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Getting started...
The custom home design service begins with a meeting at Dianne's office for an introduction and to discuss your goals. Next, a meeting at your current home is helpful to review and discuss the features you like and the features you feel are lacking. This meeting helps Dianne gain insight into how you and your family live. Also, a site visit to your property is important at this stage. Please feel free to invite your builder to any or all meetings.
Design phase...
From this point, Dianne will design a preliminary floor plan of each floor. A meeting will take place at Dianne's office to review the drawings and discuss how the plan will help you obtain your goals. You will be given a copy of the drawings to take home to review. After you have studied the preliminary floor plans, a meeting will be scheduled to discuss your thoughts, ideas, and questions. Based on your feedback, Dianne will sketch different options and make adjustments to the floor plans as needed. After the majority of the floor plan design has been determined, Dianne will work on the preliminary drawings of the exterior design. This process will be similar to the floor plan design process.
Pricing phase...
After the design of the home is complete, Dianne will add more notes and information to the drawings so that you will be able to give copies of the drawings to your builder (or multiple builders if you have not decided on a specific one) to obtain a cost estimate for the construction.
Preparing for construction...
Once you have your cost estimate, and feel comfortable with the estimate and the design, Dianne will finalize the drawings for construction. If, however, after obtaining your cost estimate changes need to be made in the design, options for reducing construction costs will be discussed and implemented.
During construction...
If you or your builder have any questions during construction, or any design changes are contemplated, please contact Dianne. She can meet you at the job site, if needed, to discuss any issues that you have.
Consultation service during the construction of your new home is also available. If you would like assistance in choosing finish materials or fixtures, or designing cabinetry or closet storage, this service is available at an hourly rate starting at $ 50.00 per hour.
Design fee...
The fee for custom home design service is based on the square footage of the final design. The square footage rate starts at $ 0.80 per square footage of the home, not including the square footage of garages or porches, and may vary depending on the style and complexity of the project. A set rate and estimate will be given at our first meeting after discussing the project with you. The final construction drawings will include a rendered front elevation drawing, foundation plan (or basement plan), floor plans, roof plan, exterior elevations, standard construction details, and any interior design details required for construction. Lighting design and electrical plans are an optional service starting at $ 0.10 per square foot. Copies of the plans for pricing and for construction are a separate charge based on printing fees. An estimate of total printing fees is $ 125.00 - $ 150.00.
Payment schedule...
Payment for the design fee, etc. is broken into 3 to 4 payments. An initial payment of approximately 25% of the complete estimate is due after our first meeting, before additional meetings or design work is started. A second payment of approximately half the balance is due after the floor plans are designed, before the exterior elevation design begins. A third payment may be required after the plans are developed enough for pricing. The final payment is due when the plans are completed for construction.
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