I'm moving from a long stint in a design position at a large firm to a smaller firm where I'll basically be a PA, not a job I've been prepared for. In larger places often you do what you do and it's very compartmentalized so you don't get experience doing anything but your thing. I'm facing a steep learning curve and I want to get up to speed asap.
So one of the things I know I'll be getting into that I haven't before is project scheduling and delivery. It's mainly high end custom homes $600-900 / sf, and some TI. This is mainly in or around LA, CA.
I haven't worked on a SFR in over 10 years (and then only as designer), though I've been licensed in CA for about 6. My projects typically have sophisticated (read A-hole) RE developers dictating schedules and a battery of land use attorneys and construction managers. Now, I guess all that's my job.
I'm wondering what the process is that people who are really good at this go through if they have to start from scratch as I may have to. For example, someone comes and says work out the project schedule and staffing for a 12,000 sf, $600/sf house in the Hollywood hills in order to begin to schedule (off the top of my head) concept design to SD, entitlement doc prep, time for planning approval, then moving into staffing and the time required to prepare CD's & bid docs, specs (hopefully they use an outside spec'er), plan check, bidding, and construction time, all the sh*t I'm forgetting, and the fact that I have no idea what the timing is like for getting Planning or B&S approval in LA for an SFR.
I'm sure it's not that complicated and there are a lot of variables, but anyone that's done a few of these can probably give me a pretty good outline to get me started, and that will be very much appreciated.
Chad Miller
Mar 28, 23 9:43 am
That's pretty much how I learned to do it. One thing that is helpful is to look back on past projects and use the hours to make a more accurate estimate of what it will take. Granted this means your firm needs to have data on past projects.
Below is a very rough outline of the milestones that i've used to create a design schedule. Our fee breakdown is a bit heavy on the SD end due to the use of BIM - your results may vary.
PD additional fee
Site review / feasibility study
Programming
Client meetings – 3-4
SD 25%
Conceptual layouts
Massing
Building / zoning code review
Presentation drawings / design report
Begin city submittal process (going to vary greatly depending on /AHJ)
Client meetings 3-4
DD 25%
Drawings
Drawing review
building / zoning code review
City submittal process
Client meetings 2-3
Spec outline
Cost estimate
CD 50%
Finalize Drawings
Finalize Specs
Drawing / spec review
Final building / zoning code review
Final cost estimate
Submit final documents to city (can be moved to CA if GC not yet chosen)
consultant meetings - 4-5
client meetings 1-2
CA 25%
Owner / Arch / Contractor meetings (weekly?)
Submittal review
Questions
Changes
Non Sequitur
Mar 28, 23 9:53 am
But Chad, what about kitchen cabinets?
Chad Miller
Mar 28, 23 9:56 am
Whoops typo: SD: 20% DD 20% CD 35% CA 25% Sorry about that - had too many other numbers running through my head for a weird project.
Chad Miller
Mar 28, 23 10:17 am
Non - I'm more curious how the OP is dated 7/6/15 but showed up on the front page with no responses. Did a bunch of the OP's posts get deleted?
Non Sequitur
Mar 28, 23 10:35 am
Can't say, that information is above my pay grade unfortunately.
Chad Miller
Mar 28, 23 12:44 pm
It's weird. It's even more weird that the OP had to ask for suppliers of kitchen cabinets if they've been a PM for eight years.
Chad Miller
Mar 28, 23 3:59 pm
Looks like more of the OP's posts got deleted. Weather by choice or the B.G.H. is unknown.
I'm moving from a long stint in a design position at a large firm to a smaller firm where I'll basically be a PA, not a job I've been prepared for. In larger places often you do what you do and it's very compartmentalized so you don't get experience doing anything but your thing. I'm facing a steep learning curve and I want to get up to speed asap.
So one of the things I know I'll be getting into that I haven't before is project scheduling and delivery. It's mainly high end custom homes $600-900 / sf, and some TI. This is mainly in or around LA, CA.
I haven't worked on a SFR in over 10 years (and then only as designer), though I've been licensed in CA for about 6. My projects typically have sophisticated (read A-hole) RE developers dictating schedules and a battery of land use attorneys and construction managers. Now, I guess all that's my job.
I'm wondering what the process is that people who are really good at this go through if they have to start from scratch as I may have to. For example, someone comes and says work out the project schedule and staffing for a 12,000 sf, $600/sf house in the Hollywood hills in order to begin to schedule (off the top of my head) concept design to SD, entitlement doc prep, time for planning approval, then moving into staffing and the time required to prepare CD's & bid docs, specs (hopefully they use an outside spec'er), plan check, bidding, and construction time, all the sh*t I'm forgetting, and the fact that I have no idea what the timing is like for getting Planning or B&S approval in LA for an SFR.
I'm sure it's not that complicated and there are a lot of variables, but anyone that's done a few of these can probably give me a pretty good outline to get me started, and that will be very much appreciated.
That's pretty much how I learned to do it. One thing that is helpful is to look back on past projects and use the hours to make a more accurate estimate of what it will take. Granted this means your firm needs to have data on past projects.
Below is a very rough outline of the milestones that i've used to create a design schedule. Our fee breakdown is a bit heavy on the SD end due to the use of BIM - your results may vary.
PD additional fee
SD 25%
DD 25%
CD 50%
CA 25%
But Chad, what about kitchen cabinets?
Whoops typo: SD: 20% DD 20% CD 35% CA 25% Sorry about that - had too many other numbers running through my head for a weird project.
Non - I'm more curious how the OP is dated 7/6/15 but showed up on the front page with no responses. Did a bunch of the OP's posts get deleted?
Can't say, that information is above my pay grade unfortunately.
It's weird. It's even more weird that the OP had to ask for suppliers of kitchen cabinets if they've been a PM for eight years.
Looks like more of the OP's posts got deleted. Weather by choice or the B.G.H. is unknown.