There is a common phrase people use when they move to the islands called "Maui Time." It usually refers to a slower pace of life, a relaxed afternoon in Paia, or a sunset that lingers just a bit longer over the horizon in Kihei. However, when you are a homeowner in the middle of a renovation or a contractor with a crew standing around on a job site, "Maui Time" becomes an expensive, stress-inducing nightmare. In the world of construction, time is quite literally money. Every day that a project sits idle while waiting for a plan revision or a simple clarification from an architect is a day where overhead costs climb, and timelines crumble. The frustration usually begins when a mid-construction change is needed. Perhaps you opened up a wall in an older home and found structural issues that … [Read more...] about The High-Speed Room Addition: Why 2nd-Day Drafting is the Cure for Construction Delays
After-The-Fact Permits Process: What They Are and How to Get One
One of the more time-consuming parts of a Maui construction project is the permitting process, requiring a considerable amount of paperwork, plans, and patience. Even though the County of Maui made an effort to accelerate the power permitting process, especially after the Lahaina fires, the process can still take a long time. This can try anyone's patience, especially someone either building a new home or undertaking a major remodeling. Sometimes, impatient homeowners and builders decide to proceed with work and skip the permit process. This may work short term, but long term it can produce major headaches for someone else. This may be a current or future owner who decides to undertake a new renovation, such as a new kitchen or bathroom. When they apply for a permit, they get the … [Read more...] about After-The-Fact Permits Process: What They Are and How to Get One
What Is Real-Time Drafting?
One of our most popular services is real-time drafting. That means simply that we perform drafting right before your eyes in our office, and you see it as we make it happen. In about an hour, we can offer you a ready-to-use sketch to begin detailing. Real-time drafting means that not only can you watch your project take shape, but you can also make changes as needed. We can edit the design to include or exclude any design elements you need or don’t need. Changes are just a click away. Plus it's much less expensive to make changes at this stage than later. Faster Decisions And Feedback In Design Development During this phase, it’s important to make as many decisions as possible. Real-time visualizations offer a much faster way to see the design and make these decisions based on the … [Read more...] about What Is Real-Time Drafting?
Design Your Perfect Home in Paia with Pro Draft
How do you design your perfect home? Start with what you like and want the most in a home and go from there. Because each homeowner will have different needs and ideas, designing the perfect home starts with thought and planning. For instance: do you want a guest room, a home office, a larger family room, a bigger patio and exterior living space—or all of these? Ultimately, your home is your castle, and we can help you get there. The First Step It begins with a dialogue with you, the client. We listen attentively, discussing your wants, needs, preferences, and lifestyle. This initial exchange lays the foundation for understanding the foundation of your dream home and guiding all design decisions. Then the creative process begins. Our architect translates the ideas into concepts and … [Read more...] about Design Your Perfect Home in Paia with Pro Draft
Fire Protection Systems
Both homes and commercial buildings need fire protection systems to protect both occupants and the structure itself. A fire protection system can help keep you and your family or employees safe. The right system can prevent a fire from spreading and becoming more destructive while allowing the occupants time to escape. We suggest incorporating this system into your home during the design phase rather than waiting until the construction is finished. This way, the system is ready to operate when you move in and can be concealed in the home’s design rather than an afterthought. Four Main Types Of Systems Many think of a sprinkler system or fire extinguishers as full fire protection. But these can also be part of a comprehensive system to protect the entire structure. 1. Fire … [Read more...] about Fire Protection Systems
Fire Safety in Maui Home Design
Following the firestorm in Lahaina, fire safety is more of a priority for rebuilding. Even though it was confined to Lahaina, nearly any area of Maui could be susceptible to fire. Fire safety should be an integral part of a new home design. Some buildings in the affected areas did not burn completely. Many were built according to modern building codes and integrated updated building materials and techniques that prevented the fire from destroying the structure. These single and multifamily buildings included noncombustible materials for the walls, metal, and asphalt shingle roofs, and high wind-rated attic vents that kept embers out of attic spaces. Fire Shielding From flying embers that can go unnoticed to a nearby blaze, the home’s exterior is the first line of defense. • … [Read more...] about Fire Safety in Maui Home Design
How Long Does Drafting Building Plans Take?
It’s a commonly asked question, and the answer is, “It depends.” But the good news is that because Pro Draft utilizes the latest in CAD (computer-assisted drafting) tools, so drafting building plans takes just days, not months. Here are a few things you need to know about the process. What Do You Need? While we offer the same high-quality professional services to homeowners as well as professionals, each project is different. Plans for a single-story home or remodel will be less complex than plans for a commercial property. Time Frame Our preliminary drafting services offer a two-day turnaround. These preliminary drafts include elevations, floor plans, and the creation of 3D models that can be viewed from any device. Revisions generally take about one week. When the revisions … [Read more...] about How Long Does Drafting Building Plans Take?
Benefits of a New Customer Walk-Through
When we meet with a new customer, they typically have lots of questions. Well, so do we. Before we begin doing any drawings or design work, we conduct a new customer walk-through. Also called a “new customer assessment,” it’s a way of “getting to know each other,” and beginning the process of designing new construction, remodeling, or a commercial property. Doing a new customer walkthrough gives us a chance to meet with the new customer and discuss what they're interested in building and or remodeling. It's also a chance for a customer to “interview” us to find out if we will be a good fit for them. This process is also called “project assessment.” The first question is about where the property is located. If the property doesn't yet have an address, we need the tax map key number … [Read more...] about Benefits of a New Customer Walk-Through
