Our services
We have a broad range of experience in areas such as:
What sets us apart from the competition:
1. Owner control
In a project management approach, you as the project owner have more control in each step of the project from design, pre-construction and construction phases.
All meeting decisions and action items are documented to ensure nothing is missed.
2. Financial
Our role is to protect your interests financially on the project.
To do so we develop an accurate budget based on trade and supplier quotes. The budget is fully developed before you give the direction for construction phase to proceed. You are then provided with monthly budget updates showing actual expenditures vs. budget.
3. No mark ups
In a general contractor arrangement, trade and supplier quotes are typically marked up 10% or more. We do not add any mark up to quotes and we review all actual quotes provided for your project with you.
4. 'Pay as you play'
In a project management arrangement, you pay monthly for services rendered up to a guaranteed maximum percentage or total project cost. Therefore, if you determine after design and pre-construction phase not to proceed with the project you are under no obligation to do so as you need to approve project budget before construction phase commences.
5. Quality control
We assemble a team of the best tradespeople to ensure the workmanship a notch above.
There are quality control processes included throughout the project schedule. You are provided with monthly project schedule updates.
6. Construction knowledge
We help to ensure constructible designs that make sense both now and, in the future (adaptable design).
7. Extensive Ontario Building Code and regulatory knowledge
This helps to minimize delays in permit and inspection processes.
We are very proactive in ensuring your application makes it through the approval process as expediently as possible.
8. Schedule
We are committed to ensuring that both trades and suppliers follow the project schedule. We also plan that you can occupy the space at the time that we agreed to at the start of the construction phase.
9. Own forces work
If you would like to be involved and contribute to some parts of the work due to your unique skillset or wish to do some general site labour (such as site clean-up) to help keep costs down, we can go through what pieces you will be involved with. The time you require to do this will be included in the project schedule.
Service pricing
Project Management Services are charged at an hourly rate to a guaranteed maximum percentage of project cost. This is a ‘pay as you play’ approach so if you decide after design phase or preconstruction phase not to proceed with the project at this time you just pay for services rendered to that point.
Upon signing of a PM agreement, a retainer is provided by the customer to the project manager to begin the design phase for the project.
PM fees are billed monthly based on hours of work to the nearest 15 minutes.
All costs associated with design are paid by the customer after review and approval of invoice by the Project Manager.
Things we do well:
- Managing projects
- Researching regulations and best practices
- Organizing work and project plans
- Managing meetings and providing clear action items and follow through
- Setting and achieving objectives
- Applying age-in-place and adaptable design features to building design
- Assembling the best tradespeople for your unique build & budget.
Project phases
In a Project Management (PM) contract, the role of the project manager is to look out for and protect the Owner's interest. Some of the activities the project manager does to ensure the Owner's wishes are done at each project phase are indicated below:
Design Phase
- Review and sign Project Management Agreement and provide retainer to start design process.
- Preliminary needs assessment questions for Owner.
- Coordinate bi-weekly meetings with best designer(s) for project, as needed.
- Provide design meeting minutes with action items to Owner and designer team.
- Evaluate alternatives with designers, trades, and Owner to ensure the most appropriate design, materials and building systems are used and review with Owner for approval.
- Review preliminary layouts drawings with Owner for approval.
- Development of working drawings (architectural, structural, heating/cooling, ventilation and electrical (as applicable) and review with Owner for approval.
Pre-Construction Phase
- Hold biweekly meeting with Owner, as needed.
- Develop a team of the best tradespersons and suppliers to meet the project objectives and present to Owner for approval.
- Develop bid work packages for each trade and supplier to ensure all trades and suppliers are providing pricing for the same quality products and present to Owner for approval.
- Determine if there will be any Owner contributions (Own Forces work).
- Prepare project budget and present to Owner for approval.
- Prepare and apply for municipal building permit(s) and any other regulatory requirements.
- Ensure all project safety requirements are in place before construction commences including Ministry of Labour, Notice of Project.
- Ensure all trades and suppliers have liability insurance and WSIB coverage.
- Identify any long lead items.
Construction Phase
- Ensure all required health and safety measures are in place before commencing construction.
- Ensure construction proceeds in accordance with the approved plans and specifications.
- Ensure all regulatory requirements including building permit conditions are complied with.
- Coordinate all municipal building inspections and other inspections required are included in project schedule.
- Ensure project is completed on time and on budget.
- Ensure all quality control processes are included in the project schedule.
- Ensure walk-throughs with Owner at critical points of the project as per project schedule.
- Provide monthly project schedule updates to Owner until completion.
- Provide monthly project budget updates to Owner until completion.
- Provide monthly material receipts to Owner for payment.
- Provide monthly Project Management Invoice to Owner for payment.
- Ensure all change order requests are documented and executed as per Owners wishes.
- Review all requests for payment by trades and suppliers and advise Owner when ready for payment.
- Ensure all required equipment and system testing is completed and documentation submitted (plumbing and HVAC systems, etc).
- Do pre-delivery walk through with Owner.
- Provide copies of all warranties, operation manuals and service manuals to Owner.
- Provide copies of all final inspection reports to Owner.