FAQs

CRD is exceptional in the fact that we focus on our clients and their goals--how they want to live in their home and how they want it to look. We are exceptionally good at putting our feet into our clients’ shoes and figuring out how they want to live in their space. We want to transform the client’s home so that they will not just be living in it, but they will love it.

We have a complimentary three-step discovery process. Initially, we have a Discovery Call with our clients to get an overview of the scope of the project and give a high-level estimate over the phone. Next, we have a Showroom Tour over Zoom where the clients meet with our Design Manager to go over their project in more detail. We ask the potential clients to send photos of the space they’d like remodeled to review during this meeting. We also demonstrate how our 3-D CAD system can help them visualize their project design before it’s built. Our third meeting is an In-Home Consultation where we visit our prospective client’s home to get a better understanding of the property we’ll be working with.

Once all three meetings in our discovery process are complete, we present the potential clients with a Design Agreement and Fixed Construction Cost. 

CRD warrants its work for 24 months starting from the time we sign the construction agreement. As the warranty comes to an end we always reach out to clients to let them know in advance in case any last minute fixes need to be made.

Design build is a full-service approach to home remodeling that includes both the design and construction. The design-build approach tends to offer homeowners better efficiency, accountability, communication, and convenience for their home remodeling project.

Design-build is unique in that it is an all-in-one, encompassing philosophy. If you choose to work with CRD, your designer, your project manager, your estimator, and your lead carpenter are all working under the same roof. We communicate with each other constantly, and if anything comes up on a job site, we're all available to address it. This can be a significantly smoother process compared to, say, working with an architect and trying to coordinate design changes with a separate building contractor in the midst of construction. Among other benefits, the design-build process can help facilitate communication between all members of your remodeling team. We have chosen the design-build approach because we believe it promotes accountability, efficiency, speed, quality, and communication.

Having design and construction under one roof is more convenient and offers greater cost accountability. When the design team and construction crew work together, project cost can be estimated accurately during the design process, so there are no surprises when the time comes to start construction.

CRD has multiple project designers and architects on staff. When you start your project with us, you'll have a designer assigned to you, and an architect if your project needs one. He or she will stick with you throughout the design and build process. Your designer will tackle the aesthetic challenges that are unique to your project and also work with you as you make your selections and go through bidding and scheduling. While you will work with your own designer, you will benefit from the entire team's knowledge and experience, as we foster collaboration.

When it is closer to construction, you will be assigned a Project Manager and/or a Lead Carpenter depending on your project. They will be overseeing and managing your project on a daily basis. They work with your Design team throughout the construction process, which is a benefit to design build. 

See also: Meet the CRD Team

Our Home Services division is focused on smaller projects that can be permitted and completed quickly, without major design work. Enjoy the same level of CRD quality and exceptional service on simpler tasks, such as adding a deck, replacing your flooring, or refreshing your kitchen or bath. 

See also: Home Services

Our design process follows six milestones that all center around open communication. Your design journey with CRD will begin with a Design Programming Meeting, which is our opportunity to learn more about your goals, take measurements of your home, and gather ideas. This is followed by a Schematic Design Meeting, where your designer will get your feedback on some initial floor plans or design directions. You will then have the opportunity to review the next round of drawings, 3-D renderings, and preliminary pricing at the Schematic Estimate Meeting. This is followed by a series of Design Development Meetings, where you will further refine your design. At the Letter of Intent Meeting, you will review estimated pricing and make the decision to move forward with construction. Finally, at the Construction Agreement Meeting, you will have the opportunity to review your final pricing and construction documents before signing a fixed-price construction agreement. From there, construction begins, and soon you will be enjoying your remodeled space.

The design process timeline will differ depending on the size of the project. 

See Also: The CRD Design Build Process

All of our clients and projects are unique. Some of our clients are more hands-on, and they're more interested in spending time at tile showrooms or out at plumbing fixtures showrooms. They really like to be hands-on and make those decisions. On the other hand, some of our clients are just not as interested, or they simply don't have the time to spend their weekends at showrooms. Whether you prefer to be hands-on or hands-off, your designer will guide you through all of those selections. If you'd like, we can meet you out at a showroom and help you work out all the plumbing details, or maybe your designer will just make selections that he or she thinks are the perfect piece for your project and then present them to you.

A master plan remodel is when you partner with a design-build company to break your whole house remodel ideas into separate construction phases. A good design-build firm will ensure those phases maximize your budget and save you from doing extra work. These phases are often spread out over several years.  A master plan doesn't always have to be for a whole house remodel either. You can also master plan a basement project, backyard cottage, or a new primary suite. 

See also: Master Planning Explained

Prices vary widely depending on the area of the house being remodeled, how old the house is, and if any major structural alterations need to be done to the existing home to achieve the design goal.

CRD is a fixed price construction company. We set a fixed budget once the design is finalized. Only major unforeseen conditions uncovered during construction could affect it, which is extremely rare. The only other way the budget would change would be if the client decides to change the design after construction has begun.

A Project Manager helps gets your project out of design and smoothly into construction. They work with the entire production team on ensuring your project is always moving forward. Not all projects require a Project Manager, it depends on the size and complexity of the project. 

See also: Meet the CRD Team

In most cases, no. However, if we are remodeling every bathroom in the house, for instance, you may have to move out temporarily. That said, we provide a temporary kitchen if needed, and we can sometimes remodel baths one at a time so one is always available. We take great care to keep dust out of your main living spaces as well.

CRD uses both. We have lead carpenters and project managers who oversee each jobsite and the work being done by our subcontractors.

We always ensure there is a separation in your home between the areas being worked on and the living spaces when your project starts. We do our best to keep dust and debris out of the living areas by putting up temporary walls between spaces. 

If you work from home during your project, we will try to accommodate your schedule. We always recommend having open and honest communication with your production team to mitigate any potential issues. 

Utility interruptions typically only happen a few times during the project. They are most common at the beginning of the project when the walls are open and we are running new wires and plumbing. Also, toward the end of the project during the trim phases. These interruptions typically only last for a few hours, we do our best to have all power and water restored each day before we leave the job site. 

This is a rare occurrence and only happened once since we’ve been in business. If you were to start the design process with us but then find a home for sale that meets your needs, that’s perfectly okay. We would just bill you for the design work that has been done, and your project will end there.