Site visit checklist for clients

A site visit usually takes 45 minutes to an hour. With a bit of prep on your side, we can get a much more accurate quote out the back of it. Here's what helps.

Have the floor plan ready. Even a hand-sketched one is better than nothing. If you have the original architect's drawings or a recent renovation set, perfect. We can measure the room ourselves but starting from your drawings saves time and surfaces any discrepancies early.

Know where the services are. Electrical outlets, switches, water pipes if they're relevant. If you're doing a kitchen and you don't know where the gas line comes in, find out before we arrive.

Have inspiration images, but understand they're inspiration not specification. A photo of a built-in library is useful as a reference for finish and feel. It's not useful as a quote for your room, your room is a different size, with different proportions, different access.

Decide who's making decisions. If both of you need to agree on every detail, both of you need to be at the meeting. Otherwise we walk away with one set of preferences and have to revisit when the other partner objects.

Ask about timeline early. Our lead time varies seasonally. If you have a fixed deadline (sale of house, baby arriving, family event), tell us at the front so we can be honest about whether we can hit it.

Ask about budget early. Quoting a built-in library can land anywhere from $8,000 to $40,000 depending on size, materials, and complexity. If you have a budget, share it, we'll tell you what's possible within it. If you're not sure, ask us for a rough range before we work up a formal quote.