“You can use an eraser on the drawing table, or a sledgehammer on the construction site.”
– Frank Lloyd Wright
Our Process
Our Vision
The best way to have a good experience with a custom remodel is to plan well. We communicate early and often to make sure the planning process is a collaborative one. Your ideas and partnership are essential in bringing your vision to life, and Vertical Construction Group will make sure your remodel reflects your values and personality. Let’s build your vision.
Start the Journey
During our initial conversation, we’ll discuss wants and needs, the challenges you are having, and the reasons for the renovation. We will also briefly talk about budget and timeline as well as if you will be needing our inhouse design services. If everything seems like a good fit, we set up an initial site meeting to discuss your project in more detail, face-to-face.
At the initial site meeting, we will do our best to gather enough information so we can provide you with an ROM (rough order of magnitude) estimate. During this walk-through, we may also do an initial scan of the property so that we can generate as-built drawings. These drawings are an important part of new construction, renovations, and maintenance. Although some refer to these as ‘as builds,’ the correct term is as-built because they refer to the structure as it was actually built. As-built drawings make it much easier for us to isolate the areas you want us to focus on so that the initial ROM is as accurate as possible. Before the meeting is over, we will attempt to schedule a time to meet again, virtually or at home, to go over the initial ROM estimate.
Pre-Construction
1.
If you decide that the ROM is acceptable and you’d like to move forward with us, we will present you with a Pre-Construction Services proposal. After a small deposit is paid, we will phase into Pre-Construction.
2.
Pre-Construction Services consists of our time together with you and our design team (or yours) so that we can further define the scope of work and start formally pricing your project. This phase opens up all sorts of exciting possibilities and opportunities for deeper knowledge.
3.
You will start to envision the potential of your space, be introduced to our vendors and subcontractors, and start making selections as well as browsing drawings and renderings. Have fun, and let your imagination go wild.
Scope of Work
Once the scope of work is defined with plans and specifications approved, we can start working on your Formal Estimate. The Formal Estimate is a detailed estimate that involves breaking down the project scope into smaller unit prices that can be priced individually. It includes estimated costs for the materials, equipment, and labor required to complete the project. In the event the Formal Estimate is not within your comfort zone, we then phase into VE (Value Engineering Exercise). The Value Engineering Exercise is a systematic, organized approach that promotes the substitution of materials and methods with less expensive alternatives without compromising functionality. This exercise can be tough because we may need to cut things that you really were hoping to include, but sometimes, it is a necessary step to get to the end goal.
Construction Agreement
Assuming we come to an agreement during the VE exercise, we will close out the Pre-Construction Services contract and present you with the Construction Agreement. In the unlikely event that we can’t get to a comfortable number after Value Engineering, there is no further obligation on your part. Once all Pre-Construction Services invoices are satisfied, we will release all the Pre-Construction documents to you and close out the contract.