SOME GUIDANCE ON PRICING…

One of the most important aspects of a project is the working budget - it determines the level of finish for the piece and indeed drives every aspect and decision made for the piece. It is important to give some thought to what your working budget will be. Think of it like shopping for a home, car or even a wedding dress. If you are shopping for a vehicle with a $1000 budget it doesn’t make sense to be looking at the Ferraris - it isn’t realistic. It is extremely helpful to have given some thought to a budget prior to our initial conversation.

Sometimes a customer honestly has no idea what a piece should possibly cost. That’s fair. Unfortunately it’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. It’s not possible for me to give meaningful numbers without precisely knowing what is being built. A huge part of my job is helping a client problem solve through potential issues and provide the highest level of service while remaining respectful to a working budget. It’s difficult to know a general approach without knowing at least an approximate budget to work within. If your budget is higher than what is needed, I have great news - we will come in under budget! I’m always looking to do high quality, honest work with the highest level of integrity.

If needed, I can usually provide a quick, general idea of what your project might cost at three different price points. Think of it along the lines of a budget, mid or luxury car.

  1. A budget conscious price point: if cost is a constraint, that doesn’t mean I can’t be helpful. It does mean, however, that materials/hardware used will need to be lower cost and the construction methods will need to be faster to come in at a lower price point.

  2. A mid price point: if you are after a good value using good quality materials and sound construction methods, this might be where we are. Hardware used will need to be less expensive and lumber will likely need to be in the mid range. Think along the lines of maple, ash and cherry as potential timbers.

  3. A luxury price point: if your primary concern is to have the nicest possible piece, this is what I’d recommend. Think of this as functional art. This is the level I like to build to for my home. Materials, hardware and construction methods are all based on the highest possible standards.

It is never possible for me to make a custom piece at a cost on par with a mass produced item as would be found at a big box type furniture store. What I can do, however, is work hard to provide my customers with the best possible value for their dollar. I like to build pieces to the highest possible standards using the best quality materials while remaining respectful of an established working budget. I can also make you exactly what you’d like to fit into your home while offering insightful, intentional suggestions drawing on my 20 years of design and building experience.

At the end of the day, the total cost over the life of the piece is often considerably less that you’d find elsewhere since my work is designed to be heirloom quality and passed down through generations rather than being thrown away after a few years.

Once a working budget has been established I can figure out the best way to approach the piece using optimal construction techniques while adhering to the established pricing. Better practices typically take longer and thus raise the overall cost. Custom work (unique, original pieces) are priced on a shop time, materials & design basis. A contract will be drawn up for the customer and will be signed by all parties to make sure everyone is on the same page.