Reply to Interviewing design & build firms for doing extensive renovations

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Suggest you interview a separate architect and a separate contractor as well. Usually with a design build firm, one part is good and one part weak.  [/quote]

Good idea. Can you recommend anyone that does work in N. Arlington? [/quote]

I can recommend Archaeon architects in Cabin John.  We did a major renovation/addition with them that turned out well.  They did detailed cost projections and we got bids from 3 contractors they've had good experience with (2 of them for many years).  The cost projections were vetted by my cousin (our reality check), an architect in another city, and he thought they were in the ballpark.  Two of the 3 bids were within ~3% of each other (and at the projection); the 3rd bid was ridiculously high, more than 20%, so was eliminated from consideration.

If you have any special consideration (we had tree preservation as one) design-build may not have the flexibility you want.  Regarding over $300k suggesting a teardown, we did ask just to have the information to consider, and the cost projection for a teardown was significantly higher than the renovation (of about 60% of the house) and addition (nearly doubling space) that we did (we were not particularly interested in a teardown since our house was basically sound and well built).

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They also do design/build. Any particular reason why you decided to go with the bidding approach instead? [/quote]

As I mentioned, we had some unique considerations and we (they & we) didn't think D-B approach would address them better.

I think they do D-B as an alternative or in a situation where less tailoring may be needed (they can answer that better than I can explain it) but we had some lot access issues (narrow access to rear yard, no access from front yard on one side for the most part), critical need to save/protect 2 large trees, etc.  I am sure it cost a bit more to do it this way but I also think that the result is better and worth it (we're happy and neighbors & friends like the result).  Best, of course, would be to discuss particulars of your situation with them and see if D-B would work there. [/quote]

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