CUSTOMER-ORIENTED WORKFLOWS

When remodeling or building, it’s natural as a homeowner for nerves and stress to shade the excitement. But we believe building a custom-tailored space to live in is exciting! That’s why Elmshire Builders is committed to making this process as enjoyable and gratifying for you as it is for us. We want you to look forward to every stage of the process, from design to build and even well beyond the final punch list.

If you are new to remodeling or home construction, the whole process may seem a little overwhelming at first. But take a step back and you’ll see a process that’s surprisingly easy to navigate — especially with a partner like us to guide you. I invite you to learn more below and contact me if you have any questions.

Eric Wickenkamp

Business Manager, Elmshire Builders

IDEA SHARING

When you’ve decided you’re ready to build or remodel, it’s helpful to bounce ideas off a trusted professional. Our Business Manager, Eric, will set up a time to visit you at the site. During this initial consultation, you and Eric will get to know a little more about each other, and he’ll take a moment to assess the existing site conditions. Most important, he will always give you as much time as you need to share ideas, ask questions, or just to get a sense for who we are.

DESIGN

One of the most enjoyable and exciting times throughout this entire process is the Design phase. This is where your ideas and vision begin to take shape. You may already be well on your way with an architect, but if not, we can facilitate the design process on your behalf or recommend a number of amazing, visionary architects who will work with you directly. We can also work closely with the architect throughout the design phase, to monitor the scope of the project and to keep the budget where it needs to be.

PROPOSAL

After your design is complete, it’s time to create a proposal. During this process, which can take a week for a small project or upwards of three weeks for a more complex one, we will gather quotes from suppliers and subcontractors and prepare a proposal for you. We go one step further and use this time to do as much preliminary planning, problem solving and scheduling as possible to be able to present you with a clear scope of work to minimize any uncertainty about the project and avoid delays.

Rather than send you a “black-box” bid by e-mail or phone, Eric will schedule another face-to-face meeting with you to review our proposal. This gives you an opportunity to learn how we arrived at the particulars of the proposal, and to have all of your questions answered thoroughly and conversationally.

CONSTRUCTION

During construction with Elmshire Builders, you will be assigned a dedicated Project Manager. The PM is onsite every day, making sure all work is consistent with Elmshire’s core values — not the least of which is exacting quality. Experienced, professional carpenters who are sticklers for quality, our Project Managers include Jeff, a career carpenter on the North Shore, and Rob, a carpenter with over 40 years experience in all aspects of construction and the founder and owner of Elmshire Builders.

You will also have full access to our web-based project management system where you will see daily project logs, progress photos and your job schedule, along with many other useful features. Feel free to watch a demo video of the system by clicking here.

Another way that we ease the building process is by holding weekly construction meetings with the homeowner. We find this is the best way to stay in close communication about the project and address any concerns you may have in real time — because when you’re building your dream space, you should feel good about it!

PROJECT WRAP-UP AND MOVE-IN

You did it! The build is exactly what you’d envisioned, and even more beautiful than you’d imagined it would be. We will now walk through every detail of the project with you and prepare a punch-list of any open items, as minor as they may be, to be addressed swiftly in time for the final inspection with the building department. Also, when appropriate, we will hire a premium cleaning service to thoroughly clean your space, making it 100% ready to enjoy.

We’re so glad you’ve taken time to familiarize yourself with our process. Please download our free Home Construction Guide which includes tips to help make your life easier throughout the construction or renovation project.