Customer service is the best short answer.

* We give a great deal of attention to making sure that we communicate well with the client. We listen closely to the client, and make his or her wishes and goals for the project our own.
* Our fees are competitive.
* Our firm is small, so you always have the close attention from one of the firm's principals, Don or Lucy Hodges.
* We have many years of experience in a variety of project types, and can deliver sound and accurate plans and specifications.
* We have a substantial list of satisfied customers, and can offer a referral list on request.

Q9. How long will it take to complete my plans and get a Building Permit, and how long will it take to build my project?
A9. Naturally, the time required to complete a project depends on the complexity of the project, and on the number of specialty consultants that need to be involved. It is also somewhat dependent on the quality of information that the owner provides.

If a survey and geotechnical investigation is likely to be needed, the owner is well advised to obtain those documents and reports well in advance of the start of design, since scheduling the field work and obtaining the final results for those disciplines can take many weeks or months.

The legal description of the property and an assessor's parcel map will be needed to complete the plans. Often these documents are included in the Title Report in the closing documents from the time of purchase of the property. If these documents can be provided by the owner, it will save time and money on the architectural fees, since the architect firm's staff will not need visit public archives to find and copy these items.

If the project is a remodeling, it is highly desirable for the owner to obtain existing plans if available, even at some cost of time and money. This will save in the long run.

Preparing the design fee proposal, owner's review and negotiation of the fee, and contract preparation and signature usually takes at least a couple of weeks to several weeks.

The first phase of the architect's work is Research and Existing Conditions Documentation. If plans of the existing structure do not exist, or can not be located, field measuring and investigation, and preparation of existing site and building plans and elevations must be completed prior to beginning any design work. This task can take two or more weeks to complete, and naturally there is cost involved in the effort. Building Departments always require documentation of existing conditions as part of the permit process, so creation of existing plans can not be avoided. Also, in this phase, the architect researches the code constraints affecting the subject property.

Preliminary Design is highly dependent on the size and complexity of the project. In addition to the time the architect spends on design, the owner will need to spend some time reviewing the design to reach a level of comfort before proceeding to the next phase. Preliminary Design and review can take from a few weeks to a few months, but it is a vital step for following phases. While in the Preliminary Design phase, most of the work is done by the architect alone with only minor involvement of the other consultants. In subsequent phases, other engineering disciplines perform their work, so the consequence of any changes becomes far more significant (costly.) Therefore, it is vital to complete as many design decisions as possible in the Preliminary Design phase prior to continuing with Design Development and Construction Documents.

Projects with complex structural, mechanical, electrical, or specialty systems such as laboratories require a Design Development Phase. In this phase, the various consulting engineers begin their design work with the goal of coordinating loads, placement, clearances, and other interfaces between the building and its subsystems. During this phase, the Construction Documents are started and brought to about 35% completion. Smaller projects and residential remodeling do not require this phase, which can take some weeks or months for larger projects.
Construction Documents are final plans and specifications sufficiently detailed to obtain a Building Permit, obtain competitive bids from contractors, and to construct the improvements. Even the smallest projects usually require the services of a structural engineer and a California Title 24 Energy Conservation documentation specialist. More complex projects may require the services of a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, a civil engineer, a landscape architect, or other building and site design specialists. This phase can take from six to eight week to several months, again depending on the scope and complexity of the project.

Building Department Permit Processing is a highly variable phase. Naturally, it can not begin until Construction Documents are completed. The time of processing depends on the backlog of work at the governing municipality. Simple remodeling plans not requiring a discretionary permit usually take six to eight weeks or so at the City of San Diego. Smaller building departments, such as Encinitas and El Cajon are somewhat faster in reviewing plans. More complex and larger projects currently take two to three months or more in the City of San Diego.

The Bidding Phase can be as short as two to three weeks for small remodelings, to four or five weeks for larger projects. In any case, it is best to not start the bidding process until at least the first round of Building Department plan check is completed. If the bidding process began earlier, changes due to Building Department plan check corrections could invalidate bids, or possibly lead to extensive change orders prior to beginning construction, not a desirable outcome.
Construction Duration is obviously very dependent on the scope of the project. However, very few projects are completed in less than three months, and only the largest and most complex projects take more than nine months to a year complete. The average project falls somewhere in the middle.

Discretionary Permits are often required even for relatively small projects. Increasingly, municipalities are asking for Neighborhood Development Permits, Variances, Steep Hillsides review, and other permits that require public notice and hearings. Coastal Development Permits are sometimes required in the coastal zone. Public noticing and hearing processes take a minimum of three months to nine months or more. During the Research and Existing Conditions Documentation phase, the need for any required Discretionary Permits should surface. Although, sometimes a Discretionary Permit becomes necessary during the Preliminary Design Phase through the owners wish to maximize his/her use of the property despite adverse zoning requirements.

Q10. If I am remodeling my home, can I continue to live in it during construction?
A10. If the area to be remodeled can be readily isolated from the main living areas of the home, the answer is usually "yes." However, if kitchens and bathrooms or major living areas will be impacted, the answer is typically "not advisable." Different families have different tolerance levels for the inconvenience, dust, noise, stored materials, parking, and other annoyances that are an integral part of construction. If other living arrangements can be readily made through family, close friends, or even a rental, it may be advisable to find another place to live, especially if children and/or pets are part of the family. There is also some level of danger inherent in stored materials, moving loads, and partially completed construction that is good to avoid if feasible.

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