Before You
Contact an Architect or Designer... One of the most disheartening parts of this industry is telling a homeowner
their new house or remodeling plans far exceed their budget. The reason for this
is very few homeowners talk to building contractors before they talk with
an architect. Few architects have an up-to-date knowledge of current costs.
Prices change constantly due to many different factors (gas, materials,
insurance, etc.) and it's difficult to stay up with costs unless you are
estimating projects on a regular basis.
If you have a basic design
concept of an addition or a new house that you are thinking of building, give us
a call (local area only, please) or another seasoned general building
contractor, to see if you can get a ballpark number for your budget. It helps to
have an estimated square-foot area of additional floor space you are planning to
add, and a square-foot area of the existing part of the home you are planning to
remodel as well. Ask the contractor to give you a best-case and worst-case
budget scenario. This is also a good way to start screening potential
contractors that can bid your final plans or help you on a design/build
consultant basis, as described in our
Design & Build
section.
This should help you understand
the process, timeline and costs of your project and help minimize the "sticker
shock." Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for homeowners to spend thousands of
dollars with an architect that designed plans they can't afford to build.
One of the most disheartening parts of this industry is telling a homeowner
their new house or remodeling plans far exceed their budget. The reason for this
is very few homeowners talk to building contractors before they talk with
an architect. Few architects have an up-to-date knowledge of current costs.
Prices change constantly due to many different factors (gas, materials,
insurance, etc.) and it's difficult to stay up with costs unless you are
estimating projects on a regular basis. 
If you have a basic design
concept of an addition or a new house that you are thinking of building, give us
a call (local area only, please) or another seasoned general building
contractor, to see if you can get a ballpark number for your budget. It helps to
have an estimated square-foot area of additional floor space you are planning to
add, and a square-foot area of the existing part of the home you are planning to
remodel as well. Ask the contractor to give you a best-case and worst-case
budget scenario. This is also a good way to start screening potential
contractors that can bid your final plans or help you on a design/build
consultant basis, as described in our 
