How it works
From a lot check to the keys
Seven steps. You sign nothing until step three, and you pay for nothing until you've seen what it buys.
- 01
Step 1: 1. The lot check
We read the zoning, the plat and the utility maps for your address and write back.
- 02
Step 2: 2. A walk on the lot
Two of us, about an hour. We look at the garage, the yard, the alley and the meters, and we ask who will live there.
- 03
Step 3: 3. The design agreement
A written agreement for drawings and the permit application, with its fee stated before anything starts.
- 04
Step 4: 4. Drawings and permit
We submit the plans and answer the city's comments. Plan review is the city's clock, and it sets the start date.
- 05
Step 5: 5. The build agreement
A written price after the drawings, with the schedule of payments tied to stages, and every allowance named.
- 06
Step 6: 6. The build
Utilities, foundation, framing, systems, finishes, inspections. One site lead is yours to call.
- 07
Step 7: 7. The walk-through
We walk it with you, write down anything left, and finish it before the last payment.
Week one on site
What happens when the work starts
Before any digging, we call for the utility locates and mark the lot. A dumpster goes where it won't block the alley for long, and we tell the neighbors who share it. The first week is site protection, the trench and the layout of the foundation.
In week one
Utilities located and marked before the first shovel
Your yard and the way through it protected
A named site lead and a phone number for the crew
A plan for the alley and the dumpster
Living next to it
What a build site asks of you
You stay in the house. These are the things that change.
Noise and dust
Saws and the trench are the loud days. We tell you which days before they happen, and we keep dust out of your house.
The yard
Part of it becomes a work site. We mark what stays, protect it, and put back what we move.
The alley
Deliveries and the dumpster use it. We warn the neighbors, and we keep it passable.
Water and power
Connecting a new building means shutting something off for a short time. You'll hear when and how long.
Questions
Questions about the work
Can I live in the house during the build?
Yes. The work is outside your house, apart from the connections for water, power and sewer. We tell you ahead when something will be off.
Who will be on my property?
Our own crew, and the trades we bring in for electric and plumbing. Your site lead introduces them, and every visit is on the schedule you get.
What if the city asks for changes?
We answer the city's comments with the designer. If an answer changes the scope, we write a change order first.
How do inspections work?
The city inspects at set stages, and we book each one. Work doesn't get covered until it passes.
Start with a lot check
It comes before any agreement, and it commits you to nothing.