After first receiving a project inquiry through our website, social media, or a phone call – we set up an initial meeting. This could be a phone call, but we prefer to meet at a neutral place such as a coffee shop or at the home that we built and live in, with all parties present. The typical initial meeting takes about one hour in length. The purpose of the initial meeting is to get to know the Client and their needs and desires for their project. We try to ask as many detailed questions as possible and discuss the logistics of our processes.

The second meeting is typically the site visit at the Client’s house or piece of property. Here, we talk about the specific details of the wants and needs of the client. We ask lots of questions and try to get at the heart of the vision that the Client is trying to achieve. We will discuss with the Client their thoughts on budget and scheduling. While we prefer that our potential Clients have already thought about how much they want or need to spend and considered how long their project may take, we understand that some Clients may not know those answers already because of the complexity of the project or that they may not have ever undertaken such an endeavor previously. In that case, we will help to convey that information back to the Client by referencing previous similar projects that we have completed.

During this phase, referred to as Concept Design, TexMod Homes will come back to the house or site and take more detailed photographs and measurements after the Client signs the Proposal for Architectural Design Services. This is where we gather as much information about the existing conditions that will help us to properly propose design solutions to be presented in upcoming meetings. We also take this time to research zoning and building code requirements with the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) – the city or county in which the property is located, to ensure that the potential project can actually be built according to their requirements before we get knee-deep in design and propose ideas that would never be permitted.

During this phase – referred to as Schematic Design, TexMod Homes will take all the information discussed and drawings sketched in the previous Concept Design meeting to further refine the scope of work and design of the project. We will produce more detailed drawings to include site plans, floor and roof plans, exterior/interior elevations and/or 3D renderings as needed to further convey the redefined Design Concept that was agreed upon at the end of Concept Design.

During this phase – referred to as Design Development, TexMod Homes will take all the information discussed and drawings sketched in the previous Schematic Design meeting to produce a “Hybrid set of Builder Architectural Drawings” of further refined design drawings and specifications to convey the design scoPE.

On smaller projects such as a bathroom remodel, Schematic Design and Design Development may take place simultaneously and consist of one combined phase with one Client meeting vs. two separate phases and meetings – depending on the complexity of the Project. The potential for combing these two phases into one phase will be detailed in the Proposal for Architectural Design Services prior to beginning any work.

After the final Design Development Client meeting and approval from the Client to proceed into the construction by the Client signing the Fixed Fee Proposal for Construction, TexMod Homes will complete any remaining drawings required for submittal to the AHJ for permit approval and construction. Once complete, TexMod Homes will sign and seal all Architectural Drawings (as required since Marc is a Registered Architect in the state of Texas), and submit those drawings to the city of county for permit application and approval.

Before demolition and construction actually commences, however, there are a few steps that must take place. First, the existing space where construction is to occur needs to be cleaned out and made ready. TexMod Homes prefers thar the Clients secure all of their valuables from the space before construction begins, but we can help with those tasks as needed. Once the space has been cleared, the adjacent spaces and any space in path of travel from outside the house to the construction space needs to be protected (floors, walls, furniture) using plastic, blue tape, tarps, carboard, building paper, zip walls, etc… to ensure that damage is not done to the rest of the house not under construction.

During Construction, Marc and Emily are the day-to-day Supervisors and Project Managers of all the work. One or both of them will typically be present at the project site for some portion of each day. As was done throughout the Design process, we are hands-on throughout construction as well, so that attention is given to every detail. TexMod Homes uses a full slate of the same subcontractors who are each specialists in their field for all projects – big and small, and whom we’ve had a long relationship working with them. Any builder is only as good as the subcontractors that he hires to actually perform the work, and we believe that couldn’t be more true.

While we try to do everything perfect the first time around, but sometimes mistakes do happen. But by being intimately involved in the construction progress each day, Marc and Emily of TexMod Homes are often able to catch potential mistakes before they happen. If mistakes do happen, they can be corrected quickly so as to avoid unnecessary extra costs, re-doing already completed work, or delaying the construction timeline. The extent to which our subcontractors look out for one another and work as a team is a rarity in the world of construction today, where more commonly today it is each man for himself concentrating on whatever specific job he was contracted to perform, but this team mentality also helps to ensure that the construction project progresses smoothly without conflict or other issues.