A: Absolutely! Many building owners, especially those who are primarily focused on cost, don't have a specific aesthetic requirement for door hardware. If you find your project in this situation, I will provide boiler plate selections for finishes, lever styles, and any other aesthetic decisions. This saves you from choosing colors and shapes for hundreds of hardware items.

A: I notify clients about additional services before the services are performed, as soon as I observe that additional services may be necessary to properly serve the project. Generally I will wait for your written authorization to proceed before performing any additional services, and the specifics of how this works will be described in detail in the contract. As an example, in the case of submittal review, if it becomes clear during the 2nd submittal review that a 3rd resubmittal will be necessary, I will notify you when I begin counting the hours of the 2nd review as an additional service.

A: Of course. We will work to include the critical aspects of a book spec into your sheet spec, while keeping the content lean and compact.

A: The exact amount of time varies based on the specifics of the project, but I always work to keep your time commitment to DH submittal review to a minimum (unless you prefer to be more involved). I will ask you questions about design intent and client preferences, but I will spare you the tedious door hardware minutia.

A: For most projects, the best time to schedule an initial consultation is in the second half of DD after the plans are mostly finished (no major changes upcoming), and all doors are tagged and numbered. Of course I would be glad to speak with you either before or after that milestone as well. My schedule availability for when I can start on your project varies depending on my overall workload, so it is best to reach out to me early. After we book a date for your project, turnaround time for the completed specs is generally about a month after the initial consultation.

A: If you haven't worked worked with a door hardware manufacturer's rep before, give them a try. A lot of architects seem to be satisfied with that option, and I have used them in the past as well. The short answer is that I provide services they don't, and I only work under contract and will fulfill my obligations under the contract (I have observed that manufacturer's reps typically work without any contract).