Initial Site Visit:
Typically, our team will schedule a visit to your home or job site for a preliminary meeting. If the design process is already underway, we may request a set of plans, or meet the architect or designer first to review the plans.
At the initial visit, we review the construction documents, inspect the site and, most importantly, listen to you and learn what you want to accomplish. We will then make suggestions, share observations, and try to summarize what we are being asked to provide.
Second Site Visit:
If it seems like the timing and our work style are compatible, and we are asked to provide and quote, another visit to the site may be made with various sub-contractors (plumbing, electrical, roofing, concrete, masonry, etc.) who need to provide estimates for their work. In some cases, especially with new construction, subcontractors can make estimates from plans without a site visit.
Preliminary Estimate:
In years past, some designers and architects would guess at the cost of a project, produce a full set of working drawings, and then have three or four contractors bid on them, usually at a fixed price. The problem? Bids might come in at double or triple the architect’s estimate, leaving the owner with an expensive set of drawings for a project that might not be built. Today, most designers and architects understand that their greatest expertise lies in designing and drawing, while the contractors are better informed about estimating and building. The ideal relationship between architects and builders is more of a collaboration that brings both parties expertise into the process.
The preliminary or “ballpark” estimate is an outgrowth of this collaboration. Often a designer or architect will produce “schematics”, or sketches, but with enough detail regarding scope of work so that the contractor can make a meaningful stab at price. This allows the owners to get a rough idea of what their project will cost without spending a lot of money on design.
Detailed Estimate:
Once the design and materials are finalized, we provide you with detailed line-by-line spreadsheet estimate. Our estimating process is open book. We invite you to view a sample proposal.
Depending on the project, the amount of work performed by the sub-contractors may range from 40% to as much as 70%. If the ballpark estimate, timeline and work style all seem agreeable to the homeowner, we will then send the most recent set of plans to our subcontractors for pricing. Those prices are then worked into a detailed line-by-line estimate.
Cost Plus Management |Overhead Fee
Traditionally, Cox Bros. Construction has worked on a “cost plus management/overhead fee” basis. This type of agreement is the actual cost (time and materials) of each line item, plus a fixed management and overhead fee. Working this way has a number of benefits. Perhaps most importantly, you pay only for the services you actually receive. It also gives the contractor and the customer more flexibility to respond to changes in the project, such as intentional changes in scope of work or unforeseen structural problems. Also, since at least 50% of work performed on most projects is done by subcontractors, and their prices to us are generally a fixed cost, a good deal of the job is essentially fixed cost.
Again, our estimating and billing is totally open book. In order to reduce the risk of unexpected cost overruns, our cost plus management/overhead fee projects can be benchmarked to a carefully prepared job budget. Our goal is to bring your project to completion on budget, on time and on target with your design wishes.
Contracts:
Once you choose Cox Bros. Construction for your project, we will prepare a contract, which will include the terms of the construction agreement, the spreadsheet estimate showing each line item based on the plans provided for quoting, and any other supporting construction documents outlining the scope and specifications for the project.
Construction:
Once a permit is issued, it is finally time to start the work. If the job is a renovation, there may be a need to protect existing finishes and architectural details or construct dust barriers. If the project is new construction, our site work team will assess site conditions and make recommendations about utilities, tree protection, excavation, fill storage, or fill removal.
Bill and Andy Cox serve as the job supervisors who oversee the entire project, direct the crew, check on quality, interact with the architect, order materials, schedule and supervise subcontractors, and, when there is time, perform construction work. They are very talented at this juggling act, and our clients are always impressed with how passionate they are about the quality and timely completion of each project phase.
Change Orders:
There are some jobs where the scope does not stay exactly the same as what was first proposed in the set of plans provided for quoting. We try to be as flexible as possible to accommodate our clients’ changing wishes. However, when the scope of work changes, schedule and price may be affected. For items that significantly increase scope, we will issue change orders. Although written change orders can sometimes slow down the progress of the work, we recommend and use them as an important “reality check” and communication tool for the owner regarding price and timing changes, and as a method to track changes in the budget. Often we will issue rough estimates and ask for approval for changes in the work by e-mail, with a follow up request for a signed hard copy of the change order for our records and yours.
Billing:
We issue bills every two to four weeks, depending on job progress, scope and size. The billing is based upon the contracted values spreadsheet showing each line item of the cost basis of the contract, and percentages of work completed per billing period. Any level of documentation can be made to the homeowner, so that they are assured the billing is accurate, open and transparent. For time and materials billing, a spreadsheet is provided showing a breakdown of labor costs per individual worker and materials cost per each vendor for that time period, for each defined line item. Our billing system is designed for accuracy and transparency, and we want our clients to know they are being billed only for work that has been completed.
Job Progress:
Projects have traditionally been separated into divisions by long established architectural conventions. They are listed in the order in which they will generally proceed, i.e. site work, concrete, masonry, steel, rough carpentry, etc. Some divisions proceed parallel to each other, but most are “critical path” items that must be completed before others can proceed. It is essential to recognize the flow and progression of the different divisions in order to meet a projected schedule. We have deep experience in scheduling to ensure that the team works efficiently to keep the job running smoothly.
Job Completion:
As the job nears completion, the project team will compile a “punch list” of items still to be done and the minor issues still to be addressed. Owners also contribute information for this list. Cox Bros. Construction will start work on these items prior to the official architect’s punch list in order to accelerate project completion.
Warranty:
Cox Bros. Construction offers a one-year warranty on workmanship.