How to Get Started: The design process and payment schedule

1. Design drawings

When we receive your drawing deposit, Wise Owl Joinery creates small-scale drawings for your review. Depending on the project, these drawings could include floor plans, elevations, window and door placements, and roof details. We'll modify and revise these drawings until they truly reflect what you are dreaming of, while giving us enough information to be able to cost your project.

2. Contract

Once you have signed off and accepted the design drawings, we can calculate the project cost and draw up a contract for signing, deposit and scheduled payments.

3. Working drawings

The working drawings or "blueprints" are based on the final agreed-upon design drawings. They are necessary for obtaining any building permits and for working with other builders or tradespeople who may be involved in the project. A good roadmap will save time and money during the project. Avoiding unneccesary changes is key to good design.

4. Shop prints

These are the drawings that we use to cut the timbers for your project. They show exact dimensions of timbers and placement of joinery.

For smaller projects, and those that have already been designed, some of these steps are not necessary. (See our designs for pavilions and pergolas and for cottages and other small buildings.)

5. Packing, delivery, raising

After we have cut and test-fitted the timbers in our shop, they are finished and stained according to the specifications in the contract. They are then packed and delivered to your site where they are assembled and raised into position.

Because of different geographical areas and unknown weather, the client is responsible for crane time, tranportation and Wise Owl Joinery's time on site. We will organize this step for you.

There is a scheduled payment before the timbers leave our shop and a final payment upon completion of the raising.