Over the years, Davis Frame has shipped hundreds of timber frame projects all across the U.S.A. Our blog topic today shares how best to work with us when doing so remotely, wherever you plan on building. In our decades of experience, we have successfully worked with clients from all over the U.S., including the Northeast, Mid-West, West Coast, Alaska, and even the island of Grand Cayman.
Virtual Customer Service
Davis Frame has been in business since 1987 and we have worked with many clients remotely on their new timber frame home projects. We’ve built our reputation on top-notch quality and impeccable customer service. In fact, our priority on great customer service has allowed us to seamlessly work with clients all across the U.S.A. And with today’s technology, working long-distance has never been easier. We use the Google Earth technology to view your site and have added virtual online meetings into our design process to bridge distance gap. While you may think it’s easier to work with us in person, we actually find that most of our clients prefer to work remotely with us on their projects, even when they are an hour away. Life is busy, and it’s more convenient for our clients to meet with us virtually.
Our Standard Design Process
Now onto the overall design process and how it works. Whether you meet with us in person for your design or choose to work with us from afar, the process is the same. We start with a schematic design, which provides you with a set of plans featuring the floor plans, building elevations, a cross-section, and a 3D model so that we can give you a general price range. Once we develop the floor plan, we simplify the exterior of the home with a 3D massing of what the overall shape of the timber frame home looks like. It can sometimes look like a house you’d be buying in Monopoly with no windows, doors, or any character, but the goal of this step is simple – do you like the shape? After we get the footprint and a preliminary floor plan is drawn, we work on the elevations.
After these preliminary drawings are complete, we then provide a preliminary price estimate on the cost of the package. Clients always ask us, “how much is this going to cost?” We, of course, only provide an estimate on the package shell, but once you have that, you have everything you need to get your construction budget established with a builder and move forward with your new timber frame home! Once there is alignment on our costs and the builder’s costs, we move into our design development design phase, where we get into more detailed plans.
As mentioned above, the entire design process can be accomplished remotely. With our virtual meeting software, we can meet with you and share our computer screen to go over the details of your design.
The Builder’s Role
Here’s the glue that holds the project together – your builder. Have you chosen a builder? It’s good to get a builder involved early in the design process because when builders are involved in the design process early we can make suggestions to clients based upon what we feel will not only help in the overall cost but will also create job site efficiency for the builder. We call this process “value engineering.” Unlike conventional framing that gets hidden behind sheetrock and other finished material, the point of a timber frame is to display it proudly as you would any furniture in your home. Our clients are proud of their timber frame homes and therefore, the effort that goes into the timber frame installation is as important as any other element when building a home.
So, what can the builder do? As noted, the most important step in ensuring seamless construction of your timber frame home is getting your builder engaged early. Asking all the right questions and being candid about, “I’ve never done one of these before” can be helpful so we can help your builder install the timbers and SIPs in a way that is efficient and effective. If the builder isn’t as comfortable with the process and needs a helping hand, we can offer a technical advisor – one of our crew members – who can help with the install.
The Delivery and Materials
Timing is super important to any building project and it may seem like on-site management might be required to ensure on-time material delivery. That is just not so, however. We are often in daily contact with our clients and their builders to keep apprised of scheduling changes as well as the location of their package in relation to their site. Having great relationships with the trucking companies that handle our deliveries gives us the ability to pick up the phone and get in touch with them to handle logistics. And, with our ability to source windows and doors nationally, we can also ensure they not only arrive on the job site on time and when needed, but can get them designed into the home from the beginning so that you know that you will get exactly what you want.
The only other hurdle is the cost to ship from our New Hampshire facility. We know, unfortunately, that it can be costly to ship from the Northeast, but it can be hard or near impossible to find a timber frame manufacturer outside of our area. Many of the biggest names in timber frame manufacturing originated and remain today in the Northeast.
What Other Hurdles Can There Be?
While preparation and proper planning are essential in ensuring the success of your timber frame home, there is always the chance that something can go wrong. At Davis Frame, we offer a high level of customer service and are always available to chat throughout the construction process. Customer service is one of the top reasons homeowners choose to work with Davis Frame!
Interested in learning more? Call us today at 800.636.0993!
