FAQ

HOW WILL I BE BILLED?

We take a deposit upon signing the build contract. This deposit goes toward permits, pre-ordering materials, operational costs, demolition, and labor before the first draw request. After some work is completed, we will submit a draw request based on completed portions of the project. You or your lender will verify that the work is completed prior to funding the request. Anticipated draw requests follow the budget and timeline. Change orders and up-grades are also identified in draw requests.

HOW DO ALLOWANCE ITEMS WORK?

Allowance items are up to you to choose. We set an amount in the budget to give you a guideline, but the exact amount spent will be billed on the draw request instead of the budgeted amount. You will receive vendor receipts for these items. For instance: if we set a budget for $1500 for plumbing fixtures and the cost is $1250, that is the amount that will be billed. If the cost is $1790, that amount will be billed. We do not charge cost+ for allowance items. Some lenders may require you to pay out of pocket for costs that exceed the budget.

HOW DO UPGRADES WORK?

Upgrades are decided prior to beginning the project as they affect the overall budget and timeline. We strive to get you everything on your wishlist AND stay in your desired budget, but when this isn’t possible, we move these items to upgrades with an anticipated budget and timeline. This amount may need to be adjusted depending on the precise combination of upgrades chosen and will be agreed upon in the final budget prior to project start.

WHAT KIND OF RECEIPTS AND INVOICES CAN I EXPECT?

We provide a turn-key service, which means we pay our subs, artisans, and laborers daily or weekly, and we, in turn, charge you after work is completed. For these items, you will receive an invoice from Trinity along with the draw request. We do not charge cost+ on allowance items, so for these items you will see a vendor invoice unless they are purchased directly from our inventory. Some lenders will not allow you to pay vendors directly.

WHAT ABOUT THE MESS?

A clean job site is our goal. We will do our best to keep things tidy throughout the process, but some mess is unavoidable. Construction dust from even the smallest demolition will get EVERYWHERE, so it’s a good idea to remove all items from areas where construction will take place. Put away and cover any items or furniture left behind. We will plastic and tape off areas where work will not be taking place, but dust will still find a way. After construction is complete, we will send in a final cleaning crew to clean up the dust in all areas we worked in, but dust will continue to settle for up to 2 months. We can help arrange for a cleaning crew to follow up at regular intervals after the project is over.

WHAT IF I WANT TO CHANGE SOMETHING AFTER WE SIGN THE CONTRACT?

Change orders are to be expected. Once we start opening walls, ideas start flooding in and that’s ok!

Anything that was not in the original budget is considered a change order.

We do not charge a change-order fee; these will be billed the same as everything else: turn-key for parts, materials, and labor, and cost for fixtures and allowance items.

Change orders will be at the bottom of the draw request form with an asterisk. Some lenders may require you to pay out of pocket for change orders.

Change orders usually add time and cost to your project, so keep this in mind when thinking about making a change.

We try to think of everything from the start of a project, but sometimes a change order is necessary for an unforeseen circumstance. We will always try our best to work with you to keep your project in the budget when this happens.

MOST COMMON CAUSES OF TIME AND BUDGET OVERAGES

CHANGE ORDERS

The number one reason a project may go over time and/or budget is due to change orders. Change orders alter the timeline, cause us to go backwards over work we’ve already completed, and gets us off course.

Anytime we have to deviate from a contract with a sub or laborer, it costs us extra time and money. Changing materials last minute may mean we are waiting for special order items to come in, or having to make last minute trips to pick items up.

UNFORESEEN REPAIRS

When you’re doing a remodel, you are coming behind someone else’s work and likely working on an older home. Codes and standards of practice change with time and some things may have to be corrected before moving forward. Also, aging homes may have unseen rot, insect damage, or poor craftsmanship. We always try to anticipate this from the offset, but some things just can’t be anticipated. When this happens, we always try to give you as much notice as possible and work with you to figure out a way to resolve the issues so that you are getting a final product we know is safe for your family.

UNEXPECTED CHANGES IN THE MARKET

Any industry that deals in commodities and labor is subject to change at a moment’s notice. Labor shortages may cause us to choose between paying more, or waiting until a specific crew becomes available. Lumber prices have increased drastically over the last 5 years and may continue to do so. We can compensate for these situations by bulk ordering materials and pre-arranging labor at the offset of a project; change orders may interfere with these practices.

WHO CAN I EXPECT TO SEE ON MY JOBSITE?

Project managers and team members will identify themselves to you and are available to answer questions or concerns. You will sometimes see workers or crews present without a team member or manager, but we will never send someone to your house that is unsafe or untrustworthy, so if you feel that something is wrong, please let us know IMMEDIATELY.

There are sometimes down days in a project. While we try to keep these to an absolute minimum, some are unavoidable. If no one is working at your job site, we may be working offsite, picking up materials, waiting on something to dry, or awaiting an inspection.

Construction sites are magnets for theft and crime. Someone will secure your job site every day, but it is a good idea to remove all valuable from your home prior to the project starting.