Importance of the Design Process

Just as crucial to the project’s success as physical construction is careful design and architectural planning. Without these completed in proper order, you could be looking at a construction project that is doomed to fail before it ever gets started. As part of offering a full slate of design/build services, R. L. Rider Remodeling is equipped to guide you through the entire process so that you feel comfortable and confident in your project’s investment.

R. L. Rider Remodeling Process:

  • Decide your project’s new footprint.
  • Approval for modification or construction of the structure.
  • Refined space planning and finalization of plans.
  • Architectural design and sign-off.
  • Final interior design/furniture and furnishings layout/materials selection.

First Steps: Site Surveying and Rough Sketches

We’ll come out to your property and examine the current site conditions. We’ll take photographs, ask questions about access and logistics, and either utilize available blueprints or draw a hand sketch with key measurements so we can correctly scale the drawing on our software. If you decide you’d like to move past a budgetary estimate, our team will begin converting the information and photos from the site survey into an easily-viewed 3D perspective, so you can get a better feel if this is how you want your project to look. Home remodeling can be one of the largest purchase decisions you’ll make and you can expect to know exactly what you’ll be getting before spending any large sum of money.

Architectural Plans and Approval for Building

There are a couple of hurdles to jump over before the final design can be approved and we start getting prepared for your project to begin. One main obstacle we must cross before getting to the physical construction of the building is approval from the AHJ (authority having jurisdiction). Usually, the AHJ is the local municipalities’ building inspector, and they could be from a city, township office, or other local government bodies. This usually involves calling a couple of different offices to verify who has jurisdiction for a given project address. We take care of the entire process, so you don’t have to worry about tracking down the appropriate party.

  • Confirm the proper authority having jurisdiction and fill out all required documentation (permits, license and insurance information, plan review, etc.).
  • Revise plans and building methods until final approval is granted to move ahead by architectural review.
  • Pull all permits and schedule inspections for footings and foundation review, structural review, electrical/plumbing/mechanical reviews, etc.

Interior Design and Product Selections

Another important step is choosing your materials and final finishes which we take care of before the final contract, not after. The process goes like this: after you confirm that you like the specifications and drawings we have drafted for you, we ask that you sign our Preliminary Design Agreement to move forward with R. L. Rider Remodeling. This gets refined with your input by our interior design and architectural teams until you give it the final stamp of approval. Instead of having you sign a contract with lots of allowances and unknowns, we ask instead that you pick out products ahead of time with or without the assistance of our interior designer. She can go with you and advise you on every product, just a few big-ticket items, or not assist you at all – it’s entirely your choice.

After the materials list has been worked through, we can insert the most up-to-date pricing and availabilities for your final contract. You may change your selections after this signing, but not without a written change order. Having all selections complete offers a few advantages: you know exactly how much your job will cost before you sign the contract – we guarantee a flat, not-to-exceed price when you go through the entire process. The other advantage is that by finalizing all the details, we can predict the schedule much more accurately and be very precise in how the job will be built.

Another option is to “find” more space, or said another way, to re-design the layout and then remodel the house to better utilize the existing space available. Not every house has this option depending on its layout. Remodeling and changing room layouts, in particular, can get expensive in a hurry and you might decide it’s more feasible to do a full addition rather than try to get every square inch out of a small area.

3D Renderings for New Construction and Remodels

3D renderings have been a huge boon for the construction industry in the last 15 or 20 years. Each year the technology available gets cheaper, more readily accessible, and easier-to-use. While many contractors get left in the dust, R. L. Rider Remodeling stays on the cutting edge of technology offerings to continually provide our clients with a top-notch experience.

CAD (computer-aided drafting) drawings can provide top-down 2D floor plans and 2D elevation views to give perspective on what a building will look like from specific viewing angles. They also give views of 3D “dollhouse” perspectives and digital drawings in relief. This allows you to digitally “tour” the project and gain an idea of how the space will feel once it’s complete.

CAD is crucial for our clients because it really is impossible to say how something will fit in a space before it’s complete. Obviously, that isn’t possible 3 months before ground breaks on a job, but we can get a very close approximation to assist decision making.

If you have any questions on the design and drafting process for remodeling or new construction, please feel free to contact us via the web contact form or by calling (517) 487-3713. We can answer questions about your specific scope of work, how long it usually takes to go through the design phase, and anything else construction-related that you need assistance on. Thank you!