Budget Controls

Our dedication to the team concept enables our firm to work closely with General Contractors, from a project’s inception, allowing us to obtain construction cost estimates at regular intervals during the course of the project. Access to information of this quality permits us to stay in touch with the ever dynamic pricing in the construction industry. With this information in hand, we can then proceed with concepts, which both maximize the project’s design potential, and fulfill the Owners dreams.

Cost overflows typically occur from three areas.

Owner Changes
Contractor Extras
Building Official Extras

Owner Changes
To reduce owner changes during the construction phase, the desires of the owner must be incorporated into the project during the programming and design phase. This can only be accomplished through communication, between the owner and Architect. Through a process of regularly scheduled meetings to discuss the program, design and budget this communication be achieved.

Contractor Extras
The communication process between the owner, architect and contractor must occur from the project inception. This team concept keeps the owners vision, the design and the budget in balance. This process allows the contractor to budget the project throughout the design process.

Building Officials Extras
Working with communities throughout the area we have found that the following formula provides our firm with a positive working relationship with Building Officials.

• Establishing a rapport early on, by meeting with the Community Development Department during the Design Development Phase.

• Continued meetings with the Building Officials, as well as other regulatory agencies during the construction document phase to review the project design development and obtain input and responses on a continual basis.

• Finally, to submit the project to the Building Department, and other required agencies, for permits, resolving any final concerns of the Building Officials prior to securing final bids from subcontractors.