Award Winning Kitchen & Bathroom Design In Austin, TX – Getting Started With Capitol Design
The Process
The decision to update your home with a custom kitchen or bath is a serious one, and it can be overwhelming. There are a myriad of material choices to consider, tradesmen and professionals to interview and a review of financial options to pay for it all. The process may be difficult, but it should also be fun and rewarding. So how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Breaking down the process into manageable parts will make it easier to absorb the information with which you will be inundated.
Two basic stages in any project are:
- Planning & design
- Construction & implementation.
Planning & Design
The design and planning phase consists of the following:
- Initial phone interview
- Home visit to discuss project feasibility and budget requirements
- Design and specification of the project.
We start the process with a simple phone interview to determine what you want and what your expectations are concerning the design process. Secondly, we schedule a visit to your home to check the field conditions. We then discuss the best options to undertake the project and to help you set a realistic budget. To move forward to the design phase, we offer four payment scenarios:
Retainer
By far the most popular choice by most homeowners. Design by retainer allows the homeowner the most flexibiltiy in the design phase. After a budget is established for a project, a 10% retainer is charged by the company for services agreed upon by both parties. The company provides all designs, drawings and specifications for the homeowner as well as an itemized cost for the materials associated with the project.
If the homeowner decides to buy the materials specified by the company, the retainer is applied to the purchase in proportion to the amount of the transaction as a percentage of the overall quote. For example; the company charged a retainer of $3500 for a kitchen project and specified the following:
Cabinets: $25,000.00
Countertops: $6,000.00
Tile: $2,000.00
Lighting: $3,000.00
TOTAL: $36,000.00
If the homeowner decided to purchase all the materials specified, the company would apply 100% of the $3500 retainer to the purchase. If the homeowner decided to only purchase the cabinetry, the company would apply $2450 of the retainer to the purchase or roughly 70% because the cabinet quote was approximately 70% of the overall quote. If no purchase is made, the retainer becomes a design fee and is not refundable.
Hourly Rate
Hourly rates are $150 per hour with a 5 hour minimum. The initial retainer of $750 is due upon the contract signing. Additional design work is billed weekly with a detailed statement of completed work and hours. In-home consultation and actual design time are billed equally. Blueprints, CD’s and other materials are charged for separately. Although drive time is not billable during the design process, a trip charge of $50-$100 may be added for on-site consultation after the completion and delivery of finished plans.
Flat rate
A flat rate is based on the size and complexity of the job within the following guidelines:
Kitchens: $2500.00-$3500.00
Master baths: $1500.00-$3500.00
Secondary baths: $750.00-$2000.00
Mechanical plans: $1500.00-$3000.00
Other rooms: minimum of $2000.00
Pricing includes design with up to two revisions. Beyond two revisions, the hourly rate of $150 is accrued. Materials, (blueprints, etc.) are billed for additionally. A trip charge of $50-$100 may be added for on-site consultation after the completion and delivery of finished plans.
Contract
An agreement is reached between the company and homeowner specifying what services are to be rendered. All plans and revisions, blueprints and materials, and on-site consultation are included in contract price. Other services may include:
- Negotiation of 3rd party contracts and sales agreements
- Comparison and negotiation of material pricing
- Research and acquisition.
A deposit of 1/3 of the agreed upon price is paid at signing with the balance billed weekly or monthly according to the provisions of the contract.
Construction & implementation
Now that your project is designed and materials are specified, how do you make it a reality? A well thought-out and attractive design is only as good as its implementation. Poor workmanship, unreliable vendors and careless project management can turn the best design into a disaster and cause unwanted disruptions in your lifestyle.
We can supply custom cabinetry and all the materials necessary to complete your project. Although we are not general contractors, we partner with the best in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Greenville, SC and Austin, Texas. These individuals and companies have proven to be reliable over the years and maintain a high level of efficiency and craftsmanship. We highly recommend the vendors and companies on our Partners page. Depending on the type of agreement you have entered with us, we can be there every step of the way.
While we recommend vendors and contractors, we can also work with you and your existing team to design a project and make it a reality.
We currently have projects in Washington, DC, Potomac, Maryland, northern Virginia, Austin, Texas and Florida but we can travel to your project and have custom cabinetry and other products drop-shipped to your jobsite anywhere in the world. Please contact us and we can discuss what works best for your project.