Our Architect-Led Design-Build Process

A Proven Process that Works to Your Advantage

A design-build approach gives homeowners one coordinated team responsible for both design and construction from the first conversation through final construction.

Led by a registered residential architect and supported by experienced architectural designers, kitchen and bath designers, project supervisors, and craftsmen, our proven design-build process enables our team to achieve extraordinary results — while avoiding costly delays and mistakes.

3-Phase Design-Build Process

Our streamlined design-build process takes you from preliminary ideas through construction completion in three simple phases and two follow-up stages.

This is one of the most important phases of the design-build process. Whether your vision is specific or still taking shape, our architect and architectural design team help translate your goals into a plan that is practical, buildable, and aligned with your home.

The design team measures the applicable areas of the existing house and produces as-built drawings.
Existing site conditions are evaluated and recorded.
Zoning, easement, and environmental issues are evaluated.
Your architect, architectural designers, and kitchen and bath designer use a combination of hand sketches, renderings, and computer drawings to produce design concepts.
Ballpark costs for construction and budgets for interior finishes are established.
Designs and accompanying ballparks are presented for your review and comment.
Revisions are made to meet your needs, budget, and aesthetic sensibilities.

After the initial design and budget have been established you’re given a slot on our construction schedule that coincides with completion of the remaining design detail work.

A subcontractor meeting is held at your house so that project craftsmen, with architectural plans in hand, can evaluate and troubleshoot their areas of responsibility.
Kitchen and bath designers work closely with you to complete the design of the interior spaces.
Any major structural engineering issues are addressed.
Any zoning or environmental site issues are resolved.
Options you may be considering are decided upon.
A final project cost is determined.
All project documents are reviewed with you.

The final phase of the project includes all aspects of the design-build process, including the following:

Construction Documents are assembled and completed.
Permit documents are prepared and submitted to the county reviewer.
Specialty items such as windows, cabinets and stone are ordered to arrive when needed for installation.
Before the actual construction begins, your project manager conducts a formal review process of all project information in our office and at your home.
A pre-construction conference at your home puts you and your project craftsmen on the same page for all on-site particulars, including the location of dumpster, delivered materials, and job-log; hours of operation; any pet considerations; timing of demolition; and many other points.
Construction often starts with demolition, but some projects may start with excavation or masonry work.
Construction progresses per the construction schedule through completion.
In last 1-2 weeks, you will perform walk-throughs for punch list preparation and completion.

Our client relationship continues beyond completion of the 3-Phase Design-Build Process. We stand behind each project with a 2-year workmanship warranty. At the close of your project, Commonwealth will prepare a Warranty Binder including final inspection documentation, a copy of the building permit, a warranty certificate, and applicable product warranties.

Additionally, Commonwealth will perform a one-year followup at no cost to address common issues due to materials acclimating after installation. Separation of seams in woodwork and cabinetry are caulked or repaired, with finishes touched-up. Cabinet doors and drawers are adjusted to proper operation. Interior doors and hardware are balanced for proper closure. These are just a few of the services we perform to ensure your remodel has been built to last.

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What Makes Our Architect-Led Design-Build Firm Different?

Commonwealth is co-owned by a registered architect with over 40 years of experience and employs architectural staff as project managers. That means design integrity is carried through every phase of our design-build process — from early planning to construction.

With an architect-led team under one roof, questions are answered faster, priorities stay clear, and design decisions are communicated directly to the people responsible for building them. Additionally, we have:

Multiple Disciplines In-House

Commonwealth integrates architectural design, estimating, project management, and construction coordination in-house, giving us tight control over timelines and processes that many companies relying solely on subcontractors don’t have. It also allows us to respond quickly and effectively to situations that may arise during design and construction.

Expert Kitchen and Bath Designers

We’ve had expert kitchen and bath designers on our in-house team for decades. This allows us to seamlessly incorporate kitchen and bath design, built-ins, fireplace designs, and interior design into any kitchen, bath, or other home remodeling project.

In-house Project Supervisors

Many clients ask us the very important question about whether our construction personnel are on-staff or subcontractors. This question stems from a valid concern about unknown and untested entities ending up on their project. All project supervision is handled by members of our in-house team with qualified sub-contractors providing services in areas such as electrical and HVAC installation. We’ve developed long-term relationships with our subs to ensure they fully understand our design aesthetic and approach.

Residential architect and Commonwealth co-owner Susan Pierce, discusses the importance of considerations like traffic flow, curb appeal, and balancing functional and aesthetic design in home remodeling and new design projects.

Want to “test drive” your builder before fully committing?

The work we do for you during the first two stages of the design-build process affords you the opportunity to evaluate our commitment to excellence, so that you can move forward into construction with the assurance of a quality experience.

Need help setting (and sticking to) a reasonable project budget?

Our ability to assess your scope of work, pose the right questions and offer budget insight stems from decades of experience with residential home remodeling projects of all magnitudes. If the project scope changes during the initial design process, designs and budgets can be expediently adjusted because all project capabilities are housed under one roof.

Want to avoid playing the middle-person?

Most clients don’t have the time or desire to manage relationships between architects and builders. We’ve all heard horror stories of these two entities playing against one another, resulting in an atmosphere of distrust and poor communication. This tension can quickly snowball into poor project quality and higher costs.