
When planning a construction project, it's essential to look closely at how everything will be built (this is called "constructability"). Without this careful review, unexpected problems can lead to delays and cost overruns. Our experience in the industry helps in realistically assessing what needs to be done to complete a project successfully, whether it's a new build or modifications to existing systems.
Here's a quick breakdown of what a constructability analysis can do for you:
Create Plans to Enhance Project Schedule: Create 3D models of 2D plans to help visualize the project.
Find Efficient Construction Methods: Investigate other means to build things to save both time and money.
Lead Modularization Studies: Research how to build complex assemblies in a simpler and cost effective manner.
Resolve Conflicts with Existing Operations: Identify problems that might happen between the new and existing build and find solutions.
In simple terms, we help make sure everything is ready to go before construction starts. The goal is to save time and money, while increasing the success of the project.
If you're planning a construction project and are a contractor or homeowner, the Constructability Analysis service ensures the manufactured components used in the building fit.
Do you have ready made plans i can purchase?
Absolutely, we have ready-made plan sets available that might be just what you're looking for! We're actually in the process of putting together an online catalogue to make browsing even easier. But, we've got so many exciting projects on the go that it's taking a bit longer than expected to get that up and running.
In the meantime, we'd be more than happy to provide samples tailored to your needs.
Just send us an email at [email protected] with the details of what you're looking for. Include things like the type of building (single family home, ADU, studio), the width of the lot, the building's overall floor area, number of stories, and bathrooms. If we have something that fits your criteria, we'll promptly send over schematics of the floor plans and elevations.
Feel free to reach out, and we'll do our best to assist you in finding the perfect plan for your project from our product library.