Pre-Construction Services

Pre-construction is the planning that happens between having an idea for your outdoor space and being truly prepared to build it. It allows us to take the initial vision and work through the design, property conditions, materials, measurements, construction requirements, costs, and other important details before crews and equipment ever arrive.

Outdoor projects often involve multiple elements that affect one another. Elevations can impact drainage, hardscape can affect landscaping and irrigation, structures may require engineering, and future outdoor features may require utilities to be installed before concrete is ever poured. Thinking through these details early helps the entire project work together.

We believe the time spent before construction is just as important as the construction itself. Our goal is to identify as much as reasonably possible upfront, give our clients a clearer understanding of what they’re building and investing in, and give our construction team a well-developed plan to build from.

We don’t believe in rushing homeowners into a construction contract or simply putting numbers on paper before the details of a project have been properly developed.

For projects requiring more detailed planning, our Pre-Construction Design & Services Agreement gives our team and our clients the time to thoughtfully work through the project before construction begins. Depending on the project, this can include design development, site measurements, material selections, drainage and elevations, construction details, project phasing, budgeting, coordination, detailed takeoffs, and final proposal preparation.

Outdoor construction is a significant investment. We believe our clients deserve to understand what they’re agreeing to build, what is included, and what they can realistically expect to invest before entering into a construction contract.

Taking additional time upfront may make the process before construction a little longer, but we believe it helps set the project, and our clients, up for a better experience once construction begins.

Every project is different, so our Pre-Construction Design & Services Agreements are tailored to the individual property, project scope, and level of planning required.

Depending on the project, services may include 2D and 3D landscape and hardscape design, planting plans, scaled site plans, property measurements, design meetings, material and finish selections, grading and elevation planning, drainage planning, outdoor living feature planning, site access and existing-condition review, project phasing, detailed takeoffs, preliminary investment planning, and final construction scope and proposal development.

When applicable, we can also coordinate HOA submittals, general engineering, trades and subcontractors, and general contractors when our work is being incorporated into a custom home project.

The purpose isn’t to add unnecessary steps. It’s to determine what needs to be worked through before construction so there is a clearer plan for everyone involved.

The more developed a project is before pricing, the better we can understand what we’re actually being asked to build.

Our designs are created to scale using measurements from your property. Once the design and scope are developed, we use professional construction software, including Bluebeam, to perform detailed takeoffs and calculate quantities such as square footage. We can then combine those quantities with material selections, site conditions, construction requirements, labor, and the other components of the project to develop our proposal.

This is very different from relying solely on rough square-foot pricing, generalized estimates, or basic material allowances.

No contractor can guarantee that an outdoor construction project will never encounter a change or unforeseen condition. However, our goal is to make the original proposal as detailed and realistic as reasonably possible based on the information available before construction.

We would rather spend additional time measuring, planning, selecting, and pricing upfront than provide an attractive number quickly and leave our clients discovering significant costs later that could have reasonably been identified beforehand.

We refer to this as your targeted comfort zone of investment, and we believe it is an important conversation to have early.

A beautiful design isn’t very useful if it ultimately represents an investment far beyond what a homeowner intended to spend. Understanding your comfort zone gives our team and designer valuable direction as the project develops and allows us to have realistic conversations about what may be achievable within it.

If the developing design or material selections begin moving beyond that range, we can discuss alternatives before construction begins. That may mean modifying certain features, selecting different materials, prioritizing the portions of the project that matter most, or planning certain improvements for a future phase.

Our goal isn’t to push our clients toward the largest project possible. It’s to help develop a project that balances their vision, property, priorities, quality expectations, and investment in a way they feel comfortable moving forward with.

Material selections are an important part of both the design and the eventual construction price. Our team and in-house landscape designer work alongside our clients to select materials, finishes, colors, textures, planting, and other design elements that complement the home and create a cohesive finished outdoor space.

We also discuss how those selections can affect the overall investment. The cost difference between materials isn’t always limited to the material itself, certain selections may also require different preparation, installation methods, labor, or construction details.

Whenever possible, we prefer to make major selections before preparing the final construction proposal. This allows us to price the materials our clients actually want rather than relying heavily on basic allowances that may not represent their preferences.

We don’t want a client to choose a contractor based on an appealing initial price only to discover later that achieving the look they originally envisioned requires substantial upgrades and change orders. Working through selections upfront helps create more realistic expectations before construction begins.

Yes. One of the primary benefits of pre-construction is having the opportunity to identify and work through potential costs, conflicts, and decisions before they become issues in the field.

A developed design, material selections, accurate measurements, detailed takeoffs, site evaluation, drainage and elevation planning, and construction coordination can uncover details that may otherwise not be considered until construction is already underway.

It is important, however, to distinguish between avoidable changes and truly unforeseen conditions. No amount of planning can guarantee that every concealed condition will be known before excavation, demolition, or construction begins. Clients may also decide to add or change portions of their project after construction starts.

Our goal isn’t to promise that change orders will never happen. It’s to do the work upfront that can help reduce unnecessary ones and make the original construction scope as complete and transparent as reasonably possible.

Even the most thoroughly planned outdoor project can encounter conditions that couldn’t reasonably be seen or confirmed before construction begins.

Existing properties can contain concealed utilities, undocumented previous construction, unexpected soil or rock conditions, buried materials, drainage issues, deteriorated or improperly constructed existing improvements, and other conditions that may only become visible once demolition, excavation, or construction is underway.

We believe transparency means discussing this possibility before we ever break ground, not after something unexpected has already happened.

We encourage our clients to maintain a reasonable contingency beyond their planned construction investment and not financially overextend themselves to complete the original scope. We never want a homeowner to commit every dollar they are comfortable spending and then be unprepared if a legitimate unforeseen condition needs to be addressed.

Our job during pre-construction is to identify as much as reasonably possible. It’s equally important for us to be honest about the things no contractor can know with certainty until construction begins.

Yes, when applicable to the project.

We’ve worked with countless HOAs throughout the communities we serve, and every association can be a little different. Some approval processes are relatively straightforward, while others have detailed design standards, material requirements, documentation, and multiple rounds of review.

Because HOA submittals commonly require plans and material selections, having an in-house landscape designer allows us to develop the plans and project information needed for the improvements we’re proposing and coordinate those items as part of pre-construction.

Depending on the project, we can also coordinate general engineering, trades and subcontractors, and general contractors when our outdoor construction is part of a larger custom home project.

Not every project requires every type of coordination, which is another reason our pre-construction scope is tailored to the individual project rather than treated as a one-size-fits-all service.

The design and pre-construction process isn’t only for helping our clients visualize their finished outdoor space. It creates the roadmap our construction team can use once it’s time to build.

Scaled plans, measurements, elevations, material selections, drainage information, construction details, and an established scope give our team clearer direction in the field. Instead of making major design decisions after crews and equipment arrive, we can work through many of those decisions beforehand.

This becomes especially important on complete outdoor projects where concrete, landscaping, drainage, irrigation, lighting, utilities, structures, pools, and other features all need to be constructed in the proper sequence.

A well-planned project creates clearer expectations between the homeowner, our project team, crews, and any applicable trades. It allows us to begin construction with a much stronger understanding of where we’re going and how we plan to get there.

That’s absolutely something we can consider during pre-construction. Even when a homeowner doesn’t plan to build every feature immediately, we believe it’s important to discuss what they may eventually want their property to become.

For example, you may not be ready to build an outdoor kitchen, pavilion, fire feature, additional lighting, pool, or another improvement today. But if we know those features are part of the long-term vision, we can consider how they may affect utilities, underground connections, elevations, drainage, access, and the portions of the property being constructed now.

Planning ahead can potentially save significant time, money, and disruption later. Installing or preparing for something while underground work is already happening can be much simpler than cutting into completed concrete or disturbing finished landscaping several years later.

Whether the entire project is constructed at once or thoughtfully completed in phases, our goal is to plan with the finished property in mind.

No. Our Pre-Construction Design & Services Agreement is separate from the eventual construction contract. Its purpose is to give your project the time and attention needed to develop the design, selections, construction considerations, scope, and investment expectations before making the larger commitment to construction.

We don’t believe homeowners should feel pressured into signing a construction contract before they have had the opportunity to understand what they’re building and what they’re investing in. Pre-construction gives us the opportunity to thoughtfully develop those details together first.

If you decide CJR is the right company to bring your project to life, the work completed during pre-construction creates a strong foundation for preparing the final construction proposal and transitioning into the building phase.

As a thank-you for choosing CJR to continue the journey from planning into construction, we credit a portion of your pre-construction fee toward your construction contract total. We appreciate the opportunity to take the ideas we’ve developed together and turn them into something you and your family can enjoy for years to come.

Our goal throughout pre-construction is to provide clear information, realistic expectations, and thoughtful planning so you can confidently decide what comes next. Whether or not you ultimately choose CJR for construction, we believe that decision should be made after you have a much clearer understanding of your project, not before.

The cost of our Pre-Construction Design & Services varies from project to project because the amount of design, planning, and coordination required can be very different depending on the property and scope of work.

A smaller landscape or hardscape project may require a different level of planning than a complete outdoor transformation involving a pool, extensive hardscape, landscaping, structures, drainage, engineering, HOA requirements, or multiple trades. Property size, design complexity, the number of areas being developed, and the level of coordination required can all influence the pre-construction fee.

After your initial consultation and once we have a better understanding of what you’re looking to accomplish, we can determine the appropriate pre-construction scope and provide a Pre-Construction Design & Services Agreement outlining the services and associated fee before you decide to move forward.

We believe in being transparent about that investment from the beginning. You’ll know what your pre-construction services cost and what is included before entering into the agreement.

Not necessarily. The need for pre-construction is based more on the planning needs of the project than simply its overall size or price.

Complete outdoor transformations certainly benefit from detailed pre-construction planning, but we also utilize Pre-Construction Design & Services Agreements for smaller landscape and hardscape projects. A design allows us to thoughtfully develop the layout, measurements, materials, planting, elevations, drainage, and other important details so our clients can clearly understand what their finished space is expected to look like before construction begins.

This is especially valuable when working with a blank-slate property rather than simply replacing what already exists. When there is no existing layout to follow, the different areas of the property need to be intentionally planned, from concrete and hardscape placement to planting areas, irrigation, drainage, walkways, and how everything connects to the home.

For hardscape in particular, we want our clients to understand the layout and feel confident in the plan before permanent improvements such as concrete are installed. Once concrete or other hardscape goes down, changing the size, shape, or layout later can become costly and disruptive.

Whether we’re planning a complete backyard transformation or a smaller landscape or hardscape project, our goal is the same: give our clients the opportunity to see the plan, make informed decisions, and feel confident in what they’re investing in before construction begins.

Our Pre-Construction Design & Services Agreements are tailored to each individual project so the level of design and planning reflects what the project actually requires.