Gloucester Cheltenham & stroud Electricians FAQ

Do you charge a fee for the initial in house wiring consultation? 
If you own your home or have a ratified contract on a property, we will meet with you at the property to review your scope of work at no cost. We will then draft a proposal outlining your goals and corresponding preliminary design and construction budgets. We ask that you come into our offices so that we can present the proposal. This provides you with the opportunity to meet members of our design and construction teams, to look at a typical Gloucester Cheltenham Electricians drawing set and to speak further about your project. Typically, we do not email or mail proposals unless circumstances preclude the meeting in our offices.

How can I best prepare for the in-house electrical  design consultation? Though our visit does not equate to a home inspection, we can provide you with valuable information to help inform your buy decision. This electrical work can include some preliminary zoning review and budgeting for what alterations and/or additions would be within your rights and what these might cost. If you hire us for design services, this fee will be credited to the design process.If you do not own or have a contract on the property in question, we charge a fee for this service. This cost, ranging between £250 and £500, will be provided before we come out to visit the site.
Making a list outlining your renovation goals and desires can help us provide you with the best proposal and the most accurate preliminary budget range. Typically, the more information, the better.
If your goals include additions to the house, please have a copy of your building plat for us. This will allow us to perform some preliminary zoning research to determine the shape and size of what is most likely within your rights to build.
While many people have no idea of what their project is likely to or should cost, most people know what they can and cannot spend. Please do not be shy about sharing your construction budget with us. While we understand that this is usually a sensitive issue, ultimately it is in the best interest of everyone to get the number “on the table” as early as possible. With a sense of the budget, we will be better able to help direct you to achieve as many of your goals as possible.
What if I am unsure about jumping into a full electrical wiring design process, but still want to get a sense of what
I can do and how much it will cost?
There are some instances when it makes sense to proceed with an abbreviated design contract rather than with the full design process. In such cases, we typically propose a either a Feasibility Study or a Master Plan. A Feasibility Study is similar to a Master Plan in that it involves less design work than the full design process. Although we sometimes use these terms interchangeably, the Master Plan and Feasibility Study are a little different.  A Master Plan is typically geared to a large, multi-year, bigger budget project with two or more potential electrical construction phases.  A Feasibility Study is typically geared toward work that will all take place in a single construction phase, but has some complexities or uncertainties and several potential solutions.
The Feasibility Study comes with a flat fee based upon a fixed, abbreviated number of design hours to research zoning, measure the house, complete as-built drawings, and to complete selected schematic drawings. The Feasibility Study is not a substitute for the full design process, but if you proceed with the full design process after the Feasibility Study, the fee is credited against the full design fee.
The times when a Feasibility Study makes sense include: (1) The cost of the scope of work far exceeds the budget and homeowner is not sure what scope of work will fit within their budget; (2) there are major zoning questions which bring into question what/if you can build; (3) you want to ease more slowly into the design process.
If a prospective client comes to us with a number of planned household changes that she intends to phase over a number of years, we will often propose a Master Plan Study.  The Master Plan helps the client visualize the finished product and it informs both us and the client regarding the phasing of the work. Also, looking at the whole ensures each component of the design functions with the others.  It also minimizes the amount of earlier work that will need to be undone in later phases. Often, we’ll determine during the study that upgrades to the structure or mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems that will be necessary for a later phase of work make more sense to complete earlier in construction. These upgrades typically are structural and MEP’s.  For example, think about what would be done differently if we had already planned your addition of a second and third level to that one story addition you’re having us add now. The Master Plan also helps us put a much tighter budget range on the project.
From the client’s perspective, there are other advantages.  It’s a great way to ease into the homeowner/architect relationship since the Master Plan costs a lot less than a full design process—like speed dating with AutoCAD. We structure the Master Plan costs at around 20-30% of our full design process cost.  For a reasonable investment, you get the value of a set of preliminary drawings for each phase, estimated construction costs to take to the bank, and a sense of what’s possible.  During this period, you can begin to develop a working relationship with and trust in us, and vice versa.
A downside to the abbreviated design process is that Feasibility Studies and Master Plan Studies are likely to extend the total number of weeks a project spends in the design process.
Do you do construction when a project has already been designed?
This is what we call Pre-construction Services. Each year we build several projects designed by architects that were retained directly by homeowners. We are happy to review a set of drawings at no cost and provide you with a ballpark budget for construction, although if you would like a detailed construction cost estimate, we will require a retainer due to the investment of time and resources required to prepare it. Generally, the fee for preconstruction services is 2%-3% of our initial ballpark for construction. The retainer is fully credited to the construction contract once you proceed.
 How long will design and construction take?
We will provide you with an estimated timetable for design and then for construction. If you have a defined timeframe for design and construction (for example, if you have a baby on the way or need to move in as soon as possible) we will let you know whether we can realistically achieve the schedule you would like. Since design is a process where the most important ingredient is your approval, the quicker you are able to make and approve design decisions, the quicker the process is likely to proceed.
Is the Design fee included in construction costs? 
The design fee is a cost in addition to the cost of construction.
Are the other fees which are not included in the design cost outlined in your design proposal? 
Engineering, site surveys, soil studies are not included in the design budget. If we anticipate that any of these will be necessary, we will let you know in advance and provide you with an idea of likely cost(s).
Is the construction permit obtained during the design process? 
The permit is obtained and paid for as part of the construction contract. Additional fees will apply if your project requires presentation before Historic, Fine arts, or neighborhood review boards/committees or if it requires a variance or special exception permitting process. Typically, this work is completed during the first phase of the design process. Sometimes, if time is important, we will get a permit before a construction contract, but only with the client’s approval of the permit cost.
How important is my involvement and input to the design process? 
The homeowner’s earnest engagement in the design process is crucial to a successful project. The more effectively you are able to articulate your wants and needs, the better we will be able to help you. We promise to listen to you and know that your opinion is the one that ultimately matters. Please also listen to our designers who have great design insight and years of experience.
What if I want more work after construction begins? 
If the homeowner adds or changes the scope of work, this is handled with a change order? The value of the addition (or credit for the deletion) will be provided before the work is completed. There are circumstances when we will provide a change order for unanticipated work due to hidden existing substandard conditions. This could include such conditions as unanticipated termite or other structural damage, deteriorated plumbing, etc.
Why should I hire a design/build firm rather than hire an architect then a contractor?
We strongly believe that our integrated process from design through construction has many advantages over the old-style three-party relationship of architect, homeowner and builder, whereby a homeowner hired an architect then looked for a builder when the design was complete.