• Your schematic plans
  
• Your project scope as outlined in the Feasibility Study Agreement
  
• Wills Company experience with past projects that are similar to yours in scope
  
• Per item estimates used by the various trades that assume typical
  and standard materials and installation as applicable to your project
  

We will provide an estimated range of potential cost for your project and will review with you the assumptions that we have made in developing these costs.

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Commitment Agreement

Once you determine that you wish to hire the Wills Company to build your project, we sign a Commitment Agreement.

By signing this agreement, The Wills Company commits to:

- Manage the zoning variance process, if such is required.

- Create your construction documents, including:

• Construction drawings
  
• A fully detailed, written scope for your project (Contract Specifications

- Create the final contract
- Reserve a place in our schedule for your project

By signing this agreement, you commit to:

- Hire The Wills Company to build your project
- Pay a deposit retainer for your project

If the fixed-price contract for your project exceeds the guaranteed upper end from the Conceptual Estimate, you are not obligated in any way to undertake your project with The Wills Company, and we will refund your deposit in full. Your only obligation to The Wills Company will be to pay for the construction document design work.

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• Floor plans
  
• Elevations
  
• Building sections
  
• Site plans
  
• Cabinet details
  
• Architectural and structural details

Total cost for preparing these documents typically runs about 8% of the final contract price.

Contract Specifications

This document outlines the full scope of information that applies to your project. It also informs you of the aspects of which you need to be made particularly aware such as notes about warranty limitations or decisions that you will need to be making.

Using these three documents, we then price out your project incorporating our labor costs with proposals from multiple subcontractors in order to get the best quality for the best price available.

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• The contract outlines as accurately as possible, on the front end, exactly what you will be spending to complete their project.
• However, when you initiate changes to your construction plan or significant “unknowns” are discovered during the project, you will incur a change order to your project. Examples of significant “unknowns” include hidden termite infestation or an unknown structural beam that blocks a needed pathway.
• If a change to your project requires design work, an additional per hour fee will be assessed for design.
• Billing for this type of contract is set at the outset in fixed installments starting at the signing of the contract and ending with substantial completion.

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Job Preparation

Permit

Permits are legally required for all projects other than repairs or cosmetic renovation type work. The Wills Company ensures that all of the necessary permits are obtained; and you do not need to worry about it!

Pre-Construction Meeting

Prior to the start of construction on your project, we will meet with you at your site to review the project one final time so as to:

• Prepare you for any steps which you need to take in order for the work to start
  
• Ensure that you are clear about how to communicate with our team
  
• Let you know that our team is at your service
  

At this meeting, you will receive the following:

• Client’s Decision List
  
  You are an integral member of The Wills Company team, and your role is crucial. You make the final decision on many items. This list organizes and further explains most of these choices for you.
  
  
• Tips For A Successful Project
  
  
• Construction Schedule
  
  This timeline of your project will be in the form of calendar pages that have been marked to indicate the general flow of your project. It is meant to be a general guideline to help you plan ahead. You will be updated with a new schedule as necessary throughout your project.

We also work hard to keep your neighbors happy too! Before the project begins, we will send your neighbors a letter that informs them about the upcoming project and includes a company contact name and phone number should they have questions or concerns.

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• Your Project Manager provides one point of contact that makes communication quick and simple and helps to keep your job on time and on budget.
  

Clear and honest communication is the foundation of any Wills Company project. Setting realistic expectations from the beginning is crucial to maintaining your satisfaction. We will explain in detail what you should expect during the project and help you to prepare for potential inconveniences.

• We respect your home and will treat it with the utmost care.
• We keep the job site neat and safe, and clean up every day before leaving.
  
• We have a strict no smoking rule in your house.
  
• We respect your time and needs. We will arrive on time, or we will let you know otherwise.We will complete the day’s work in a timely and professional manner–minimizing disruption to your lifestyle
• To assure the safety of your house and to protect both you and our employees, we carry worker’s compensation and liability insurance for all our employees and subcontractors.
  

Change Orders

Our team will work closely with you in the planning stages to anticipate the entire scope of the project and to identify all needed improvements. However, unforeseen conditions will be discovered during the construction, and you will change your mind about some aspect of the project.

Because changes do occur, we are committed to a written, change order process. This protects both you and The Wills Company and keeps everyone’s expectations clear.

• Change orders are signed by both you and The Wills Company.
  
• The purpose of change orders is to record any changes in scope to the project so that you are kept informed as to the ramifications that these changes have on both your budget and schedule.
• If a change to your construction plan requires design work, an additional per hour fee will be assessed for design.
• Even if the change does not affect your budget or schedule, a change order is important so as to have a record of your project.

Job Completion

The time you’ve been anticipating arrives! Your project is finished. We will have a meeting and walk through at the end of the project to formalize our completion of the project. From this point on, any request for further work or follow-up will be handled by the experts of our residential repair division.

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• All materials furnished by The Wills Company are warranted to the limit of the manufacturers’ and/or suppliers’ warranties.
  
• The Wills Company’s liability for materials that you purchase directly but that we install is limited to installation only.
  

However, if you make any choices or decisions that limit this warranty, we will let you know clearly in writing of such change.

The bottom line is that we take responsibility for our work. If there is uncertainty as to whether or not the issue is warranty related, we tend to err in your favor. We want to be your contractor for life.


"I felt The Wills Company would be around for warranty items. That was a big consideration." Brian Reames

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