How Design/Build Works

Complimentary Consultation – Following a brief telephone interview, an Aquarian Project Coordinator will schedule a meeting with you to visit your home to discuss your needs and desires and to review potential design options for your project. When you are satisfied that, Aquarian Construction can best provide you with what you are looking for in a Design/Build contractor we will schedule our initial design meeting. 

Initial Design Meeting – This meeting is the beginning of the design process. We prepare a “Design Agreement” to provide you with design and construction services and will take a modest deposit to begin the design work. Following an extensive interview with you at your home, our Designers will measure and photograph the affected areas and begin the design process. Our commitment to you is our team of professionals will work with you and meets your creative needs. Our expectation is to continue working with you through to the end of a successful construction project. At this stage, your commitment to Aquarian is limited to the cost of the planning work we complete for you in the design process.

Design Presentation – During this presentation we share our recommendations with you by comparing a set of drawings of the current layout of your house with our new plans. We show you how we can transform your existing home into your new home. We take, as much time as you need to fully understand the plans, review various options and alternates, and explore comments and suggestions
to determine what, if any, alterations should be made to the plans.



Design Details and Finish Materials – When the preliminary design is approved, we begin the detailing process/preparation of the detailed construction drawings including picking all the materials we will be installing in your renovated home. Our designers will meet with you at our select supplier’s showrooms to help you decide on finishes for your home. Our team will work with you and guide you to make the best decisions for your project. At this stage, we often arrange onsite meetings with production personnel and select trade contractors to view the proposed work for further accuracy of quotation. We have found that the easiest way to assure your complete satisfaction is to pay attention to as many details as possible. Our contract outlines every phase of the job, giving you a detailed picture of exactly what will be happening in your home. This detailed picture helps keep costs down and your project on track.

While we try to anticipate everything before construction starts, understand that changes can (and most likely will) happen. Whether this is caused by something we could not predict or a sudden inspiration on your part, we can easily initiate a change order to accommodate this change, which will keep the impact on the construction schedule to a minimum.

Before construction begins, you will meet again with our team who will oversee your project including the sales person, the lead carpenter and the project manager. To help you track all the details and decisions associated with your project, you will receive our proprietary Homeowner Manual.  Everything from product selection to schedules can be kept in one easy-to-put-your-hands-on place. Aquarian Construction has crafted this Homeowner Manual to assist you during the renovation process and also as a reference, after the dust has settled. The information presented in this binder will answer many of your questions and help prepare you for each step of the renovation experience, making this exciting time as comfortable as possible.

Construction - Once all has been finalized to the satisfaction of everyone involved, we will begin the next phase of your project - construction. Each job has an assigned Project Manager who is responsible from the beginning of construction through to the final completion. The Project Manager is available either by phone or through the office during all business hours, and will have regular meetings with you to discuss the job progress and answer any questions you may have. Our Design Team remains involved and is frequent attendees at meetings.

Completion and Warranty – In order to finish your project promptly and completely, Aquarian works with you to eliminate any outstanding items at the end of your project. We are committed to finishing your job completely and on time, so you can get your house back as soon as possible without endless return trips to finish little details. Following completion, you will be issued our 3-year written warranty for the work done on your home.

Call us today to find out how we can help you
transform your house into the home of your dreams!