Frequently Asked Questions

All too often we find ourselves in a position where this important conversation is deemphasized during the initial design stage which primarily focuses on all of a customer’s “wish list” items. It’s easy to get caught in this cycle, but eventually there will be a need to bring the design into alignment with a budget. In our opinion, the construction budget – regardless of the scope of the project, needs to be of primary concern as the plans are created.

Some Architectural firms can produce stamped print sets in a matter of a couple months, while others can take significantly longer for a complete custom home construction print set. There are also firms that have an inventory of custom home plans that can be tweaked, or personalized to suit your particular needs. Depending on your timeline objectives we can offer suggestions to get that process moving.

Possibly, but the print must be stamped by a NYS Registered Architect (RA), and include all the appropriate engineering and schedules required by local Code Enforcement departments. If the offering is licensed in another State that doesn’t automatically allow its use in NY. Fees to review and incorporate the NYS RA stamps can easily offset the perceived savings that make this option an initial attraction.

With a Pricing Set in-hand, we can create an initial budget assessment. This print set will incorporate the main features, and overall “macro” type choices the customer has discussed during their design consultations. Once the assessment has been created a determination is made regarding the feasibility of constructing on budget within those parameters.

Don’t despair! This actually happens quite often, and we have become adept at suggesting opportunities to reduce construction expenses and reconcile the design with real time build costs. We can help navigate this process to integrate both elements to create a viable project. Once we know we’re on track with both design and budget we will need a contractual commitment for the next steps.

We handle all the paperwork and coordinate with the Local and County Code Enforcement Departments to secure a Building Construction Permit. We file Stamped Construction Print Sets and Certificates of Insurance with the Code Office prior to issuance of a Permit. In NYS we are required to file COI’s for: NY Paid Family Leave, Workers Compensation, Disability, Liability, and in some cases, we are required to file Applications for Variance for setback or zone use changes from established code. With a stamped print in-hand we can also start the process of distributing the information to our team members, subs and suppliers to break down the elements of the build to individual line items and create cost allotment sheets which further hone in on a more detailed build budget.

We require a signed contract and a commitment from our customer to work with us on their new home project. Upon signing we will secure the next available time slot in our build schedule, lock in our subcontractors and refine material selections for your project. We do not require a deposit to hold that spot.