FAQ

How do you charge for your services?

Design consultation & specification services are billed by the hour, i.e. a Professional Design Fee, with payment due at time of service. Payment can be made with cash or by check. The check should be made out to the firm, Donovan Design, LLC. A receipt can be issued for cash payments.

Billable time starts as soon as the designer arrives at the client’s property. Once the time exceeds the minimum requirement any further time used is billed in minute increments not rounded up to the next half hour or hour. In other words, the clients only pay for the time they use.

Those homes/projects within a 30 minute drive time from the design firm’s location in Suwanee, GA have a one hour minimum charge per meeting. Those homes/projects located between 30 minutes & one hour from the design firm have a two hour minimum charge per meeting. Clients located a greater distance than one hour travel time from the design firm will be quoted individual minimums.

Design and specification services performed at the design firm or in showrooms/stores are undertaken with the client's prior approval and billed at the regular hourly rate. There is no hourly minimum requirement for work done at the design firm.

Do you charge the same hourly rate if you act as project manager for a client?

No, the Project Management Fee is usually half the regular Professional Design Fee. Only properties located within a 30 minute drive from the design firm are eligible for project management services. Project management work also carries the one hour minimum per visit. Only properties where the designer has done all the design/specifications are eligible for project management services.

What is the benefit of hiring the design firm to manage a project?

Clients can be too busy with work &/or family to feel they can successfully oversee their remodeling or new construction. Having their designer oversee it, or at least assist in overseeing it, helps assure everyone that the original design concept will be carried out by the contractors. Any contracts for labor services or products are made directly between the clients and the contractor or store. This affords the clients maximum protection and control over their funds in case something goes wrong with the store or contractor. The clients can also take advantage of store specials and use their preferred credit cards with the stores. Clients always get to decide when & how much project management they want from the design firm.

Can I just get good design ideas from the firm and then do my own shopping and deal directly with contractors I already know or find on my own?

Absolutely, plus the design firm will be happy to share the names & numbers of favorite contractors & sources with you as long as the designer has already done the design/specification work for those elements of your project. The design firm does not own any of the other companies and, therefore, cannot guarantee their work. It is up to the clients to interview whomever they want and decide who they wish to hire or buy products from for their project.

Will I still feel this is my home when the designer is done and not a home with that designer’s stamp on it?

Yes, it will still be your home, with your collections & favorite style, only put together in a better way. The designer will be maximizing the home’s architectural interests, improving traffic circulation, and achieving a comfortable, welcoming environment.