Starting Your Millwork Project

When many homeowners finally decide to tackle the upgrade that they’ve been dreaming about, they get stuck. They don’t know where to begin (understandably), because let’s be honest, planning a new kitchen, or bathroom can be very intimidating. It actually doesn’t stop there because planning closets, wall units, laundry rooms, or any millwork for that matter can feel very much the same. In order to help out those who might find themselves feeling intimidated about getting the ball rolling, this post will try to dissolve some of the mystery, and outline what happens when you contact us.

The first step is to get in touch with us. You can call our office at 905-760-2282, you can email us at [email protected], or you can use the contact form on our website. Whichever method you choose, we will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible in order to set up your free consultation.

Everything we build is customized to meet the needs of each specific project. This is the reason your consultation is an important first step. It will help us determine the overall scope of your job, your timeline, and most importantly, what you want to achieve as the end result. During your consultation we will work with you to come up with a design concept tailored to your needs, as well as outline any potential challenges. 

After your consultation, we lay out your existing space using CAD software, and start designing your millwork. If you already have design drawings, please share them with us. It isn’t necessary, but it allows us to get a head start on your project. Whether you already have drawings, or we create drawings for you, we use them as a reference point to build your pricing. This is one of the key services that helps differentiate us from so many custom millwork companies. We create a design just for you, and put a price to it.  We don’t give you ballpark numbers, we don’t provide estimates “subject to change”, and we don’t give you pricing without a reference of what you will be getting. The benefit of this approach is that you are able to make decisions confidently as you will know exactly what you’re getting. This process usually takes a few days to about a week after your initial consultation. 

Once your package is complete, we will set up a meeting with you to review design and pricing. We prefer to have follow-up meetings in our office as we have access to samples and software that we wouldn’t be able to bring on the road, however, we can definitely accommodate any situation.     

At this point it is up to you to determine the best way for you to proceed with the order. Some people like to finalize the order right away, and others like to sleep on it. Whichever group you fall into is fine with us. When you do finalize the order, you can relax, because one of the most stressful parts of your project done. The millwork is designed, the pricing is settled, and you have decided that we are the right people to get the job done for you. 

At this point it is becomes difficult to generalize the process. Every project is different and has its own unique circumstances, but you can be sure that we will do our best to answer any questions you have along the way, and we will work to stay on track for any deadlines we have agreed upon.

Regarding deadlines, our normal working time is 4 – 6 weeks from the day we finalize the order with you. We can sometimes make accommodations to speed the process up, so please don’t hesitate to mention any concerns regarding timing. Many of our competitors will quote shorter lead times in order to secure the project, and then fail to deliver on time. We will always be honest and upfront about timing in order to avoid these situations.

Some additional information to consider:

- If you are planning a complete renovation to your space (ie: moving walls, moving electrical/plumbing/gas lines, flooring, lighting, etc…) we recommend you contact an interior designer or architect. We are partnered with a BCIN certified interior design firm that can help you with that part of your project. Contact us for more information.

- We aren’t contractors, but we know a few. We can definitely recommend trade professionals that we have worked with in the past, but we generally do not include their services in our pricing. This allows you the freedom to decide who works in your space, without any obligation to use those recommended by us.

- Every shop is different. We can only speak towards our process and experiences.