Q - Does C.E. Brandcast follow the design/build method?
A - YES, and EVEN BETTER, we have a unique collaborative arrangement with a customer preferred contractor that allows C.E. Brandcast to practice the design/build method the way it was meant to be. Projects can truly be designed according to budget.

Q - If I reveal my budget up front during the design process will this make me more vulnerable to be taken advantage of a the contractor?
A - NO, this is a common myth. If you think it through you'll realize that the opposite is actually true. If you hide your budget it only serves to tempt certain contractors to play dumb and play the "low ball" game only to raise your price later. Contractors are much better at that game than homeowners. Using our method, your budget is not used to set prices, your budget is used to propose a design that we know, by experience, can be met realistically. Our process of designing and building according to a "budget", which is known in advance along with the sterling reputation of our contractor, removes the vulnerability you're exposed to in bidding games.

Q - Why don't more contractors practice the design/build process?
A - You really have to be well organized to be in design/build. Contractors are more the blue collar type, sorry to say it, designers are more the white collar type. They don't usually collaborate well enough to be on the same page to the extent necessary to be a design/build model.

Q - As a room addition design company can you provide a construction estimate?
A - YES, we work closely with a highly recommended and customer referred contractor with an A+ rating with the BBB. We procure the estimate by means of professional collaboration.

Q - How accurate are estimates with your approach?
A - VERY ACCURATE. Estimates start out vague and conceptual and become more and more detailed as you design. First you design according to an agreed budget, then you estimate what you've designed again. It should be no surprise if we've designed around your budget because we will keep you realistic in your understanding of budget, costs and contingencies. Furthermore, estimates are not a one shot deal. They are progressive. Construction estimates are provided with an accuracy level commensurate with the level of details and specifications in your plans. The more details we know the more accurate it is.

Q - Isn't the most important thing to find the lowest bidder?
A - ABSOLUTELY NOT. There are two principles to remember. 1.) You get what you pay, and 2.) You'll forget about the price you paid long before you'll forget about a bad job. These principles are especially true when you're hiring a general contractor. In some markets, finding the lowest price is smart. Especially when you are assured that the product is the same or similar enough that it doesn't matter. In a simplified example; it's wise to purchase a case of Coca Cola if the distributor has a discount. Even if a similar brand is being sold for less you can probably endure the difference in taste for the savings, but contracting is like doing surgery on your house. You don't look for the lowest bidder to perform surgery on your body. You look for someone competent. Lowest bidders typically lack competence and have to lower their price to get work. You typically do not want them in your home. Lowest bidders cause most of the horror stories you hear about.

Q - Does the highest price mean the highest quality?
A - NOT NECESSARILY - You should not be shopping for the lowest price or the highest price either, but rather...the proper price. The highest price can simply mean you're paying someone who is simply just expensive. Usually, a higher price COMMANDS and higher quality result, but price alone is not how to shop. Price is only an indicator. Again and again, we say it again...design according to your budget and you will not have to settle for a contractor based on price alone, but you will have better leverage to select your contractor based on quality and performance..

Remember: The reason people get in a position where they have to settle on price alone is because they unknowingly designed something outside their budget and have the thinking that "someone must be hungry enough out there in this economy to build it for what I think it's worth". This is a grave error because they are forced to sign with the lowest bidder because they (the homeowner) does not qualify to build with the better company.

All contractors are not created equal. There are vast differences between them even when they look the same on paper. There really is no such thing as apples for apples.