PROCESS
TexMod Homes Design and Construction processes save our Clients time and money during construction. Since we function as an Architect-Led Design-Build firm, the same Registered Architect that designs your new space will be the one coordinating and overseeing the construction.
Throughout the years, we have developed a series of processes which we use to drive each job from the first inquiry to the completed project. Our processes enable us to provide the same quality of service to each job, no matter how big or small or how simple or complex. With each new project, through feedback from clients and subcontractors, we continue to find ways to improve our processes and efficiency. We are always evolving and moving forward with updating our processes in order to provide our Clients with the best possible service.
INITIAL MEETING
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 initial meeting can be thought of as a shared interview where both parties learn about each other so that they will feel comfortable working together. By embarking on a significant design & construction project, there must be mutual trust and cooperation between TexMod Homes and the Client. In the end, we both must feel comfortable working together to be successful in helping to design and construct your vision over a period of several months. There will be ample opportunity to talk about the specific details of the project on-site at the next meeting once we have established that we are good partners for each other.
PRE-DESIGN
SITE VISIT AND DESIGN PROPOSAL
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.
At the initial site visit, we will take photos and look at any existing building plans, sketches, or photos that the Client may have collected as examples of ideas that they want to incorporate into their project. After the initial site visit, TexMod Homes will develop a scope of work, an estimated budget, and determine the necessary items that must be completed to design and build your project. We will put this together in a Proposal for Architectural Design Services, which can also be thought of as a Pre-Construction Services Agreement. The Proposal for Architectural Design Services may be a fixed fee or an hourly (not to exceed) fee structure depending on the complexity of the project, with fees to be paid as we go along, according to a schedule broken up into the following design phases.
Once the Proposal for Architectural Design Services has been signed, we provide the Client with a Client Survey that we have developed for the Client. We prefer that all parties fill out the questionnaire separately, because sometimes as Architects we must balance the needs and visions of different family members in a single household. The Client Survey gives us a chance to learn a little more about the Clients, their families, personalities in addition to details about their project. It is much easier to design a space for someone the more you know about them and the way that they like to live. This is where Architecture integrates the physical design of the built environment and the way that the space will be used and enjoyed by the Client.
CONCEPT DESIGN
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.
At the end of Concept Design, TexMod Homes will schedule a meeting with the Client, preferably in person with all parties present. This meeting can take place at either the Client’s house, our house, or a neutral place. The purpose of this meeting is for us to present our initial ideas and further define the scope and direction of the Project. We will typically provide 2-3 options via drawings which may include site plans, floor plans, exterior and/or interior elevations and/or 3D sketch renderings to convey the design intent. The idea is for us to get as many ideas as possible on paper for discussion amongst us all – not to solve the design problem in one pass. Typically, what happens by the end of this meeting is that the Client likes certain ideas from each option, or the meeting spurs further conversation about new ideas. At the end of this meeting, TexMod Homes, with approval from the Client, will proceed to the next phase of design.
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND
PRELIMINARY BUDGET
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 Schematic Design, TexMod Homes will also produce a Preliminary Construction Cost estimate for the current design, based on our past history of projects and current costs of materials and labor that are readily available. At the conclusion of Schematic Design, TexMod Homes will again schedule a meeting with the Client, preferably in person with all parties present. This meeting is preferred to take place at the Client’s house or site so that we can readily compare what we are proposing to the actual space, and any more specific questions that the Client may have can be more easily answered. Typically, what happens by the end of this meeting is that the Client is generally happy with the direction that we have taken the design, but there may be additional minor tweaks or other ideas that have popped up to incorporate in the next design phase. At the end of this meeting, TexMod Homes, with approval from the Client, TexMod Homes will proceed to the next phase of design.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND
COST ESTIMATING
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, which typically include the following:
- Cover Sheet with Code Analysis
- Site Plan
- Reference and Dimension Floor Plan(s) with Floor Finishes identified
- Electrical Plan(s) with outlet locations
- Reflected Ceiling Plan(s) with Lighting and switching locations
- Roof Plan(s)
- Exterior Elevations
- Overall Building Sections as necessary
- Typical Wall Sections as necessary
- Interior Elevations as necessary
- Door and Window Schedules
- Finish and Fixture Schedules
- 3D photo-realistic renderings as necessary
This phase is where we also discuss with the Client and propose initial ideas for finishes and fixture selections. Sometimes, these selections are finalized in this phase (typically in more complex projects). Other times, the specific finish and fixture selections may not yet finalized during design, but at a minimum – the level of quality and characteristics will be established, which will allow us to provide reasonable price allowances for selections still to be finalized. Emily loves to take clients on excursions to some of our various vendor showrooms to discuss material and fixture selections, or we will present potential ideas to you based on your desires if you do not have the time or availability to visit those places with us. In either case, our goal is to make the Client an integral partner in the design process. While we will present our ideas and reasons for our options, in the end we want to produce a design that the Client is happy and comfortable with since they are the ones that will be occupying and enjoying the new space.
During Design Development, TexMod Homes will also meet with design consultants and/or subcontractors on site or by sending them drawings in order to produce a final Fixed Fee Construction Proposal to be presented at the end of this design phase. For any unknown items, TexMod will provide allowances for materials, furnishings, and equipment selections. In this case, final materials and finish selections will be made after agreeing to scope and budget and could occur prior to and/or during construction.
At the end of Design Development, TexMod Homes will schedule a meeting with the Client, preferably in person with all parties present. This meeting can take place at either the Client’s house, our house, or a neutral place. The purpose of this meeting is for us to present our final “Hybrid set of Builder Architectural Drawings” and our final Fixed Fee Proposal for Construction Services.
SCHEMATIC DESIGN/ DESIGN DEVELOPMENT COMBINED PHASE
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. The deliverables described above for both phases would be presented at the end of the combined Schematic Design/Design Development Phase. With some smaller and less complex projects, the solution to the design problem occurs at a much quicker pace, and Clients are able to make decisions more rapidly – so there is no need to draw out the design process longer than it needs to be. The goal of TexMod Homes is always to provide the necessary design information and feedback from the Client needed to eventually construct your project, but in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible during Design.
PERMITTING
FINAL ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS
AND CONSULTANTS
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. TexMod Homes will also work with their Design Consultants, which may include Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers, MEP Engineers, Interior Designers, Landscape Architects, and Surveyors to coordinate them completing their drawings and work that is also needed to start construction.
While waiting on permit approval, TexMod Homes will set up a Pre-Construction meeting with the Client. Most General Contractors or traditional Design-Build firms use Project Superintendents to manage the day-to-day construction activities, and this is where the Client would typically meet them. As an Architect-Led Design-Build firm, however, Marc and Emily of TexMod Homes take on all aspects of the project from initial conception through construction, acting as Owners, Designers, and Project Managers/Superintendents. So, at this point in the process, the Client is very familiar with Marc and Emily, who will be managing the day-to-day process from the start to end of construction to ensure that everything that has just been designed gets built according to plan. The level of trust that has been earned up to this point is crucial to the Client as the action to begin taking apart and putting back together a portion of that house is about to begin.
PRE-CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT SET-UP AND
SELECTION OF FINISHES
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.
Second, during this Pre-Construction phase, TexMod Homes will set up the site with any erosion control or tree protection needed, set up portable toilet and dumpster rentals, and coordinate any pods that may be necessary to store Client possessions during construction. Last, we will begin ordering materials from suppliers and coordinate their arrival to the job site to ensure that everything will be available by the time that it is needed. Typically, most materials have short lead times, but items such as windows, doors, and specialty fixtures may take longer to produce and ship – so it is imperative to start acquisition of these items as soon as possible.
CONSTRUCTION
SUPERVISION, SUBCONTRACTORS
AND INSPECTIONS
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.
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. At specific milestones during construction, inspections with the jurisdiction and/or third-party inspections are necessary to allow the construction project to progress from one phase to the next. We coordinate all of these inspections with the respective parties and ensures that they will pass, or if changes need to be made, that they are taken care of quickly and re-inspected so as to not slow down the construction process. As an Architect-Led Design-Build firm, TexMod Homes is an expert is building code analysis and interpretation and rarely, if ever, fails an inspection that needs corrections to be made in order to proceed. As a Registered Architect who worked in the world of commercial Architecture previously, Marc is well versed in what Building Inspectors and City Officials are looking for when they visit the site. Contrary to popular belief, Building inspectors are not the bad guys but can actually become a crucial element of a successful project by ensuring that everything has been built to code and spec, thus protecting the interests of the Client.
POST-CONSTRUCTION
QUALITY CONTROL, PUNCHLIST
AND WARRANTY
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.
At the end of construction, the Client will have an opportunity to carefully look over and bring to the attention of TexMod Homes any construction defects or issues that may need attention. This is commonly referred to as the “Punch List” of items to be corrected. By being hands-on throughout construction, we try to punch items that we see as we go, so we typically have a very small Client Punch List at the end of the project. But whatever the items are at the end of construction that need additional attention, we coordinate and send our subcontractors back to the project to make any fixes. TexMod Homes’ goal is to ensure that the Client is extremely satisfied with both the construction process and the quality of the work, and we have been known to go the extra mile to take care of any issues that the Client brings to our attention.
On all projects, we provide a one-year warranty on all labor and materials, so the Client can be rest assured that everything will function as designed and installed. Many times, TexMod Homes and their subcontractors have extended the warranty on various portions of work beyond the one-year period, especially if we feel like the specific issue should have lasted longer than it actually did because we believe in quality work that should stand the test of time. We also partner with an independent home warranty company to provide extra assurance that any issues will be resolved. On new construction, the third-party warranty covers one-year for all workmanship and materials, two years for all Electrical, Plumbing, and HVAC components, and ten years on structural components, including foundation and framing. On remodels and additions, the third-party warranty covers the structural components at the added space (foundation and framing) for ten years. This third-party warranty will take over if TexMod Homes for whatever reason is unable to provide the warranty services themselves or is no longer in business, and the third-party warranty is fully transferable to future homeowners if the house is sold within the warranty period.