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We get enthusiastic about discussing types of houses, locations, styles of living, those features of life that keep us all happy. Sometimes we may gloss over or forget to discuss some of the common business aspects of design. The following are intended as introductory remarks. These remarks are about the way our office works with clients. Other offices may have other standards and probably have other ways of calculating fees.

Our Services usually include the following; we can vary the scope of service to suit your individual needs.

Preliminary Design Phase: Discussions to help us know each other and to develop your program requirements. If appropriate, visit your present home or apartment or other locations showing how you like to live. Show us furnishings you want to incorporate in the new project, things you want to avoid. We welcome all forms of input, such as magazine articles, photographs, sketches. Don’t forget work space and storage requirements for you hobbies!

Visits to your project site, or if you haven't settled on a piece of property, visits to one or more locations you are considering. We can help you choose a site, review the zoning, health department, and sensitive area restrictions along with the potentials for site development or building additions.

Prepare first space and cost budgets, develop a general concept of the size and shape of the home and how it will fit on the site.

Design Development Phase: Help in further defining your needs. Develop floor plans and elevations in greater detail; sketch various design solutions, a mock-up model if required by the project. If you would like to work with an interior designer, we recommend you hire them early in the design process.

Cost Estimates: We will approximate the construction cost as a part of the design phase, and can get more specific as the Construction Documents are developed, but we cannot guarantee our estimates.

Construction Documents Phase: Prepare construction drawings and specifications including information required to obtain building permits, to obtain competitive bids from contractors, and to construct the building. This phase usually includes design of structural, heating, plumbing and electrical systems, cabinets, built-ins, interior and exterior design features, etc. We usually assist with selection of floor coverings, interior finishes, hardware, appliances, and light fixtures.

The goal is to clearly define the scope and quality of the work and minimize the likelihood of change orders, time delays or disputes during construction.

Permitting and Bidding or Negotiation Phases: Submit for permits, track the permit process, and respond to building department requests for further information or changes. Obtain proposals from one or more contractors. Prepare contracts for your review and the signatures of you and your contractor.

Construction Phase: Review of the contractor's progress. Assist you in making choices, in resolving problems or conflicts which may arise during construction. Review contractor's requests for payments, make recommendations as to payment. Prepare "punch lists" of items the contractor should complete or correct.

Client Responsibility: The client is responsible for providing us with a valid legal description, including any easements or deed restrictions.

Services not included in our basic fee: Fees of an interior designer. If required, lot line or topographic surveys, soil stability or bearing tests or reports, wetlands or similar environmental studies, tests and design of septic tank and drain field systems, and similar items. Fees required by regulatory agencies must be paid directly by the client and do not pass through our accounts. We can assist with Rezone, Conditional Use, Shoreline, Corps of Engineers permits, but this work is in addition to basic fees.

Fees are negotiated on an individual basis depending on the client's needs and the scope of our services. The following are guidelines for average cases. These fees include Structural design. Mechanical and Electrical design may be included in our work or we may set design standards and review proposals submitted by subcontractors.

Construction Cost	New Construction	Remodel Work
First $250,000	12%	15%
Next $150,000	10%	12%
Next $150,000	9%	11%
All over $500,000	8.5%	10%

The fee is distributed over the work phases approximately as follows:

Preliminary Design	14%
Design Development	18%
Working Drawings	28%
Specifications	10%
Permitting	5%
Bid or Negotiate	5%
Construction Phase	20%

We will work at hourly rates or negotiate a fixed lump sum if you prefer. We prefer to work with the standard Architectural and Construction Agreements published by the American Institute of Architects. These agreements spell out the responsibilities of Owner, Architect and Contractor in considerably more detail.

A retainer of 5% of the negotiated fee (or the value of services to date) is paid at the time the service agreement is signed, and is credited against monthly billings. Progress billings are rendered the first week of each month, in proportion to the progress during the previous month. Each payment is due 10 days after billing; we do not carry accounts while waiting for design completion or a construction start.

We would be happy to show you the preliminary sketches, construction drawings, and other features of completed projects to further explain our services.