Builders can manage many things
More and more architects and design companies are offering full design and build services, taking care of your entire building project from start to finish, including planning applications, appointing and 'project managing' your builder, guiding them through the construction process for you.
Now, speaking personally as a fully qualified bricklayer, and very experienced building contractor, it is that service I find very baffling, and more than just a little bit insulting. It seems the fashion these days for these companies to find new ways of taking work, and profits away from builders, although I havnt seen many architects fighting each other to get the job of mixing the bricklayers mortar for him as yet!
Besides just being an enjoyable rant, there is a point to what i'm saying, and that is your builder is perfectly capable of doing their job, do not need to be guided or managed, and are usually far more experienced in the day to day running of site based projects, than the guys trying to land the job of managing them.
As a main building contractor, we are much better placed to offer you such services, and we employ professional outside services only when necessary.
Below, we take you through the 3 design, planning and project management packages we offer.
Plans +
Budgeting, designing, and applying for permission to carry out major construction work on your home, can often be a daunting and confusing challenge, even for experienced home renovators, which is why seeking professional advice at this early stage is always recommended.
Our plans plus service is a very similar service to that you may be offered by an architect or design company, but with the addition of a comprehensive build estimate to accompany the design.
Either producing your plans in house, or working in conjunction with a local Leicester architect whom we have a longstanding working relationship with, we first discuss with the client their ideas and particular requirements, as well as their budget, then supply one set of drawings for outline or full planning permission application, along with a written estimate for completion of works.
The main benefit of working this way is that pricing and designing are much closer linked, allowing the client a much clearer idea of what is achievable within their working budget, whilst still having no commitment or obligation to any single contractor.
Once the drawings have been approved for submission by the client, and the remaining balance for the design and submission services has been paid, full ownership of all data transfers to the customer, and all designs and documentation relating to the project will be handed over, along with our free pre build advice pack.
How you the client proceeds after that point, is completely in your hands. Whilst we hope you decide to appoint us as your contractor, we will employ zero hard sell or pressure tactics, and we simply leave you to decide in your own time.
Your plans
Whatever contractor decision you take during the plans process, the finished drawings are your property from the moment of purchase.
Spade ready
We offer a complete design package for customers looking to have everything in place ready for a contractor of their choosing to commence work.
Again, either in house or alongside one of our trusted design partners, we consult with the client through the various planning stages, to eventually produce a final set of plans for a full detailed application.
Once the client is satisfied with the final designs, and planning permission is granted, we then supply any structural engineers calculations and specifications related to the designs. All of this data, all plans and documents, will form part of our contractor tender pack, which you can use to independently acquire as many like for like builders quotes as you wish. in addition to this, you of course receive our own written quote for all works within the design, along with our pre build advice pack.
Once again, when all outstanding invoices for the above works are settled, all ownership transfers to the client, and we do nothing further unless instructed by yourselves to do so.
Ribbon cut
This is our complete design and build service, offering all design and planning application services contained in our first 2 packages, along with the fully project managed construction of your project, to whatever stage of finish you require, be that pre kitchen install, or a total build and decorate turnkey package.
As part of your project management service, we take care of everything for you, including building control officer approval, sub contractor management, quality control and snagging, and a final building inspector sign off / client handover service.
Aswell as by maintaining regular and clear lines of verbal communication, we keep you informed and in overall control through every stage of the project, through the use of scheduled site meetings, whatsapp chat groups, and our soon to be trial launched client portal web based service.
There are many benefits to a project managed service, for example, having built over time, a good working relationship with an extensive pool of sub contract specialist trades, a good project manager is able to devise an efficient and robust project build schedule, which can be planned out in date form with a far greater degree of accuracy. Their ability to relay vital and ever changing information smoothly between all parties involved in the build, ensures far less snagging work is required, and that any issues that do occur, are identified early, in order to minimise the impact on budgets and schedules.
Perhaps the greatest advantage to appointing a project manager, and one that is often overlooked, is that when unburdened by the stressful and time consuming day to day running of the site, it allows the client to step back, and make those all important decisions from a far clearer, broader perspective than would maybe have been possible if they were heavily involved day to day.
Other available design services
Kitchen and bathroom design
We offer a design to completion service for kitchen and bathroom refurbishments, which includes complete supply and labour costings, and 3D renderings of proposed layouts. All such design work work is free of charge and comes with no obligation to buy.
Garden design service
We offer a 2D garden design service for clients looking to redevelop the front or rear outside space of their homes. Garden design services can include items such as patios, driveways, garden walls, raised borders, and garden structures such as garden rooms or pergolas.
Structural steel calculations
All proposed large openings in new structures, or wall removals in existing properties, require load bearing calculations to be conducted, to determine dimensions and specifications of steelwork to be used to support the structure above. This is also a part of the building process we take care of on the customers behalf, working with local structural engineers to supply all relevant designs.