Typically, we will schedule a visit to your home or job site for a preliminary meeting. If the design process is already underway, we may meet the architect or designer first to review the plans. If there is no designer, we will usually recommend a few of the design professionals with whom we have worked in the past and whose talents would best fit your project. (We also offer limited in-house design services.)
At the initial visit, we review the construction documents, inspect the site and, most importantly, listen to you and learn what you want to accomplish. We will then make suggestions, share observations, and try to summarize what we are being asked to estimate.
Another visit to the site may be made with various sub-contractors (plumbing, electrical, roofing, concrete, masonry, etc.) who need to provide estimates for their work. In some cases, especially with new construction, subs can make estimates from plans without a site visit.
In years past, some designers and architects would guess at the cost of a project, produce a full set of working drawings, and then have three or four cont
ractors bid on them, usually at a fixed price. The problem? Bids might come in at double or triple the architect's estimate, leaving the owner with an expensive set of drawings for a project that might not be built. Today, most designers and architects understand that their greatest expertise lies in designing and drawing, while the contractors are better informed about estimating and building. The new relationship between architects and builders is more of a collaboration which brings both parties expertise into the process.
The preliminary or "ballpark" estimate is an outgrowth of this collaboration. Often a designer will produce "schematics", or sketches, but with enough detail regarding scope of work so that the contractor can make a meaningful stab at price. This allows the owners to get a rough idea of what their project will cost without spending a lot of money on design.
Once the design and materials are finalized, we provide you with detailed line-by-line spreadsheet estimate. Our estimating process is open book. We invite you to view a sample proposal.
Depending on the project, the amount of work performed by the sub-contractors may range from 40% to as much as 70%. Although we perform most of our work on a time-and-materials basis, we get fixed price estimates from our subs; a large percentage of the job is therefore, in essence, fixed price. We include copies of sub estimates, whenever available, with our own estimates.
Traditionally ( for the last 20 years ) S + H Construction has worked on a time and materials basis. Working on a time-and-materials basis offers a number of benefits. Perhaps most importantly, you pay only for the services you actually receive. It also gives the contractor and the customer more flexibility to respond to changes in the project, such as intentional increases in scope or unforeseen structural problems. Also, since at least 50 % of work performed on most projects is done by subcontractors, and their prices to us are generally fixed cost, a good deal of the job is essentially fixed cost. Again, our estimating and billing is totally open book. In order to reduce the risk of unexpected cost overruns, our time-and-materials projects can be benchmarked to a carefully prepared job budget. We have done some jobs lately on a GMP basis. In a GMP model, the owner and contractor agree on a guaranteed maximum price and the job is tracked and billed on a time and materials basis up to the GMP. If the billing costs go beyond that, there are no additional charges to the owner, with the exception of change orders. We are open to discussing fixed price work, though we usually prefer either T + M or GMP.
We invite you to view our Time & Materials Rates.
Once you choose S+H for your project, we will prepare a contract. Depending on the specifics of the job, we may use our standard four page contract or a more involved American Institute of Architects (AIA) contract. We ask for a deposit at the time of the contract ( usually 10 % ).
Once a contract has been signed, we will form a team to manage the job: one of the S+H partners, the job supervisor (lead carpenter), and an office-based project manager. These professionals will work with you throughout every step of the project.
Prior to the start of a project, we will hold one or more pre-job planning meetings with the owner and architect. As part of our preparation, we will again listen carefully to the precise wishes of the owner and review the construction documents with the architect. Preconstruction also includes procuring necessary permits, determining a schedule for ordering materials, and coordinating subcontractor timeframes.
It is finally time to start the work. If the job is a renovation, there may be a need to protect existing finishes and architectural details or construct dust barriers. We have professionals who specialize in this important work. If the project is new construction, our site work team will assess site conditions and make recommendations about utilities, excavation, fill storage, or fill removal.
The job supervisor oversees the entire project, directs the crew, checks on quality, interacts with the architect, orders materials, schedules and supervises subcontractors, and, when there is free time, performs work. Our job supers are very talented at this juggling act; we are lucky to have them working for us. The office-based project manager assists the supervisor in all work other than field work, coordinating resources and managing processes from our office.
"Oh, while you're here, could you renovate our master bath?" There are not many jobs where the scope stays exactly the same as what was first proposed. We try to be as flexible as possible to accommodate our clients' changing wishes. However, when the scope of work changes, schedule and price may be affected. For items that significantly increase scope, we may issue change orders. Although written change orders can sometimes slow down the progress of the work, we recommend them as an important "reality check" for the owner regarding price and as a method to track changes in budget. Often we will issue rough estimates and ask for approval for changes in the work by e mail.
We issue bills every two weeks, complete with a full accounting of our costs including materials, sub-contractor fees, rentals, permits, and every other individual item. Usually we will attach copies of invoices for major outlays to subcontractors ( plumber, electrician, etc ). We can provide any level of documentation that is required.
Projects have traditionally been separated into divisions by long-established architectural conventions. They are listed in the order in which they will generally proceed, i.e. site work, concrete, masonry, steel, rough carpentry, etc. Some divisions proceed parallel to each other, but most are "critical path" items that must be completed before others can proceed. It is essential to recognize the flow and progression of the different divisions in order to meet a projected schedule. We have deep experience in scheduling to ensure that the team works efficiently to keep the job running smoothly.
As the job nears completion, the project team will compile a "punch list" of items still to be done and the minor issues still to be addressed. Owners also contribute information for this list. S+H will start work on these items prior to the official architect's punch list in order to accelerate project completion.
S + H Construction offers a one year warranty on labor and materials. We often take care of problems, depending on their nature, well after the warranty period has ended.
