While You Wait
A preliminary design is developed with your “need, want, desire” list from the initial visit. Based on the preliminary design, a Selections Spreadsheet is developed. This sheet is a working document and tool used throughout the entire project life for listing the finish line of products. In addition, an estimate is produced based on cost ranges stemming from the most current costs of labor and materials. Subcontractors are asked to look at the preliminary design and to estimate their portion, which is then incorporated into the preliminary estimate. A Design Agreement is written with a detailed scope of work for the potential project. A RIGGS Team member will then contact you to set up a meeting in the RIGGS Office for a presentation of all our work.
Design and Design Agreement Presentation
Welcome to RIGGS! You are now presented with a glimpse of your dream… at this meeting, we will offer you one of the many potential solutions for your project. All of the work we did while you waited is put on the table for your review. All questions can be fielded in this meeting as the review of the estimate, drawings, and selections help you to grasp what you might desire to develop. If you are satisfied with what has been produced and have chosen to proceed to the next level of development, then the RIGGS Team member assisting you will walk you carefully through the Design Agreement contract and have you sign for further progress on your project. Congratulations!
Design Agreement
Meeting for Success: This is the point at which RIGGS will guide you through making many choices about how your project will be built. At the signing of the Design Agreement, you will receive the list of meetings needed to satisfy the true picture of the project. Within the scope of these meetings, you will meet with our Architectural Designer, our Selections Manager and if needed, our Kitchen and Bath Designer. As you pick from your many choices, the project will blossom with details not previously available. You will transform RIGGS’ initial design suggestion into all you dream the project can be. With new knowledge of how the project would be created, the estimate is honed by having subcontractors visit the project location in order to give near exact costs for their portion of the built work. In addition, the Selections Manager will aid you in deciding what you plan to include in your project, further honing the cost of your project. A preliminary schedule will show the projected start and finish dates so that you can see the approximate length of time your project will take to come to life.
Designing a Space: Given your site, your current home design and your desires, our Architectural Designer and Kitchen and Bath Designer will work out a solution for your design. Working side by side with you, these team members will realize your new space on paper. You will be able to see what your new space will look like and our carpenters will know exactly how to build your project.
Project Managers: Once the contract is signed, your project is turned over to the RIGGS Production Team. A Project Manager is assigned to your project and your Project Manager will then meet with you along with other members of the RIGGS Team. At this meeting, the Project Manager will introduce themselves and review the project with you. They will answer any questions you may have and have you designate a time to meet with them on a weekly basis. This meeting is for project development review, for logistics, and any questions that arise subsequent to the start of the building process. This meeting is also a good time for you to consult with your Project Manager regarding any changes to the scope of work you would like that differ from the original contract. Of course, you can contact your Project Manager at any time. The duties of the Project Manager are outlined to you at your introduction: these include supervising the entire project, including subcontractors and RIGGS Team members that work on your project site. Project Managers are experienced carpenters who will be building your project. All of our carpenters work consistently with RIGGS and are experts in the high standards we maintain.
Production of the Project: Your Emotional Journey: You should be very excited about the beginning of your project, which will, in the end, be a wonderful space to be enjoyed for many years! You may experience some uncertainty and unease regarding the period during which the actual construction takes place. Your project may require the temporary loss of use of portions of your home, or perhaps it’s the idea of having “company” at your home while you maintain your daily living that brings questions to mind. These are carefully considered by the RIGGS Team and they will help you get through any worries you may have. You will be astonished at the speed at which new additions fly into existence and how quickly remodeled space takes on the skeleton of what that space is to become. Once the subsystems have been placed in the walls, the project has reached an important milestone: the moment between “rough” space and finished space. The next phase will star t with the drywall and this portion of the project is often lengthy. Suddenly, there are only one or two people working in your home! You may feel like there is very little being done for your project, and the dramatic changes in the first phase don’t seem to be occurring at the same pace during this time. This seemly slower pace will continue with flooring and paint, if needed. Not to worry, for after this phase comes the trim and finish work. Our Trim Carpenters will set up and begin detailing the new space, adding cabinetry and decorating the seams of the space. Within a few weeks, your countertops and Selections finishes will arrive to be set appropriately. Now you can see all of the effort you put into making your selection choices! Your project is near completion and your Project Manager will walk through your new living space with you for your review. Any loose ends get resolved, your home and yard cleaned and you finally have your dream project to yourself. Enjoy!
The Dream Lives On: Your Project Manager will call you in eleven months to check on your satisfaction with RIGGS Company. We hope you never have any problems with our work, but if anything should happen, you can call us at anytime and we will resolve your issue as quickly as possible. As part of our limited warranty, our Sales Manager will call you at a two year mark to once again be sure that your dream still brings you great happiness!
Selections: Our Selections Manager will be one of your closest confidants during your experience with RIGGS. Besides the configuration of your project, the main choices you will make are the details that you will see within your project on a daily basis. Items like knobs, pulls, countertops, tubs, faucets and flooring are chosen with the Selections Manager. Your personal style and tastes decorate with heart the new spaces to be built.
Contract Meeting: Now that most of the details have been decided, and the design has been decided, you will return to the RIGGS Office for a review of the contract. Our Sales Manager will carefully cover all things included in the contract, items not included, and all of the legal terminology of the contract. After this review, you will be able to take your contract and review it in your own time, or sign at the meeting. With the signing of the contract, a new portion of the RIGGS Team members revs up into gear, carrying the momentum of your project into new levels!
Realities of Remodeling
How to Live with Your Remodeling Project
Having your home remodeled is uniquely different from having a new home built. With remodeling, your home becomes the worksite. You live side-by-side with the project from start to finish. You have to adjust your daily routines to make way for the construction that will transform your dreams into reality.
This section is meant to provide tips to make living with your project as pleasant as possible. Successful remodeling projects depend upon mutual trust and consistent communication between you and the RIGGS Team. You need to count on our technical expertise and ability to complete the job as promised. In addition, we will count on you to carefully prepare for and understand the remodeling process.
Communication
Consistent and open communication between you and the RIGGS Team will enhance your understanding of the project, provide an opportunity to exchange ideas, and ultimately help to make the experience a positive one for everyone involved. The suggestions listed below can help you ensure that the necessary communication occurs:
- Determine who your Project Manager should contact for daily decisions and for an after-hour emergency. You will exchange phone numbers and any specific directions as to how to get a hold of one another at your preconstruction meeting.
- Designate a backup for each contact person to assure continuity in anyone’s absence.
- Create a place at the jobsite where the Project Manager and contact person can leave messages for each other.
- Speak up! If you are uncertain about any aspect of the job, bring your concerns to your Project Manager’s attention. We want the project to be a satisfying experience and will work with you to achieve that goal.
Timing & Schedules
The time necessary to complete your remodeling project will vary based on the scope of work and factors as uncontrollable as the weather. A bathroom remodeling project may take just a few weeks, while a two-story addition may take 6 months. To help keep your project on schedule, we plan ahead:
- If your project requires a permit, work can only begin when that permit gives us legal permission to proceed. Depending on the municipality you live in, obtaining permits can be time consuming, so be patient.
- We will give you projected start and completion dates for each phase of your project, presented as a timeline for you and your Project Manager to review progress by.
- For all projects, expect to set aside time for telephone calls and regular job site meetings with your Project Manager to review progress and discuss the schedule and any other questions, concerns or comments you might have.
- You may choose products that are not in stock or unavailable locally. This is ok, as long as you make all selections in a timely manner and as soon as possible. You will have our Selections Coordinator/Interior Designer to help guild you and stay on track.
- Realize that changes you make to the project after work has begun may affect the schedule and the budget. Work orders will include pricing, full descriptions and authorization in writing before work commences.
The Preconstruction Meeting
One way to ensure the success of your project is to plan for and actively participate in a preconstruction meeting. It is an excellent opportunity for us to clarify procedures, assign responsibility, and show how the job will progress. Think of this meeting as a forum for all participants to define their expectations and agree on the anticipated outcomes. Be prepared to take notes. The preconstruction meeting will cover the topics described below:
Household Concerns
- Jobsite signage
- Jobsite access
- Work and storage areas
- Furniture and other personal belongings
- Security
- Safety
- Salvaging materials
- Debris
- Utility interruptions
- Clean-up
Worker Guidelines
- Start and stop times
- Parking
- Bathroom facilities
- Smoking
- Language
- Radios
Prevent Remodeling Fever
Remember that your home will soon become a worksite. We will work hard to respect your privacy and help to minimize any inconvenience. Nonetheless, the train-station atmosphere may lead to remodeling fever. You may feel a loss of control because of disrupted routines and the impact on your personal space. The best approach is to (a) prepare well, (b) remember the temporary nature of the disruption, and (c) focus on the progress being made.
The pace of the work varies throughout the project. Demolition and framing may seem to occur swiftly while finish work will often seem endless because you will not see significant change during this phase. However, we are still hard at work and pressing toward the completion date of each phase.
Ideas for preventing and alleviating remodeling fever:
- Prepare for Inconvenience. A remodeling project can turn your home and (on some days) your life upside down. For instance, you will sacrifice convenience during a kitchen remodel. However, a little ingenuity and some culinary shortcuts can lessen the impact. We are happy to set up temporary cooking quarters by moving your refrigerator, toaster oven, and microwave in to another room and loaning you our portable cooktop/oven. In warm weather, ready the grill and dine alfresco!
- Designate a Safe Haven. Set aside a room in your home where you can escape from the chaos and commotion.
- Guard Against Dust. During a remodeling project, dust has the unfortunate tendency to appear everywhere-on lampshades, on clothes, and even between plates stacked inside your kitchen cabinets. We will reduce the impact of dust and dirt in the following ways:
- Seal off doorways and stairs.
- Turn off central heat/air or cover air registers during drywall or floor sanding. Filters will be changed often throughout the duration of the project.
- Deliveries will be made through a designated entrance and temporary floor and wall protection will be applied where appropriate.
- Areas that contain anything that might get damaged by the dust will be covered with plastic drop cloths and taped shut with plastic.
- Maintain a Sense of Humor. You may need it when the weather refuses to cooperate or when a trade contractor or supplier postpones an install or delivery date.
- Enjoy the Remodeling Process. Tell your family you are “camping-in” and turn inconvenience into fun. Along the way, celebrate at completion of phases; for example, splurge on your favorite take-out food when the space is plastered or dry walled or when flooring is complete.
Project Orientation
Once your project is substantially completed, we want you thoroughly explore the new space. You and your Project Manager will tour the remodeled area and discuss any last-minute details to address. We will provide you with a warranty/product information package which includes owner’s manuals and product care and maintenance.
Our Selections Coordinator will explain maintenance requirements and demonstrate how your new equipment works.
After the job is complete, and RIGGS has “left the building” take a deep breath, congratulate yourself, and enjoy the added value, comfort and convenience of your newly remodeled space. With patience, consistent communication, and careful preparation, the process went smoothly and you can enjoy the results for years.
