The Three Steps to a Completed Set of Plans

Preliminary Design Phase

This is the very first phase of the architectural services agreement. During this phase a thorough documentation of the existing site is made. This may include documentation of existing conditions in the case of a building alteration or site visitation in the case of new construction.

Prior to our meeting(s) a client is expected to collect images of desired solutions through books or magazines of interest. Making a list of programmatic or pedagogic goals also helps in preparing for these meeting(s).

Back in our office, conceptual ideas are put on paper to create a preliminary plan of each floor and an exterior elevation(s)s of the proposed building envelope.

Meeting(s) are then made to review these preliminary drawings during which a back and forth discussion “critique” takes place between us as the architects and you as the client. We have found that this approach allows for the best solutions to emerge for a given program need.

This phase of work typically accounts for one half of our meetings and requires about one half of the total fees paid to the architect.

Construction Drawing Phase

Once the preliminary design has been developed and approved, the construction drawings are prepared. These are the technical documents that are tailored to the requirements of the municipality and will instruct the builder. This phase of work typically takes one half of the remaining meetings quoted. Fees for this phase of the services are quoted within our original proposal.

A well produced and detailed set of construction drawings is crucial when building a house. At Thomas Baio Architect, we believe that our review process ensures that your project will go forward with the least amount of complication or confusion. At the completion of the construction document phase, the Project Manager & the Principal Architect go through the entire set of plans to insure that our construction drawings are detailed and accurate.

This time-tested process helps clients save money by finding trouble spots sooner and avoiding expensive oversights. Our skills and experience let us bring broad and extensive knowledge of architectural design, construction processes, and materials to every project.

Bidding, Construction, and Completion Phase

It is normal for us introduce several contractors for your project. The contractors who work with us understand that others are also bidding these same drawings. Different building contractors bring alternative ideas to the bidding process. Among many of the issues which need to be reviewed in selecting the right builder for your project are the four aspects which we have found to be the most crucial: Price, Quality, References, and Speed. These crucial points properly reviewed in advance help avoid the pit-falls of selecting the wrong builder in haste or from the appearance of the lowest price. The completion of this phase will include the recommendation of a payment schedule and consultation aimed at producing a signed contract with a builder. Bidding service fees tend to average about 1% of the construction cost

Construction administration is an often overlooked service that we provid. In addition to the regularly scheduled job meetings provided by us (usually on a weekly basis), we review the progress of the work, answer questions, and facilitate any changes that may be required along the way. Assistance with final selections of finishes, fixtures, and even sometimes colors are also made. Often we can be found sketching solutions of details we envisioned right on the gypsum board walls of the yet uncompleted house.

As construction completion approaches, we thoroughly inspect your home to ensure that it is as we had expected and then help produce a punch list of items needed to be completed before a final payment is made. Finally, lien waivers are obtained and forms distributed to the contractors for execution and return to the client at which point the construction project has ended.

Fees for construction administration average about 2 to 3% of the construction cost.