With framing complete we were able to move into the mechanical installation, window and door installation, roof and exterior wrap. As the framers were completing the second floor and roof sheeting, the plumbers began installing there waste lines, hot and cold supply lines, vents, etc. starting on the first level and working their way up. By the time the framers were complete with the roof, the plumbers were punching their vents through.

Once the framers completed their installation our windows and exterior doors arrived. Clear anodized aluminum windows were selected for the house. Two large multi slide units were installed side by side in the living room to create 24’ of glazing across the entire living room area.

One of our requirements to comply with the West Hollywood green building ordinance was to set up the house to accommodate photovoltaic roof panels. We left a large (300sqft area) clear of any roof penetrations to allow for the panels to be set free and clear. We also ran 1” conduit from the mechanical room (panel location) to the allowed space on the roof so that the electrical connections could be made easily. A 94% efficient tankless hot water heater will be installed, qualifying the client for a considerable tax credit as well as annual savings on energy consumption.
As the plumbers moved out of the first level the electricians soon followed. We laid out the electrical plan, only having to make a few suttle adjustments from the plans due to structural beam locations. The client has opted to use fluorescent and LED lighting throughout the house as another energy saving measure.
An energy efficient HVAC system was installed meeting the Energy Star certification. The house was divided into zones allowing different locations of the house to be temperature controlled. This again will assist the client in energy savings and efficient heating and cooling of the house. The insulation in the house was also upgraded. Insulation will be added in all the interior walls, and between the first and second floor in addition to the insulation being used in the exterior walls and attic areas.

The alarm pre-wire and network/cable tv wiring was installed following the electricians. The client has opted for two exterior cameras on the residence as well as an intercom system tied to the entry door chime. The low volt wiring was all home run to the mechanical room.
The fire sprinkler system was the last of the rough trades to go in following the completion of the others. Concealed flush mount heads will be used. Water sprinklers have become a requirement in all new homes being constructed in West Hollywood and very well soon may become the standard in Los Angeles and other cities as well.

A combination of Hardi Smooth Fiber Cement siding and smooth integral color smooth trowel stucco will be used on the exterior. The hardi siding will be installed in a multi layer fashion creating a contemporary application of the material. Smooth Hardi Plywood sheets will be installed behind 6” horizontal smooth siding set ½” apart. This will create horizontal lines and steps in the siding giving the second story elevation a very clean, maintenance friendly, appearance. The siding will be interrupted every 8’ by vertical metal wall fins. These fins will protrude from the structure 8” on the South facing side of the residence to create additional shade. The north side will also receive the fins, but they will only protrude 2” from the structure as there is not the need for sun/shade protection.

Generous amounts of j metal, water table and other sheet-metal flashing are being used to create clean line breaks and water tight connections between the siding and stucco. A galvanized metal water table will be installed at the bottom edge of the siding where it meets the stucco beneath. Concealed below the drip edge will be aluminum J metal allowing for a clean stucco termination and water tight connection.
A standing seam metal roof was installed this week over a rubberized underlayment system. The metal roof and eave detail will ensure a long lasting roof condition. The gently sloped roof will channel water in to box gutters installed at the metal eave that will conduct water to the street and into rain water collection system onsite allowing for roof run off to be used to irrigate portions of the yard.
The entry door was custom designed and recently installed. Constructed of rift white oak with two floor to ceiling white laminated side lights, the 9’ tall rift cut white oak entry door will create a dramatic statement upon entering the home.

Check back in soon to see images of the floating steal stair case, interior doors, and other updates as we transition into the finish stages of the project.

Check back for the next update,
Matthew Armato

We started a new project this week in the Shoreham Towers building above Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood.  The unit is located on the 8th floor with sweeping views from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica.  It will be a complete renovation to the one thousand square foot one bedroom one bathroom unit.  The project is being completed for one of Los Angeles’s premier interior designer’s personal residence. 

Existing Condo

Existing Kitchen to be remodeled

We are very excited about the project and the opportunity of working with the designer as he outfits his show piece.  The condo will have rift cut walnut cabinetry in the kitchen, imported Black Brizilian Slate flooring, and bookmatched Slab Marble shower along with a number of other sheek details.   We’ll be replacing the 19 foot sliding door to the balcony with a new four panel dual glazed low e door unit. 

Sliding door unit to be replaced behind the curtains

Existing Bathroom to be remodeled

The project will take approximately three months to complete as we work in conjunction with the HOA and West Hollywood.  Check back to the blog for future updates on the progress and photos of the finished product. 

Demolition underway

We recently completed a high end custom kitchen remodel in Beverly Hills for a family. The original dated kitchen was replaced with a sleek contemporary kitchen outfitted with bleached rift white oak cabinets, Pure White Caesar Stone Counters, a Marble top island, and Thermador appliances. This project was completed in two months on schedule.

Marble Island

Thermador Range Top and Caesar Stone Counters and Splash

Rift White Oak and High Polished Cabinetry with Recessed Channel Metal

After over a month playing in the dirt and meeting our compaction requirement we were finally able to start digging the footings and preparing the foundation for a concrete pour. The house is designed as a slab on grade with perimeter footings of approximately 27” deep. We are using a fly ash additive in the concrete as a green building measure. The fly ash is recycled substitute for the standard Portland cement additives. It also is supposed to assist with the hardening of the slab changing the moisture content and drying/curing time. The slab will be polished at completion leaving the aggregate exposed as the finished surface on the first level of the home.

After having dug all the perimeter footings and starting to set the forms we brought in the plumbers and electricians to get all of their underground work completed. The main sewer line was run through the center of the house and out the front, with a few clean outs strategically placed at the rear of the property and at certain locations through the house. The drain lines had to be scaled out off of the concrete forms and placed accurately allowing for the toilets, tubs, and sink drains to drop through walls and below the slab in the exact locations. This is one of the challenges posed by doing a slab foundation.

In addition water lines and electrical conduit had to be run to the island under the slab. We have two up lights set in the slab to illuminate the fireplace wall and two floor outlets to be set beside the couch in the great room. These needed to be set in their exact finish locations as well so placement was critical. We had to place a copper grounding wire in the slab to ground the electrical panel. We also placed a few plastic conduit sleeves through the slab to the exterior and another into the garage allowing us to access the exterior of the property for various wiring requirements. We had the inspector out to inspect the sub slab plumbing to ensure it met the proper depths below the slab, had the proper fall, and was properly wrapped and sleeved through the concrete prior to bringing in our sand and moisture barrier.
Following the placement of these items we covered the slab with the remaining rebar, sand, and water proofing membrane. Once the rebar and all the framing hardware were set; hold downs, anchor bolts, Hardi frame templates, etc. we called for the structural engineer to come out to conduct a structural observation to ensure we were properly formed and all our hardware was in the proper places. This is required prior to calling the inspector to inspect the footings, slab and rebar. After receiving the observation we had the slab inspected by the city inspector and were ready to pour.
Fearful of a pending weather system that was on its way (we had been extremely fortunate having nearly 30 days in January/February without rain) we scheduled our concrete pour for the following day. We arranged for the concrete and the finish crew and had the pour scheduled as the weather system was bearing down on Southern California. Fortunately we were ready a day ahead of the major storm system. The garage and the house required 10 concrete trucks and nearly 95 yards of concrete to complete all the footings and slabs.

As mentioned before, the house will be completed with a finished concrete slab on the first level. In preparation of doing samples for the client to select the final product from we poured a 10×10 slab in the yard out of the same concrete mix so that we have the exact same concrete compensation when working up the samples. This will help ensure that the finish samples done on the sample slab will look the same when the final finishing is done inside the house near the end of the project.
Los Angeles experienced 2” inches of rain fall the day after our pour and three days of continuous rain following that. We were very lucky to get the slab poured when we did considering all the trouble we experienced with the moist soil. Were we not been able to pour when we did we likely would have lost all the excavated footings resulting in a few additional weeks of delay. The slab was allowed to cure for a week prior to any work or heavy foot traffic being allowed on it. The concrete will continue to cure for a month following it entering the ground.

The following week the framers arrived on site to snap out all the walls on the slab. We were relieved to discover that all of our measurements and slab stub outs (plumbing drains, electrical conduit, etc.) were accurate and within the interior and exterior wall positions. The framers proceeded to set all the perimeter pressure treated sill plates and soon began standing the walls. The framing crew showed up and within a matter of three days the first floor walls were stood and the entire garage structure had been framed. We will be starting the second floor walls next week and should have the majority of the framing completed by the end of the week.

The project is in full swing at this point with multiple subcontractors engaged and working. Doors and windows were ordered (Jeldwen Anodized Aluminum) and should be arriving in two weeks time as the framing is completed. We have the fire sprinkler sub contracted and he has started his plans and is preparing for submittal to the city. We are in the process of finalizing the plumbing trim and appliances with the client allowing us to place the order for the valves and tubs and begin cabinet shop drawings. We have the architectural stair and metal railing subcontractor selected, sheet metal and metal roof contractor selected, and are working on finalizing the HVAC, siding, stucco, and drywall contracts so that all the trades are lined up and scheduled as the project meets their stage.

We are excited with the progress at this stage of the project and are happy to see the form of the home taking shape on the site.

Check back for the next update,

Matthew Armato

In some cases, prospective clients request to purchase many items outside the contractor’s contract. Items often considered are: appliances, plumbing and lighting fixtures, tile, hardware, and flooring. It’s our experience that clients request this to avoid paying the contractor’s mark up. This makes perfect sense, except when these items are ordered incorrectly, late, etc.

This can cause major problems for the contractor and the schedule and cause serious delays. One thing the client needs to understand when removing items from the contractor’s contract is that they now become responsible and liable for these items. The contractor will rarely, if ever, warranty items that are not in their contract. The client needs to weigh the costs and benefits of removing these items from a contract and understand the responsibility they are taking on and the liability they assume.

Our recommendation is to advise our first-time clients to allow us to keep these items in our contract. We also advise clients to keep specialty order items or items that require special handling within our contract, for example:  items like doors and windows, cabinets, roof materials, and standard construction materials.

Generally its best to have the contractor maintain the responsibilities for all the items involved in the contract and construction of the project so they can maintain the schedule, ensure that items are ordered in a timely manner, and to protect both the client and the contractor from liability.

Matthew Armato

After having no success compacting the native soil we took the advice of the soils engineer and went ahead with purchasing and installing the Geofabric over a compacted base material. We then added additional base on top of the fabric to create a solid, compacted “base” at the bottom of our pit (5’ deep). The use of the base material (#2) and the Geofabric created a virtual slab at the bottom of our excavated pit with which to compact against. The fabric arrived in a large roll (approx. 2000sqft of coverage).

Geo Fabric and Base Material

We called the soils engineer back to the site once it was down to test our compaction. Fortunately, we met our requirement and were able to start our lifts (6” of soil at a time, compacting as we go). We performed our first lift adding lime as we went. The first 12” or so seemed to be affective. The next 6” not so… The soil still appeared to wet and the compaction equipment was virtually compacting mud. While it was hard, the soil still contained too much moisture. This didn’t bode well…

Lime added to native soil

The soils engineered returned to confirm that we did not meet the 90% compaction requirement and that we needed to consider alternate soil. In consideration of our client we wanted to avoid having to export all the native soil (approx. 80 tons) only to have to import new soil. We came up with a plan to mix the native soil with the same base material we used with the Geofabric. In doing so, we would continue to mix in the lime hoping that this would assist in drying out the soil and firming it up. This would save on time and also a considerable amount of money. We got the blessing of the soils engineer and proceeded to go in this direction.

Base Mixed with Lime and Native Soil

We had to scrape the compacted mud back down to the base before starting this new lift. We imported three additional truck loads of base and purchased 20 additional bags of lime. We proceeded to mix the lime, the base and the existing soil compacting every 6”. We repeated the process until we got back up to our 2’ lift requirement. Fortunately this strategy paid off and we met our compaction requirement. The soils engineer recommended we do the same for the rear section of the lot that had yet to be excavated (had to perform in two stages due to limited space on lot to pile dirt).
As of today we now have the geofabric and base over the entire 2000sqft pit, its compacted back the first 2’, and we are on our way to finalizing our last 2’ lift to return our pit to original grade height. This process delayed our excavation and grading approx 7 days. We now have 5’ of compacted soil and base with which to construct the new two story residence on top of. Fortunately it looks like we’ll be ready to bring in the foundation contractor, electrician, and plumber later this week to begin on preparing the slab and underground utility stub outs.
This experience taught us a lot and we were fortunate to have had great weather throughout this time frame that assisted us in drying out the native soil. We had uncommonly dry and hot weather for January. In the end, the need to use the geofabric and additional base will have added an additional expense of nearly $8500 dollars. However, had we needed to export the bad soil and import all new soil we likely would have spent $12,000 plus… Thankfully this worked and it’s likely we’ll be digging footings by the end of the week.
Check back for the next update,

Matthew Armato

We are well on our way…

Demolition of the Huntley House took approximately 6 days. Three days of which were done by hand removing stucco, roof tile, roof material, metals, and other recyclable and reusable materials. These items were sorted on site and removed from the site to the appropriate dumping facilities. Following the hand demolition phase the heavy machinery arrived (large excavator and bobcat) that were used to knock down the remaining framing. This phase took all of one day… the big machines expedite the demo process significantly.

Excavator bringing down the rear wall. Lorenzo and Jeremy looking on.

After having brought down the walls, the excavator alongside the bobcat were used to load the lumber and remaining debris in roll offs. Once the site was clear of all the lumber and misc. debris, the excavator was removed from the jobsite and the bobcat commenced with breaking up the footings and remaining hardscape on the site. With the aid of a large chipping hammer mounted to the front of the bobcat it was used to break up the perimeter house footings, portions of patios, and the driveway; a noisy and ground trembling exercise that had the neighbors longing for it to end. The concrete was then loaded into low boy dumpsters and removed from the site. This left the site clear of all debris and ready for grading.

As a requirement of the soils report and prior to digging the footings we are expected to perform an over excavation and recompaction of the property. We need to excavate the area where the new proposed residence will sit (new house slab footprint). This area is roughly 1400 square feet. We began grading by using a small bobcat. The bobcat scraped and lifted the dirt and began piling the dirt onsite until a larger bulldozer arrived. The bulldozer proceeded to dig down the necessary 4 ½” as requested by the soils engineer. This process took approximately 4 days removing nearly 80 tons of soil and piling around the lot.
It became instantly apparent that we had our first obstacle… Once we reached the bottom of the pit it became rather obvious that the soil/clay was very wet and it did not appear as though it would meet the 90% compaction requirement. As a necessary step we called the soils engineer out to inspect the bottom of the pit and the exposed soil to test its compaction rating prior to beginning the backfill and compaction. After inserting his probe into the soil he confirmed that the base (bottom of the pit) was far too wet to begin compaction and recommended we wait a couple days to see if it would dry out. Even with the uncommonly warm weather pattern we’ve been experiencing in Los Angeles, sadly, it did not. After having reached the proper depth and ready to start filling it back in, we were forced to wait it out or consider alternate measures for reaching the necessary compaction requirement.

As a recommendation by the soils engineer we brought in 2 large truck loads of “base” material Friday in hopes that the bottom would meet compaction. This “base” is a combination of small rock and sand often used below asphalt and concrete to assist in creating a solid base with which to compact against. This 4” layer of base seemed to solve our compaction problem at the base of the pit… an investment that seemed to have worked (and also save us time). However, when we began backfilling and compacting the native soil on top of the newly inserted base material it again became apparent that the native soil was not going to meet compaction. This again brought us to a screeching halt and required another call to the engineer.

The recommendation late Friday is now to install a Geo-Fabric membrane on top of the base material. Then add another 4” layer of base material on top of it. This will create roughly 8” of solid base material at the bottom of the pit (strengthened by the Geo-Fabric). This fabric acts as a structural element (almost like rebar in concrete) to assist in creating additional strength and resistance in the base. We were then advised to perform additional “lifts” of soil using a lime additive at 6” intervals to assist in expediting the drying process of the native soil.
We are hoping this process will be effective. If not, we may be required to remove all the native soil, and import all new soil to the site, a step that will be both costly and delay the grading process. I’ll follow up with another posting soon to let you all know how it went.

We are proud to announce that we started a new custom home project today. The new home will be roughly 2300sf with a detached two car garage and will be constructed in West Hollywood near the famous Pacific Design Center. It will be a contemporary home designed to comply with the current “green building standards” set forth by The City of West Hollywood. This will be a truly distinctive custom home and one that we are excited to start.
We will be providing consistent updates on our blog throughout the building of the project to document the process and to provide people with information as it relates to building a custom home. We will chronicle the good and the bad that comes with building a custom home, provide photos of the progress, and also provide interviews with the clients to get their prospective and reactions to the experience.
This project has been in design/planning for nearly two years, nearly nine months of which was time spent in West Hollywood Planning and Building and Safety. In a subsequent entry we will expand on that part of the process and document the various stages and hurdles that the design team had to overcome in order to get the concept approved and ready for construction.
The images attached here show early stages of demolition. The demolition for this home will mostly be done by hand so that many of the materials and items within it can be sorted in order for them to be reused, recycled, or distributed to the proper disposal facilities virtually ensuring that none of the debris goes to standard landfills.
Prior to starting demolition, we contacted the various utility companies scheduling to get the gas, water, and power services disconnected. We also had to contact Dig-Alert to ensure that the proposed improvements would not compromise any existing public utilities. As a requirement of the Landscaping and Public Works division of West Hollywood we also had to provide fencing around the trees that are to remain on the site so as not to disturb them or uproot them. The property was abated of asbestos prior to commencing demolition and was also tested for lead to ensure that it was clear of contaminants. We are required to file verification of this with AQMD (Air Quality Management Division). There is nominal fee associated with this filing but a step that is required to ensure that pollutants are not released into the air during the demolition process.
Please check back in to our blog for consistent updates as they relate to the construction of this new home.
Sincerely,
Matthew Armato

With hundreds of decisions to be made on a project ranging from which tile to use to what color to paint the walls no single decision is neither more difficult nor more important than determining which contractor to use.  This decision when made correctly can lead to a wonderful remodeling or new home construction experience.  This decision when made poorly can result in catastrophic consequences. 

There are thousands and thousands of contractors in each and every state across the country.  Each one doing things a little different then the next.  How is one to decide whom to use?  What criteria does one rely on?  What questions should be asked and which qualifications should be required?  There are literally hundreds of factors to take into consideration.  Certainly there are some that are more important and relative to one’s needs then others, but many of these factors need to taken into consideration to help ensure that one’s project is set up for success rather than for failure.  

If you’ve had a great experience with a contractor in the past, this often makes your decision to not only consider doing another project easier but it also makes deciding on whom to use that much more simple.  However, if you’ve never completed a project nor did not have a great experience with your last contractor this decision takes on much more importance.  There are many different types of contractors, many different types of contracting styles, many different sizes and operations of companies.  Some are suitable for certain projects and some are not.  

So how does one go about finding and then hiring a contractor? Generally the best advice is to first start with asking friends and family if they’ve recently used a contractor and had a good experience.  This can help narrow down your selection and at least allow you to get some direction.  Other resources to ask are design professionals (architect, designer, decorator, etc.).  Many times you may have a great relationship with a plumber or other trade, but not with a general contractor.  The subcontractor may be able to refer a few contractors to you that they’ve worked with…  Other places to look are at your local building and safety department, better business bureau, or other local agencies and departments that help monitor and refer general contractors.  Another resource to turn to is the internet.  Many contractors have established websites where you can read about their services, look at photos of completed projects, read testimonials, and learn about how they conduct their business.  There are also search engines and screening websites such as www.remodeling.networx.com  that can help you identify contractors in your area that have been prescreened for you. All of these are great resources to use when searching for a contractor… 

Its generally not difficult finding a contractor… the difficult part is finding whom you like and whom you can trust.  So what questions do you ask when you contact them, how do you decipher who is right for you, who is capable of completing your project on time and on budget.  This is where your due diligence and your ability to ask the right questions are of most importance.  

You must remember, while the contractor’s role is to make your remodeling dreams come true, they are also in business to make money… just like lawyers, doctors, other business owners, etc…  Ultimately contractors need to make a profit in order to stay in business, and it’s reasonable to expect that they should.  But how do you determine what is the right price, how much profit is reasonable, etc.    

It’s important to have your information ready, have your research started, and have your ducks in a row so that when you begin the interview and bidding process you are communicating the same set of ideas and project plans each and every time so that each contractor is reviewing and considering the same information.  This is where the role of an architect and designer can assist you by detailing the specifications of the project for you and for the contractor.  Having detailed plans and specifications help eliminate the guessing game for the contractor allowing you to eliminate uncertainty from the process and eliminating excuses from the contractor.  If all the details have been determined, it becomes very difficult for the contractor to hide behind allowances or not having enough information to provide you with an accurate quote.  

If you have your information and your plans organized and completed, contractors can and should be held responsible for providing accurate and fixed price bids.  If a contractor is unable to provide a firm bid or a fixed price after having received all the details and specifications for a project, this is something to be concerned about.  This is why it is so important to hire a design professional to assist you in gather all this information.  Your decision will be made much more clear, your estimates will be much more accurate, and you’ll be able to decipher the contractors that are more experienced and are likely more capable of completing the project successfully. 

Some things to look out for when receiving bids… 

1.  Scopes of work that are not clear.  If there is ample information the contractor should be able to clearly define what they are providing and what they are excluding. 

2.  Lump sum estimates.  It’s generally best to have a contractor itemize his cost for each section or item of the contract.  That way you can determine where you are spending your money, what impact certain items have on the overall budget, etc.  

3.  Unlicensed and uninsured contractors.  If a contractor is not licensed or insured, it’s likely there is a reason for it.  They are either not in good standing with the local contracting board, are not financially solvent, or some other reason that should lead you to believe that they are not the right fit. 

4.  They are not willing to pull a permit for the project.  If the contractor suggests that you do not need to pull a permit, this is something to be cautious about.  What are they trying to hide?  And yes, almost every construction project requires a permit.  Don’t believe the contractor that tells you otherwise.  Call your local building department to determine if your project requires one. 

5.  Who will be managing the job?  Is the owner of the company going to be around or will a project manager?  Ask these questions so you know who you are hiring and how the project will be managed. 

6.  Cost plus contracts.  While there are many cases where a cost plus contract can be beneficial to both the client and the contractor, be cautious of the contractor who will only do cost plus when plans are completed and specifications are clearly indicated.  Sometimes those estimates are too good to be true, even when you want to believe that the number seems right.  The oldest trick in the book is to “hook” the client with a low bid, with a cost plus contract, only to change order the client while increasing their profit margins. 

7.  Do they have their own crew or do the subcontract the work?  Each project is different and each contractor runs their business a bit differently.  Certain projects require specialists, while others can do quite well with generalists.  Scope and scale (size of the project and budget of the project) should be taken into consideration when deciding on what type of contractor and business model to hire for the project.  How many projects does the contractor run, how many can they run successfully at one time, and in a reasonable time frame? 

Needless to say there are many more questions to be asked and many more factors to be taken into consideration when identifying contractors to interview and ultimately hire for your project.  Those listed above should be considered along with many others.  In the end it’s important to find a contractor that you can trust.  The trust is built over time.  So take the time up front prior to making a decision to ensure that you have asked enough questions, listened to the answers, compared and contrasted estimates, business models, etc. to ensure that the contractor you select is truly the right fit for the project and one that you can trust with your home or building.  If you have any further questions or wish to discuss your next project please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

Sincerely, 

Matthew Armato

Assessing Priorities and Selecting a Contractor:
It’s very rare that when we meet with a prospective client that the scope of work they are hoping to complete can be done for their intended budget . This creates a unique scenario that often makes it very difficult for the client and the contractor to get onto the same page and to feel like both of their needs and wants are being met. This forces the client into having to interview numerous contractors and design professionals to try to get a proper read on what their dream will take to complete and to gain a level of trust and confidence in their selection.
More often than not the client has fantastic dreams and great ideas for their intended project. They have spent endless hours thinking about how to redesign their kitchen or bath, or where to place the new wing of their home, which materials they intend to use, and so on. They have purchased numerous design magazines and watched countless episodes on HGTV informing them of all the latest products and what they may spend on their pending dream project. Unfortunately in almost all cases budget and scope need to be massaged and “value engineered” until the scope of work, the client’s budget, and the contractors estimate come into proper alignment. Ideally this process is allowed to take form prior to starting construction so that there are clear expectations established at the start of the project as opposed to being modified throughout the project. It’s far more dangerous to define and re-define a project and a budget throughout construction then it is in the conceptual and planning stages of the project.
This “value engineering” process can often take weeks, months or years depending on the size of the project, the flexibility and reasonableness of the parties involved and the nature of the building market at the time the project is being considered. It’s more often time the rule and not the exception that scopes of work generally shrink and budgets generally rise through this process. This is mostly due to the fact that there are not reliable resources available to the consumer that can clearly inform them of what they are likely going to spend on their project. In addition to that, remodeling and custom home building are often times unique and one of a kind ventures depending on the style, age, size, finish, location, etc. of the project that make it virtually impossible for the consumer to accurate predict what they will spend (particularly if they are first time remodelers or home builders).
Our firm takes pride in listening to our prospective client’s wish lists and assessing them against their budget and what we believe the total anticipated costs of the project will be to ensure that we provide them with the most accurate budgets possible. In many cases this creates friction at the outset of the process as scopes of work and budget are being assessed but we firmly believe that working through these difficult conversations early in the process saves time, saves aggravation, and saves misaligned expectations that generally result in ugly partying of the ways. The budgeting and scope defining process generally becomes an exercise in assessing priorities and what items will have the largest valued impact on the home and the client’s lifestyle. Home value, debt to equity position, functional improvement value, and lifestyle compromises are all taken into account when working through the value engineering phase of the project.

The sooner the client and the contractor can gain the trust in one another and work together to find a common ground the sooner the project will begin. In some cases this can happen very quickly, mostly in cases where the prospective client has done work before and where there is a strong relationship between the client and the contractor. In other cases where the trust and faith in one another needs more time to develop this process can take much longer. Many different contractors and design professionals may be consulted to determine who is the right fit and who the client believes has their best interests at heart before this is unified team is determined.
However, one word of caution I always tell friends and family when looking to do a project, be skeptical of the contractor who tells you he can complete everything within your budget. Be careful trusting too early and thinking that the situation must be too good to be true. Don’t be deceived. There are countless contractors out there today that are looking to get in the door quickly, get you excited, get a contract in place only for you to find out mid way through the project that expectations, budgets, schedules, materials, etc. are not quite what was intended.
The value engineering process and assessing one’s priorities in a project are vital to identifying the right group of professionals to help with your project and to ensure that your needs are being met. Take your time to properly interview the various contractors and design professionals being considered. Ask to speak with past and current clients, ensure that the contractors, are licensed and ensured, etc. And most important… understand that in almost all cases compromises regarding budget and scope are inevitable if you plan to get quality work done, in a reasonable amount of time, for a fair price, by a reputable contractor.
Best of luck with your next project!!

Sincerely,
Matthew Armato