"Your carpenters were friendly, dependable & multi talented... JOB WELL DONE!"
— David & Julie Andrews, Barrington  

We proudly serve Northwest Chicago and the Chicagoland area in places like Arlington Heights, Barrington, Schaumburg, Inverness, Geneva, St. Charles, Sleepy Hollow, Algonquin, Bull Valley, Crystal Lake, Lakewood, Woodstock, Huntley and more.

Copyright © 2010, The Advance Design Studio, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does a typical project look like for Advance Design?
2. What is Advance Design’s strength?
   
3. What is Advance Design’s weakness?
   
4. Does Advance Design use subcontractors?
   
5. Does Advance Design have architects on staff?
   
6. Do I need an architect?
   
7. Does Advance Design "bid" projects?
   
8. Can I provide my own products?
   
9. Can I do some of my own work or hire my own subcontractors?
   
10. Is Advance Design expensive?
    
11. How does Advance Design get paid?
    
12. Is the price negotiable?
    

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What does a typical project look like for Advance Design?

Advance Design handles a wide variety of “typical” projects. We successfully handle residential additions of any kind (we have built a 5,000 sf. indoor pool, and yes, it was for a private homeowner!), whole house remodels including all of the interior spaces (kitchens, baths, offices, mud/laundry areas, etc.). We also do many smaller projects that seem less glamorous, like adding cabinetry to many existing areas, garage and closet organization, entertainment centers and the like. Our smallest projects might be $500 while our largest project to date has been over a million. Regardless of the size of the job, we approach all of our projects with the same systems and people that make us successful.

Our 2 other divisions, Advance Handyman and Advance Design Interiors handle any type of handyman work you can imagine just about (see www.advancehandyman.com) and our Interior Designer is great at furniture, fabrics, window treatments, space planning, color consulting and much more (see www.advancedesigninteriors.com).
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What is Advance Design’s strength?

Our greatest strength is by far our people. No company can be great without the dedicated, hard-working, committed staff like we have at Advance Design. Every person here is passionate about what they do and chose to be here. We have attracted talented, integrity-driven individuals committed to a team approach. We enjoy very little turn over. Second to that, our single greatest strength is in our systems. Remodeling is such a complex business. Out clients love our time refined system we have created to include design from its earliest stages through development, the financial process that we have developed to help clients make good decisions, and the smooth transition through the build process to final completion.
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What is Advance Design’s weakness?

Every company as it grows experiences weaknesses of varying degrees during each phase of time and growth. Early on, securing good solid sub-contractor relationships was initially a challenge. Advance Design is currently in a phase of fine tuning “The Advance Solution”, our Design/Build process we have become known for over the past several years, taking every opportunity to learn from and apply current experiences to bettering our system. Transitioning from a small remodeler in the early 1990’s to a larger firm with dedicated specialists in each area has afforded company leadership the opportunity to work on the company; improving each area possible systematically. Our clients have reaped the rewards of our development, as many who did projects early on and again later can tell you.
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Does Advance Design use subcontractors?

Yes, we use subcontractors for specialty areas of expertise such as plumbing, electrical, concrete work, tile installation, and drywall. We have a team of long time craftsman who share the outlook on the way we believe business should be conducted. Our teams of talented specialists have been carefully cultivated since 1992, and many of our subcontractors have worked in partnership with Advance Design for more than a decade. Additionally; we require annual proof of current licensing and appropriate insurance which is kept on record year round. Our agreements with sub-contractors ensure they are backing our warranty guidelines, and in the rare event where they don’t for some reason, we do anyway. Clients are not expected to communicate with any subcontracted member directly. When engaging our “Advance Solution” process, we handle all of this for you, including scheduling, final approval of work and payment.

In a more recent effort to assure that our homeowners are fully benefiting from our involvement and management of their project, we are actively asking key subcontractors to bid against one another in order to fulfill our obligation to get our clients the best value for their dollar. Our subcontractors so value their relationship with Advance Design that often they are willing to compete for jobs with us.
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Does Advance Design have architects on staff?

No. We do however include architectural services in our “Advance Solution” process. We maintain ongoing relationships with several local architects, each talented in specific areas of architectural design and licensed appropriately. We match prospective client projects with the most suitable architect partner when an architect is required and requested. One of the unique advantages to Design/Build with Advance Design is the opportunity to work through design with the architect, the builder, and your interior designer all present before plans are finalized. We can even provide 3-D drawings depicting several options for design. We include our construction expertise, our financial management, and up front interior design relating to initial space planning as part of the “Advance Solution” process. This process has saved many clients from designing plans only to find out that they cannot afford to build them later when the project goes out to bid.
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Do I need an architect?

Whether or not an architect's services would be required depends on the project scope. If you are planning an addition, or a substantial remodel requiring structural changes, most likely an architect will need to be involved. Some cities may require the "sign off" of a licensed engineer or architect for even simple structural changes. This can be determined by Advance Design during our initial meetings together.
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Does Advance Design "bid" projects?

In the event you already have architectural plans and wish to know what construction costs might be, Advance Design will create a Financial Analysis of two or three "column" options with a range from low to high. It's very difficult to bid construction plans with 100% accuracy until all material selections have been made. You should know that the average cost overruns on projects run 15%-20% more on the back end when they find out that items were not included, or their allowance doesn’t cover their choice made at a later time.

Once all selections have been made, a final project figure can be noted. The “Advance Solution” process is an excellent way to determine where you want to be financially. Frequently even clients who come to us with completed architectural plans experience the “Advance Solution” in order to fine tune interior design and to make all of their material selections. Often pre-designed projects need to be re-designed in order to fit within a reasonable budge range. Be cautious about relying on your architect to predict construction costs, as history shows that without knowledge of all material selections that the actual construction costs anticipated by an architect may be grossly understated.

If you haven't hired an architect and begun drawings yet, we highly recommend meeting with us first to discuss the “Advance Solution” option from the start. You could save yourself a lot of headache, heartache, time and money.
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Can I provide my own products?

Most products due to measuring and specifications are intrinsically linked to a successful and smooth building process, something our clients inevitably hold us responsible for when they hire us. Order accuracy and timing, accompanied by reliable shipping, tracking, and organizing are all critical factors in the success of a detailed and coordinated time schedule. With a few exceptions, it is important to the smooth process Advance Design promotes that we control the process so that you receive the benefits of a smooth project that you expect from us.

Products supplied by homeowners leave the homeowner responsible for correct sizing, shipping, uncrating, checking for damage or problems, and subsequent returns if necessary. Project delays caused by damaged or missing goods cannot be controlled when out of the hands of Advance Design. Return service related to owner-supplied product are outside of our warranty as well.

Although it’s not out of the question, it should be clear how responsibility is affected. If you intend to receive the full benefit of working with a company like ours, we would encourage you to plan on purchasing all of your products through our company. Additionally, Advance Design does not charge up front for your designer’s time to research, recommend, and specify products that suit your style, budget, and project overall. Supplying your own products after the designer has taken the time to work on your project removes our ability as a company to pay our designer for their time and expertise.
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Can I do some of my own work or hire my own subcontractors?

We recommend for clients who wish to save some money on their projects that perhaps they would like to do some demolition in the form of removal of cabinets and appliances. Painting is another area homeowners may excel in. When it comes to other work, it may be possible to fit in some homeowner supplied labor, like installing a tile floor in a new kitchen.

Please keep in mind that construction schedules are pre-set and arranged in advance. Once one task is completed, the next crew of specialty workers is lined up and ready to go. Owner-supplied labor, whether your own or someone else you hire may have a difficult time fitting into a pre-arranged schedule.

The money you might save in hiring your cousin or doing something yourself may be sacrificed later in significant completion delays, and corrections to problems resulting from miscommunication with others outside the control of our management. Lastly, labor supplied by homeowners does not fall under our warranty policy, leaving the homeowner responsible for anything in connection with the items in question.

Some types of owner-supplied labor can work with projects. Please discuss this further in your meeting since every situation is unique and should be address on a per project basis.
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Is Advance Design expensive?

When a financial analysis is done with the “Advance Solution” system, we most likely will include everything down to the door knobs. You should understand that in order to fully complete your project, each decision for every line item we include will need to be accommodated for eventually, whether done by us or by someone else. Frequently, when projects are quoted by other builders, remodelers, and kitchen designers, we notice that all of the materials and labor needed are not included, or allowances are substituted. Things like backsplashes, decorative moldings, hardware, fixtures, and millwork details are frequently left out most of the time because often other professionals are limited in their ability to provide it all.

Most homeowners are coming to us because they want us to coordinate each detail and provide accurate answers to difficult questions. Therefore, our Financial Analysis may be the first time a homeowner has seen literally “all of the numbers” on paper in one place, which can be a sobering experience. Then again, that’s why it’s so important to work with a company that can accurately help the homeowner’s determine in advance what their budget ought to be, and is well versed at providing cost saving options to help come to a resolution that works.
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How does Advance Design get paid?

Our company makes money in various different ways within a typical remodeling project. We buy products direct from manufacturers or wholesale distributors. We in turn provide them to our clients in conjunction with design and project management. Our figures are generally representative of average retail costs as compared to other reputable companies. Labor for the various areas of projects is line itemed by area in our Financial Analysis. You will see Project Management line itemed in your Financial Analysis, which pays for the time spent by our Designers and Project Managers to effectively plan and manage your project from preliminary design to completion in the field.

We disclose pretty detailed breakdowns of each area of a project for a client's Financial Analysis, so nothing is hidden. We do not technically get paid directly for design, nor do we sell our designs. Literally hundreds of hours are compiled by our staff in the completion of many of our remodeling projects.

We employ professionally schooled designers with a full range of experience in various different areas. Our field staff are seasoned professionals with many years of experience. In order to retain such a well qualified team, it is important for us to maintain a healthy work environment complete with vacation time, retirement and insurance plans, and other benefits in order to keep our staff healthy and committed to the success of your project and the ultimate long term success of Advance Design. It is the only way we can continue to offer a fantastic client experience and a quality end product to you, our valued client. Our company carries full comprehensive and liability insurance on all staff members, covering additionally all subcontractors when necessary.

Purchasing a remodeling project in advance is not easy because it's extremely difficult to compare "apples to apples" on something especially that you cannot see, feel or touch! Incorporating the value of the relationship, design, workmanship, timeliness, workability, and plain old honesty is not something that is easy to translate into dollars and cents.

Our company targets a respectable net profit margin as any company of our size and professionalism ought to. The way we pay for our company comes ultimately from the purchase of our products and services.
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Is the price negotiable?

If the question is; “Can we get our project into the investment range that we would like it to be?", then the answer is "Of course!". The beauty of the Financial Analysis process that we have developed is to help clients make the decisions regarding design and material selection that will work with their anticipated budget range which we can help them develop. We are experienced at offering suggestions of alternative designs and material selections that aid especially in reducing the cost of projects that have gotten more expensive than hoped. In experiencing this process, there are relatively little surprises financially.

If a client asks at the completion of the project planning and design if we can reduce the cost of the project by 10% without removing anything, then usually the answer must be "no". The reason is because that would mean the project is overpriced to begin with. Since most companies operate with an anticipated net profit margin of 10% or less, then what you would be asking is for Advance Design to work for free, which wouldn't be a smart business decision on the company's part. Please respect that our wish is to run a profitable company so that we may remain in business for years to come!
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