Our Process To get started, contact Caroline Boyd Designs . We meet, either in person or over the internet. Once we have a basic understanding of your needs, we create a proposal, which can serve as the contract for your project. Typically, we use a fixed fee contract. The fee is typically broken into at least three payments, the first due at the start of the project, the second due at the end of the Design Development Phase, and the final payment due upon delivery of the Construction Documents. If the project is a remodel, the first step will be to photograph, measure, and draw the existing house. Then, the Schematic Design process proceeds as it would with a new house: We arrange the spaces and masses of the house, sometimes only in sketch form. We adjust the Schematic Design based on your feedback. Once that Schematic Design has been approved, We move on to the Design Development Phase. During this phase, we refine the design based on the feedback we receive from you. At the end of this phase, floor plans and elevations will be in drafted form. After the Design Development drawings have been approved, we produce the dimensioned annotated detailed drawings needed to construct the house. We will do site visits during construction, at your request. (There may be an additional travel charge.)