permits
In my last two columns, I've gone to unusually length in describing my views of the design-preparation and presentation processes. This time, the subjects are more compact but, in practical terms, no less significant and vital: permits and contracts. We left the discussion last time at the point where I've shown my clients the design package and it's time for them to decide what to do. In most cases, they choose to build - the usual outcome for me because of the way I pre-qualified my clients and communicate clearly with them at every step of the way. In general, if you've done the right things to this point and the project reflects an informed knowledge of what is involved in
In my last two columns, I've gone to unusually length in describing my views of the design-preparation and presentation processes. This time, the subjects are more compact but, in practical terms, no less significant and vital: permits and contracts. We left the discussion last time at the point where I've shown my clients the design package and it's time for them to decide what to do. In most cases, they choose to build - the usual outcome for me because of the way I pre-qualified my clients and communicate clearly with them at every step of the way. In general, if you've done the right things to this point and the project reflects an informed knowledge of what is involved in
In the design and construction of any watershape, there are a number of points in the process where you can see big differences between the way custom designers and contractors do things and the way production/volume-oriented companies go about their business. From first conversations with clients straight through to commissioning the system and turning it over to the homeowners, it's easy to spot these distinctions and define key differences. To illustrate just one of these areas, let me discuss the case of the permitting phase for the project on Long Beach Island, N.J., I began covering two issues ago. What's involved here is a cluster of issues that occurred more or less simultaneously in the project's early going. The elements of this cluster may not seem directly related to one another, but
As I discussed in the June installment of this column, the construction of a backyard watershape environment requires careful and clear coordination - and sensitivity to the fact that watching the process unfold can be unpleasant or even traumatic for your clients. Without a doubt, the key to managing the process so that your clients don't become unhappy requires purposeful, up-front communication that sets realistic expectations for how the project will progress - and when. Similarly, you should also set up expectations for the inevitable
