Our Process
It all begins with an idea.
Deciding to remodel your home can be intimidating. There is no store to wander through to select your new addition, kitchen or bath. There are plenty of beautiful images online, but they typically do not address price or a timeline for the project. How does one get started with a project? The process varies per company, but let me walk you through how we do it at Quail Mountain Builders.
Our first contact with a potential client is typically by phone or email. We receive a call from someone who is interested in a project. We’ll need to gather a little bit of information: project location, how to contact, what the project is, and when is a good time to meet to review what you would like to do. We will then assign a Project Developer that is fluent in the type of project you are considering.
It is best if you can have a conversation with the Project Developer before you meet in person. That way we can better understand what your goals are and make better use of our time together at the house.
The complimentary meeting in the home usually takes 1-2 hours. There is lots to discuss:
Make sure we clearly understand what you would like to accomplish with the project
Collaborate with you on what’s possible, we’ll have thoughts and I’m sure you do too
Outline our process of turning this conversation into a project
Discuss budgeting- what is a realistic budget range for the project
Review a timeline: design time, permits/ material ordering, and construction
With that information, you can decide to enter into an agreement with Quail Mountain. There is a fee of 1% of the projected project cost to move forward into this step. During the we will focus on design options, budgeting and project timing. There is a lot that happens during a Quail Mountain project®. To learn about all of the details, click here.
At the end of the CaseStudy® step, you will have a very good idea of the project- design direction, budget and the time frames involved. With this information you can now decide to move into the Contract Documents step. This phase requires a deposit of 7% of the projected project cost. This deposit will be credited against the total project cost outlined in a construction contract. During this phase of the process we work through all of the details: site inspections by trade experts and a Case Project Manager, material selections, and design refinements. You will have a team of a Project Developer, Designers and Project Manager to guide you through it all. We will be there to help you with every decision.
Once drawings are complete, materials have been selected, and we have gathered input from trade specialists, we will develop a fixed price contract for the work. The contract will include the price of the project, a draw schedule of payments, start/ completion dates, and information specific to your project.
After a construction contract is signed, we will complete permit drawings, apply for the permit, and begin to order materials. Your Project Manager will develop a schedule and begin the process of ramping up to produce the project.
A week or two before the work begins the team will gather at the house for a pre-construction walk through. Often, we will be introducing you to your Case Craftsman at this meeting. We will review the project, explain what is going to happen and when, discuss any concerns or questions you have, and set a regular meeting between you and the Project Manager. Clear and regular communication is critical to a successful project.
Finally, we build the project! We will do our best to make the production process as easy as possible. We’ll dust protect the space, use air scrubbers, and treat your home with respect. Building a project is a big topic- we’ll save the details of that for another post.
Project Manager Greg Polen and team
That’s our process.
CaseStudy® phase: explore options, outline budgeting, and develop timelines
Contract Documents: develop detailed drawings, make selections, gather expert advice
Construction Contract: fixed price
Construction: build the project and back it with a 5 year warranty
Remodeling is all we do. We have refined this process over the course of many years and feel it is truly in the best interest of our clients to have a logical, detailed process that we follow every time. Lets get started on your project today!
Our Process
It all begins with an idea.
We visit with lots of people every year that are interested in improving their home. It might be to remodel the kitchen, add a bathroom, finish a basement, build an addition or any number of other projects. There is a huge variation in the type of projects homeowners are considering. But, within this variation of project types, there is a common question among the people we visit: how do we get started?
For the uninitiated, remodeling can be a daunting task. What will the project look like? How much will it cost? How long will it take? What are my options? The short answer: it depends. Remodeling your kitchen is not like buying a new car. There’s no web site you can visit to see exactly what your new project will look like in your home.
Enter CaseStudy®, our proprietary process to deliver all of the information our clients need to make the right decisions for their family. We will explore design options, outline project budgeting, review timelines and give you options to tailor the project to make it uniquely yours. We’ll do this for a low, fixed cost and back it up with a 100% money back guarantee. Interested? Let’s walk through the process.
It all starts with a complementary consultation at your home. Because this is an information gathering, collaborative brainstorming, option discussing, budget parameter review type of meeting, it’s ideal that everyone that will be involved in the project be present.
The agenda for this initial meeting is pretty simple:
Discuss your goals for the project and understand exactly what you want to accomplish.
Review design options—what is possible and might warrant further exploration?
Understand your style—is there a “look” you want to achieve? Should the space be warm and cozy, bright and fresh, clean and sophisticated or something else?
Determine a realistic budget for the project. We’re going to give you an honest idea of what we think the project will cost when we factor in the parameters outlined above.
A discussion of time: how long will it take to design and select all of the materials involved in the project? How long does the permitting process take? What about construction?
An outline of our next step: the CaseStudy® process.
Answer any questions you might have about Case, the people you will be working with, or whatever else is on your mind.
That’s about it. Now you have to decide—is Case a good fit for you and your project? I hope we are, because if you move forward with us, things get pretty exciting.
The CaseStudy® Process
The first step in this journey is to document your existing space. We are going to need to schedule a visit where we can carefully measure the areas that may be affected by the project. We will draw it by hand, take lots of measurements and notes, photograph the space, and gather lots of other information. We’ll leave with several sheets that look something like this:
When we head back to the office, our next step is to enter these dimensions into our CAD software to create a set of accurate, scaled drawings that reflect the existing space.
Now that we have something to work from, things really start to happen. It usually starts with a roll of trace, a pen, and several creative people from our Design and Development Team collaborating on possibilities. We’ll sketch out multiple ideas and then review the parameters we discussed with you at the initial meeting. Are these ideas consistent with the style you want to achieve? Are they in line with the budget we discussed? Can they be accomplished in the time periods we outlined? We’ll pick the best three ideas that match our criteria for further development.
Now it’s back to CAD to further develop and accurately depict these ideas. This is where the drawings that we will share with you are created. You will see these when we get together to review what we have come up with in our CaseStudy®. We usually hold this meeting at one of our Design Centers so we can also look at product options too. We have locations in Bethesda, Falls Church, Alexandria and Washington, DC.
You will notice that in addition to 2D plans, we have included 3D perspectives of the space. They communicate this information much more effectively than typical 2D plans and elevations. And we’re not done yet!
If we have established a palette of finishes, these images can be rendered in a shockingly realistic way. Can you picture yourself in your new space? Starting to get excited?
While the drawings and renderings come together, our Estimating group is busy fine-tuning the budgeting information. Why a “budget” rather than an “estimate?” Because it needs to be your space—you are an integral part of this process and you have not made any final selections yet. We will factor in all of the preliminary material selections and finishes we’ve discussed, but there are still decisions to be made before we arrive at a final number. We will show you what we have included in the budgeting (and anything not included) in the form of an outline. Here’s a sample portion of one:
The outline may also include options. Materials can have a significant effect on the final cost of a project. We want to make sure you understand the implications of these choices so you can make informed decisions.
And finally, we’ll outline next steps and timing of the project.
That’s a CaseStudy®. You now know what your options are, how much each of the options will cost, what next steps there are to complete, and a time frame for the project. There is no commitment to build the project, just a commitment to explore what is possible. We are so confident in this process that if you are not satisfied with our work, we will give you your money back. No questions asked. With a CaseStudy®, you get all of the information you need to make good decisions for your family and your home.
The CaseStudy® is just the first step in our process. Once we have narrowed our options, the next step involves weaving in our team of construction experts, developing detailed drawings, making materials selections, and specifying everything involved in the project so we can develop a fixed price contract. But that’s a topic for another day.
We have used a kitchen project to illustrate this process, but we will follow the same path for other projects with a few tweaks. With additions, we will want to explore the exterior in three dimensions as well as the interior. We also need to research any zoning or neighborhood/area guidelines that will effect the project. In a basement project, we might examine ceiling height and egress issues. The exact course of action will change according to the project. The one thing that won’t change is our commitment to deliver all the information you need to make good decisions. We’re in the business of turning dreams into reality and we think the CaseStudy® is the right vehicle to help us do just that. Lets get started on yours today.
Blog Post Title Three
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Blog Post Title Four
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.