There are many great benefits to having your designer involved in the construction process. The main one is that they know your project better than anyone else and can provide direction, insight and answers to complex questions about the design that may come up during installation.
Each designer offers different services and their scope of responsibility will vary but here is some insight to the influence and responsibility that the Kismet Design construction consultation structure of service provides.
What is the designer responsible for
- Facilitating bids and bid review
- Facilitating meetings (pre-construction, updates, punch list, and post install check-ups)
- Aesthetic oversight- frequent on-site check-ins
- Communication, communication, communication
- Quality review
- Design modifications
- Plant sourcing and substitutions
- Coordinating selection of materials or unique elements (art, pots, furniture, etc)
- Coordination and follow up on warranty items
What the designer is not responsible for
- Managing or scheduling the crews
- Coordinating subcontractors tasks
- We are not the general on the project- We act as a consultant on your behalf.
Things we do but are seldom seen
- Double checking billing, bids, change orders and negotiating on your behalf
- Ensuring that change orders are appropriate, and managing expectations of when one is needed
- Double checking materials and process
- Negotiating price and services
- Off- site coordination with the contractor (lots of phone calls and emails)
- Assisting contractor with material sourcing and selection
- Keeping an eye out for potential problems or oversights
- Material verification
At Kismet Design we take the lead in the process of facilitating the implementation of your project but it is truly a collaborative process. We focus on what we do best so the contractor can do what they do best. We have an established process and protocol that keeps communication and expectations clear and productive so that you get the best possible outcome. If you have not been through the construction process before it can be daunting and a little overwhelming we help by giving you the piece of mind that we are working as your advocate to make sure everything is going smoothly, updating you as needed, answering the contractors questions and making sure we ask them the right questions. We also help you understand what to expect every step of the way.
The design may be pretty on paper but it is so much better in real life! Contact us to get your project started.
~Kryssie
