Frequently Asked Questions

There is no cost to schedule a 45-minute site visit and explore the project. 

Depending on the level of construction detail known at the time of the site visit, you may receive... 

a)  a good faith estimate (free)

b)  a proposal for a "time and materials" arrangement (free) 

c)  a proposal for continued design consultation with Old Pine Construction*

*If there is not enough detail for us to establish a decent good-faith estimate at the time of the site visit, we will propose a 3-, 5-, or 10-hour design consultation to get it to the point of more accurate estimating. This is done at the normal hourly rate ($60/hour) and includes at least one additional in-person meeting to steer decisions.

Once construction begins, Old Pine Construction clients are only billed for time working on the site.  They are not billed for material runs. Not for transportation time, lunch time, or time on the phone with the school nurse. Just for time that construction planning / activity is happening on site or in the wood shop.

The typical rate is $60/hour.

Briefly, no. 

You'll pay standard retail prices for all standard materials for the job. Custom / special order items will incur a 10% surcharge to offset the additional administrative time associated with them. Some contractors make a lot of money off of significant material mark-ups, but we choose not to work that way. Usually, we'll prefer to buy the materials just to reduce mistakes and have everything on site at the appropriate time. 

However, if you already have some materials you want to use, we're happy to accommodate within reason. Just ask!

Sure. Within reason. 

We're happy to work with clients in finding a scope that makes sense, either with our supervision or independently. We believe that this kind of work can be incredibly rewarding, especially when working on your own place. Some folks want the extra guidance that we can provide as they take on a DIY project. We've worked with hundreds of volunteers on construction sites over the years and enjoy that educational opportunity.

If you're interested in a "DIY + Old Pine" project, just let us know early on in the process so we can think about scheduling and scope appropriately.

For projects estimated to be under $2,000, no deposit is needed. 

For projects estimated to be over $2,000, we request a deposit equivalent to 50% of the material costs to book your spot on the calendar.

For projects estimated to take longer than 1 month, a payment schedule will be established in the contract to coincide with construction benchmarks.