Define
Scope before price. Rooms, program, performance targets and a budget ceiling go on one sheet, and everything downstream is measured against it.
- Program and must-haves
- Budget ceiling and contingency
- Site and soil questions
■ Residential / Commercial / Custom
Build it right the first time.
Planning guides, a working cost estimator and a bid request desk for custom homes, additions, remodels and commercial buildings. Scope, price and schedule get settled on paper before anyone swings a hammer.
01 / The idea
A building goes wrong long before the first wall goes up. Scope gaps, unpriced allowances, permit surprises and soil nobody tested turn a clean budget into a change order argument. We put the unglamorous questions first, so the build itself is the quiet part.
28days
Structural concrete is normally specified at its 28-day strength, so formwork and loading schedules are built around the cure.
10–20%
Contingency worth carrying on remodels and difficult sites. Opening an older building reveals wiring, framing and plumbing no drawing showed.
3bids
A workable number to compare, provided each bidder prices the same scope sheet, the same allowances and the same exclusions.
1scope
One written scope document drives the drawings, the price and the schedule. When it changes, all three change together.
Site preparation and early framing02 / What we cover
Four ways in. One way of working.
Whether you are drawing a new house, opening a wall or fitting out a floor of offices, the order of work stays the same: define, draw, permit, price, build, close out.
01Custom homes
New construction from the soils report to the final walkthrough, planned around how you live.
02Additions & remodels
New space that ties into the old structure cleanly, and renovations planned around what is behind the walls.
03Commercial building
Ground-up shells, tenant improvements and renovations with codes, procurement and closeout mapped early.
04Cost estimator
A planning range, trade breakdown and timeline in about two minutes, with every assumption on the table.
03 / How it runs
Six stages. No skipping.
01 / 06
Draw
Drawings that can be priced: dimensions, specified materials and allowances with real numbers, so bids compare line for line.
- Plans, sections and elevations
- Finish and fixture schedule
- Structural and systems coordination
Permit
Plan review is a schedule item. Queues, comments and resubmittals are real calendar time, so they go on the timeline on day one.
- Application set
- Review comments and responses
- Inspection plan
Price
A bid you can read: itemized by trade, allowances named, exclusions listed and alternates priced apart from the base.
- Same scope sheet for each bidder
- Allowances with figures
- Exclusions and alternates
Build
The visible part. Foundation, framing, dry-in, rough-in, insulation and finishes, with each stage closing on an inspection before it is covered up.
- Hold points before covering work
- Weekly look-ahead schedule
- Written change orders
Close out
Walkthrough, punch list, final inspections, warranties and as-built documents, handed over together instead of one at a time.
- Punch list with dates
- Warranties and manuals
- Final inspection sign-off
04 / Numbers
Put a range on it before you call anyone.
Finish level
Average market, level site, default contingency. The full estimator adds options, site conditions, market and a trade-by-trade breakdown.
Planning range, all-in
Per sq ft-
Duration-
Includes contingency, design, permits and fees. Planning-grade assumptions, not a quote.
05 / Finish quality
Details decide how it ages.
Kitchen, cabinetry and stoneAddition at duskEntry sequenceGreat room
Commercial exterior
Bathroom remodelChecking plumb06 / Straight answers
Questions people ask first.
The short versions are here. The long ones, with costs, permits and schedules, are in the guides.
Is the estimator a quote?
No. It produces a planning range from generic cost assumptions, your size, finish level, market and options. Only written bids against a defined scope are prices you can hold anyone to.
When should permit work start?
During design, not after it. Review queues, comments and resubmittals add calendar time, so the application set is planned alongside the drawings.
What is an allowance?
A placeholder budget for something not yet chosen, such as tile, lighting or appliances. Allowances only help if they carry realistic numbers.
How many bids should I collect?
Three is a workable number, as long as every bidder prices the same scope sheet, the same allowances and the same exclusions.
Next step
Ready to scope it?
Tell us what you are planning and where. Scope comes before price, and a clear brief gets you a clearer bid.
Requesta bid