Sometimes, it takes two. If your household includes two decision-makers, we need to have both of you present for your Archadeck design consultation and your proposal meeting. We cannot overstate the importance of including both decision-makers in these two meetings to discuss your new deck, porch, or patio. Anything else is likely to lead to misunderstandings and change orders that will cause delays and increase your costs for material and labor.
Let Us Schedule the Best Time for You – Yes, Both of You
Custom deck and porch builder Archadeck of Columbus is making it easier to ensure we can schedule each party to meet with us—together. We are offering evening appointments now, precisely for that reason. We can—and prefer to—customize your project design to suit the needs of each head of household. To do that, however, we need both of you to be involved in the conversations. Whether you want to add a custom sunroom, 3-season room, or deck and patio combination, our need to meet with both homeowners doesn’t change.
Four Steps from First Contact to Signed Contract
- First point of contact: We start with a discussion on the phone to give you, our prospective client, an idea of the cost range for your project. This phone conversation takes place prior to scheduling your design consultation.
- Initial design consultation: We will walk the area at your home and talk about the size you have in mind for your project. We measure and record these. We will ask a series of questions to gain a clear understanding of how you want to use your outdoor living space. Then we can give you a ballpark price based on our measurements and what you have told us about your wants and needs for the project.
- Proposal meeting: We’ll show you our design for your outdoor living project and talk more specifically about pricing.
- Contract and down payment: With a signed contract and down payment, we can start the process of obtaining the necessary permits, HOA approval and zoning approval. We can order materials. If we don’t have a backlog, we’ll start working on your project. If we do have a backlog, we’ll place your project on our schedule. Be aware that we schedule projects in the order the contracts were signed.
Meeting Face-to-Face Builds Trust
This is what we do. We are your Columbus-area outdoor-living experts with a wide range of experience. We design and build outdoor structures for eager families every working day, all year long. We know what a difference it makes—in a good way—if both members of a couple meet with us to discuss their project. We know what a difference it makes—in a bad way—if they do not.
Unless you have been designing and building porches, decks, and three-season rooms for years, we respectfully ask that you trust us on this. Trust our years of experience. We’ve tried conducting our meetings both ways—with and without both decision-makers present. We have learned, over the years, that meeting with both of you, together, is much more productive. Meeting with only one of you is usually not efficient or productive, and not a good use of your time or ours.
We have had prospective clients say their spouse doesn’t want or need to be involved in the project. It has been our experience that a spouse who will use the new deck, patio, etc., needs to be involved in these conversations.
What We Need to Know About Your Desire for a Porch, Patio, or Outdoor Kitchen
We want to design and build a custom outdoor living space for you that will bring both of you enjoyment for a long, long time. Whether you want a wood deck or a low-maintenance composite deck, we need to start with all parties on the same page. It’s alright if you each have your own ideas about why you want the project and how you plan to enjoy it. At Archadeck of Columbus, our goal will be to create a design that meets the needs of both clients. Anything less is destined to cause misunderstandings and derail your project timeline.
We need to get to know you, both of you. We want you both to feel comfortable asking us questions. We need to understand in what ways your preferences and plans for the project are the same, and in what ways they might differ. If we only meet one person in the couple, then only one of you is going to have the comfort level that comes with meeting a contractor in person. We want each of you to look your Archadeck representative in the eye and develop your own gut-level perception.
Here Are Some Questions We May Ask You Both, Together:
- What do you hope to gain from your new outdoor living space?
- What is driving you to move forward with this project now?
- How do you see yourselves using the deck (or porch, patio, etc.)?
- What’s most important to you as we begin working together … Is it our ability to create a custom design to meet your needs? Our experience as outdoor living contractors? The quality of our work? Archadeck’s client-friendly warranties? What else?
If both spouses (or “significant others”) cannot meet with your Archadeck design consultant, then Archadeck may not be a good fit for you. Recognizing that possibility is part of doing business. Better that we learn this about each other before we’re locked into a contract that ties up everyone’s time and money.
Are you ready to start planning your new outdoor living project? There is no charge for our design consultation. Contact Archadeck of Columbus today to learn more about our custom-designed decks, screened porches, and more at (740) 265-3905.
