You are part of the design-build team.

At Zebu the people on your design-build team will include the designer/architect, the project manager and a full service construction staff. As the customer, however, you are the most important member of the team. Your wishes and ideas drive design, material selection, and budget. You bring to the table your specific concerns and desires; Zebu provides experience, knowledge, and skills that turn your ideas into reality. Often, Zebu can show you examples of similar projects and present a menu of economical, practical, and aesthetic solutions to frequently encountered design problems. Zebu can counsel you in choosing materials and finishes for your home that represent good values within your budget and that complete your vision of your new home.

Your priorities drive the project.

In addition to your tastes, your Zebu team will consider your space needs, building code requirements, and any other applicable factors, and combine these elements to create a pleasing, structurally sound design.

At or shortly after your initial meeting, Zebu will generate a ballpark estimate for your new home. Based on this initial estimate - and with your "okay" to proceed - the firm will then produce a preliminary design, including the first set of preliminary sketches and a more detailed estimate. The decisions and selections you make guide Zebu in refining these sketches into a final design, accompanied by a more polished estimate. When all design decisions, allowances, and selections have been made, a set of complete construction drawings can be created and a final contract price established.

The same team handles design and construction.

During construction you have the reassurance of knowing that the team in charge of building or remodeling your home is completely familiar with the design. You run less risk that design elements will be misinterpreted or that necessary material will not be available and cause delays or changes.

You can help by following Zebu's established procedures for site visits and project changes. Scheduled site visits provide important opportunities for you to discuss the progress of work on your home. Changes often require additional materials and labor and may disrupt planned work, so keeping changes to a minimum helps keep the project on track and within budget. Following the established procedure allows Zebu to accommodate necessary changes more efficiently.

How are fees charged for design-build services?

The fee structure for design and construction services varies from firm to firm and sometimes from job to job, depending on the scope of the work involved. Zebu separates the charges for the design and the construction phases of the project.

The design fee covers Zebu's time and costs for developing your ideas into a buildable plan. This fee includes administration costs; costs for design time (client meetings, preliminary sketches, design development, and specification development); and research and drafting time (measurement and drafting of existing site, material research, and construction cost estimating, and drafting and blueprinting).

Construction fees are usually charged on a fixed-fee basis. Cost-plus contracts may be used when the scope of work is uncertain - for example, if the exact location of utility lines is uncertain. A fixed-fee arrangement is used when the scope of work can be more precisely determined.

If some cost items cannot be determined before the construction contract is signed, cost allowances are used. For example, a cost allowance of $1,000.00 might be included to cover a specified amount of carpeting when the pattern, type, and manufacturer have yet to be selected. The contract will also specify fees for change orders such as client-requested additions or subtractions to the construction contract.

Not just a pretty house, but a well tailored home.

Zebu offers you more than just a pretty house. From the start, design solutions are strongly rooted in practical application and experience. Project planning takes into account the realities of the construction process and the budget you have established. Because the work is centralized in one firm, the design-build process greatly reduces the chances of costly or time-consuming surprises once the project is under construction. The result is a new home that suits your special needs and preferences.