Initial Contact— typically, this step is done by phone (preferred) or email. Information will be gathered about the job location, Owner and team members, and urgency of the timeline. In addition, I’ll want to know why you contacted me (referral or random call), as well as what you are looking for in my services.

During this initial contact, the Owner, as well as myself should be able to determine whether we are a good fit for one another. If we can come to a mutual understanding to move forward, then I will establish our on-site meeting.

Client/Team Meeting—this step will require the Owner to pay a basic consulting fee for my time to meet and gather information. Generally, this will take from 1 to 4 hours, depending on the extent of the property and project. This meeting will take place with the Owner(s) and/or Owner’s Representative. Included in this meeting is a site walk-through and more questions to determine desires, concerns, and fears. We will also discuss the expectations of both parties and the hierarchy of controls, including payment processes.

Note: One expectation that I have is to work directly with the Owner on decision-making and payments. I cannot guarantee project completion dates and scheduling if there is a lag-time in communications.

Site Analysis Work—this work will begin if agreed upon during the Client Meeting step, and may start that same day, while on the project site. The Site Analysis is a very important part of preparing for the Conceptual Planning work. This work can take several hours (depending on job size), where I will perform a thorough walk-through to document conditions. I’ll be making notes and documenting information related to site access, utilities, hazardous conditions, terrain & soil conditions, water & bathroom facilities, storage & parking areas, etc. I will take photos and videos to aid in this information capture.

Depending on whether the Owner has access to plans of the project site, they can help save time in this early information gathering stage. Typically, I would utilize a site plan, landscape plan, and any supporting architectural plans if structures are concerned. Other plans may be requested depending on the nature of the project. I will prepare a Relative-Scale Drawing, which becomes my Conceptual Plan, if these other plans are not accessible. For this part of Site Analysis, I call it the ‘Pre-Design Development’ stage. Once I compile all of this information, I can develop my ‘Design Intent’ for the Conceptual Plan.

Conceptual Design—this is the step I will prepare the Conceptual Plan for presentation and discussion with the Owner. In addition, we may walk the property so that understanding is ensured. An estimated budget will be provided with this concept, so that the Owner can determine whether it’s acceptable or not. The budget is a “ballpark” number or range at best, and it is used to determine how the project might proceed into an installation phase.

The Concept Plan is a graphic representation of the general locations of lighting equipment and the types of products used. It’s a simplified presentation for understanding the “Intent” of the design. No construction details or specifications are provided at this point. It’s provided to gain “Acceptance” to perform the installation work.