At Severin Built we handle a wide range of residential construction projects from small renovations to custom homes. Our goal in every project, whether big or small, is to provide quality workmanship and the best possible customer experience.
WHAT WE DO
DESIGNING + BUILDING
Our experience has shown us that designing and building a home is hard work. Cost and budget analysis, deciding between necessities and wants, imagining a floorplan that is functional yet ‘feels right’, utilizing the land or plot to its full potential, dealing with timelines, planning details, energy performance and modeling, logistics and workflow, and choosing finishings are all aspects of a build that must be thought through before a shovel goes into the ground. A house is more than likely the largest investment a person will make in a lifetime. Spending this kind of money warrants hiring professionals that will help guide a plan to reality.
Although it’s fun to dream and design, we suggest finding a reputable builder prior to starting the official design process. It’s rare that a project has an unlimited budget, and from our experience your builder is usually your best chance of hitting that budget. Design professionals paint the picture, the builder understands best the costs and details that go into turning the picture into reality.
LOOK FOR A BUILDER
Ask questions, ask for references, decide if the builder is capable of building the project you have in mind. Call references on the phone and ask specific questions; have a conversation. You’re invested with a builder for not only a lot of money, but a lot of time. Make sure you can get along and trust each other. A reputable builder should have the necessary home warranty, insurance, and worker’s compensation. If you can talk to a builder’s subtrades you’ll have a good source of information.
WALK THROUGH THE DESIGN
Only after finding a builder do we advocate looking for a designer, and your reputable builder can probably suggest a good source or two… The initial design and planning is arguably the most important part of a residential build, and yet is often given only a passing glance as a part of the overall project. Sitting at the design table with a capable professional who can put the concept to paper can yield very rewarding results and start a project off on the right foot.
How We Operate
WORKING TOGETHER
Unfortunately, relationships between clients and general contractors do not always turn out well. Stories of hard feelings, frustrations, and even lawsuits can come from both sides when talking about past experiences. In our opinion, this shouldn’t, and doesn’t have to be the case. Positive working relationships are important to us, so we strive to integrate a more specific and conscious approach to beginning new projects. The two driving forces behind our approach are:
Communication
As the saying goes, “Communication is key!”, and we strive to keep the lines of communication open from the start of the project through to completion. This is accomplished through open dialogue, scheduled meetings, and most importantly, clear responsibilities spelled out through a detailed job scope and contract.
Fixed-Price Job Costing
A new build or substantial home renovation is often one of the largest amounts of money someone will spend all in one place in a lifetime. Without clear parameters and expectations (for both parties involved), things can go south in a hurry. We have found that establishing a fixed price for your project is one of the best ways to avoid the all-too-often financial and relational issues that tend to crop up.
The Benefits Of
FIXED-PRICE JOB COSTING
We get to know what you want
... inside and out, right from the beginning. In order for us to accurately price your job we need to find out what your vision is and put together the individual parts to get you there – no shortcuts allowed.
No surprises
On a fixed-price project we will never hand you an invoice that makes your eyes pop. Before the project ever starts, we develop a plan and you know the overall cost and payment schedule.
It holds us accountable
If we’ve failed to include certain costs, we won’t come to you at the end of the job with extra invoices. We take the loss and stick by our original price quotation, as will be stipulated in the contract.
It allows room for changes
... or upgrades but keeps you informed of the costs. Changes tend to be a part of construction; however, they should be minimized through proper planning and design. For those changes that are inevitable, we use change orders in which you know the cost of that change before it’s implemented, and how it will affect the overall budget and timeline.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US
When we first get together to talk about your visions and ideas for your project, we have one thing in mind – trying to get an accurate picture of what you have in mind! Once we have a handle on that we can go into more specifics as far as a design agreement and drawings, budget considerations, and individual selections. This process takes some time as the construction drawings and fixed-price quotation are finalized, a detailed contract is drawn up, and the proper permits are gathered. Once the project is physically started we’ll keep you informed through progress reports, site visits, and the occasional meeting. A rough timeline will be established and we’ll keep you ‘in-the-know’ as the project moves forward. Throughout the build you can expect us to honor our quotation and our word.
WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU
When we first begin the dialogue that will lead to your new build or renovation, there are a few important pieces of information that we will need and that we will ask you to put some honest thought into:
The first is obvious: what do you want to do?
Having an understanding of your needs and desires as pertaining to the project is important. We usually encourage people to collect pictures, articles, and magazine clippings to help convey this. Think of the space, how you will move in it, how it will make you feel, along with specific colors and textures. The better you understand what it is you want, the better you can express that to us and the more accurate we can be in our estimate, contract specifications, and final quotation.
A second question that follows closely to the first is: How much do you want to invest in the project?
Part of the challenge of a new build, or a substantial renovation, is finding the balance between your desires and your budget. We will help you find that balance in our initial consultation sessions, and then help you stick to it as we work through specific selections. It is important to note that it is very common for client’s expectations to far outweigh their financial ability. If you can be honest about what you can afford, we can work with you to get the maximum value for that amount with no cost overrun surprises.
Third question: When do you want to do it?
If you have a good idea of when you would like the project to start, or finish, it helps us to develop our schedule so that your job is completed in a timeframe that works for you, and for us. This is a win-win situation; your job is done on a reasonable, pre-determined timeline with a constant and consistent workflow, and we can more precisely schedule and plan to ensure that happens.