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Pricing & Ordering |
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Pricing & Ordering |
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Most of the furniture description pages in the Portfolio of Work section of this site have specific pricing information or price ranges that should help you make informed choices. By it's very nature, custom furniture and cabinetry is subject to numerous types of design changes (wood species used, dimensions, types of finishes, etc.), which can cause project pricing to change. Further, as a limited natural resource, lumber costs are subject to continuous fluctuation which can also impact the price of a commissioned piece. Nevertheless, I make a concerted attempt to keep the pricing data on this website current and accurate.
One of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of creating custom furniture and cabinetry, both for myself and the client, is the design process which occurs at the beginning of each project. The level of design work required can vary greatly from one project to the next. Reproducing any of the designs that you see in my current Portfolio of Work involve no additional design charges, with the exception of the cabinetry and built-in sections of the portfolio, which are always customized to the client's environment. Reproductions of previous work that only involve basic dimensional changes will also not require any design fees.
For most other custom work, a design fee will normally be assessed. Once your basic requirements have been identified, I provide a quote for the design fees and a rough estimate for likely project costs based on past experience. Typical design fees can range from $50 for a small furniture piece to as much as $300 for a large cabinet project. I request a 50% deposit on the design fees before commencing the detailed design work. After the design work is completed, I deliver all plans, sketches, computer renderings, and finish samples along with an accurate bid for project completion. A project contract will be supplied, allowing you to commission the piece.
After all design details of a project have been finalized and project costs have been approved, a 20% deposit is required to commission the work and add it to my schedule. This non-refundable deposit allows me to allocate time in my schedule to complete your project. When work commences, another 30% payment will be necessary to cover the material costs (lumber and hardware) associated with the project. Following completion of the commissioned piece, the remaining balance must be paid upon delivery or prior to shipping. One or more scheduled interim payments may be requested during construction for large furniture or cabinet projects.
The possibility of project modifications prior to or during construction always exists when performing custom work. These change requests may come from the client, interior designers, architects, or other contractors participating in a project. The more complex and expansive the project (such as cabinetry), the more likely a change request will occur.
To protect the interests of both the client and myself, I consistently make use of written change orders when modifications are requested. The change order captures the specific details of the requested modification to the project and clearly states the cost and scheduling impact this change will have on the project. When the details of the change order have been reviewed and approved by the client, I will recommence work on the revised project.
I reserve the right to duplicate any custom furniture or cabinet designs developed during a project. Some clients may elect to pay extra for design exclusivity, but that is rare. I also reserve the right to use photos of all completed work in my company sales and marketing efforts, including printed brochures and my company’s website.
Whenever possible, I try to use electronic communication (email) to streamline the design process and provide updates on project progress. Computer renderings and digital photos can be provided to the client, allowing them to review design alternatives, approve changes, and view various stages of the construction process. One notable exception to my use of electronic communication lies in the area of preparing and approving finish samples. There's simply no substitute for providing the client with a sample piece of lumber with various applied finishes. This sample can be viewed in their home and can be compared to other furniture pieces they already own.
In many cases, I will also use email to submit bids and change orders and receive client approval on these documents. If you prefer to use paper documentation, I'm happy to accommodate your wishes.
At the present time, I only accept cash or personal/business checks as methods of payment for commissioned work. Online credit card payments will soon be accepted for items shown on the Gifts page.
Depending on the time year, my lead time for project completion varies, but it usually falls into the 3 to 6 week range. I rarely allow my backlog to exceed 12 weeks since I don't like to have customers wait that long for completion of their commissioned pieces. The holiday season is always a busy time and lead times tend to be longer during the fourth quarter of every year.
The majority of my furniture pieces are delivered to the Atlanta metropolitan area. A delivery charge of $45 is charged for destinations in the north metro area (Cherokee, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties). Delivery to other Atlanta metro counties or delivery of large cabinet projects will incur additional charges. Clients may of course pick up their completed pieces at my shop and avoid the delivery charge.
If you are not local to the Atlanta area, I am working with several blanket-wrap shipping services to safely transport completed furniture pieces to other destinations. Please contact me if you would like further information on pricing for this service. Similarly, if you already use a reliable shipping company or blanket-wrap service and can arrange for pickup, please let me know.
Finally, keep in mind that all of the items shown in the Gift Items section of this site can be easily shipped via UPS or the US Postal Service. If you would like to order one of these items, please contact me for exact shipping charges. Unless they happen to be out of stock, most gift items can be received in a week or less.
I personally install nearly all of the cabinetry and built-in pieces that I construct. If agreed in advance, I will sometimes delegate these tasks to a reliable contractor selected by the client. All of my installation work in the client’s home will be billed on a time and materials basis at $45 per hour, unless other arrangements have been made in advance. Other activities on the client's premises such as removal of old cabinets, replacing or modifying molding and trim, touch-up painting, etc. are also billed at this hourly rate. I will still provide you an estimate of the installation costs prior to project approval, but final installation costs will be billed as the number of man-hours worked.
The reason for a time and materials cost structure is due to the fact that peculiarities of the client’s home can sometimes have a dramatic impact on cabinet or other built-in installation estimates. Hidden "surprises" from earlier renovation work sometimes must be addressed before an installation task can be finished. In some projects, my installation efficiency can be impacted by other contractors who may be doing related work on a large project. However, in the end, proper installation of cabinets and built-ins has a large impact on the final appearance and long-term performance of these items. I refuse to do a haphazard or rushed job during installation simply to meet a fixed-price installation estimate. This is a disservice to the client and to my company’s reputation. Feel free to contact me if you have any concerns in this area.
I have not found the need to utilize any mass media advertising to promote Heirloom Woodcrafting's custom furniture/cabinetry business. Instead, I rely on positive customer experiences and word-of-mouth referrals from my client base. In order to recognize and reward previous clients who assist me in securing new customers, I'm pleased to offer them a referral bonus when they send new business my way. The bonus amount is computed as 5% of the new client's first commission, with a maximum value of $500. The bonus amount will be credited to you as partial or full payment for any item on my Gift Items page or towards any future commissioned furniture or cabinet work.
In order to take advantage of this offer, simply ask your friend, relative, or colleague to inform me that you referred them. When they sign the contract for their first commissioned work, I will immediately contact you and let you know the amount of your referral bonus. You will then have time to consider how you'd like to spend this bonus. After the commissioned work has been completed and delivered to the new client, you'll be able to redeem the value of your referral bonus.
I certainly hope you'll take advantage of this mutually beneficial offer!!
