Services for Homeowners
We provide a number of specialized services for homeowners. You can choose our services à la carte, or you can opt for the full-service architectural firm experience. Which approach is best for you largely depends on how involved you would like to be with your project.
Our services include:
- Drafting for Homeowners
- Architecture for Homeowners
- Interior Design for Homeowners
- Consulting and Site Assessment for Homeowners
- Permit Expediting Services for Homeowners
- Request for Service (RFS) Solutions
- After-The-Fact (ATF) Permitting Solutions
- Fire Protection Solutions
- Water Catchment Systems
- PV and Thermal Solar Systems
- General Contractor and Subcontractor Services
You can select our services à la carte, or you can opt for the full-service treatment – it’s entirely up to you.
Homeowner Services
Drafting for Homeowners
Pro Draft, Inc. provides the same professional next-day drafting service to homeowners as we do to professionals. If you’re a homeowner looking for drafting services, chances are you’ve got a lot on your plate. The good news is we’ve included everything you’ll need here at prodraft.com. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you’re going to want to check out the Getting Started section of this website. You’ll find many of the forms you need in the online forms section. If you’re looking for answers – whether it be about building code setbacks or the progress of your permit – take a look at the helpful links section. And last but not least we have a resources section. This is where you’ll find things like general contractors, plumbing contractors and electrical contractors, septic installers, solar technicians and so on.
Here Pro Draft Inc. we do a lot more than just drafting. So if you’re planning to run a project yourself, we highly recommend talking with Robert Robinson, assoc. AIA. He can answer all your questions regarding this process – and there’s a lot you’re going to need to know. The main thing to remember is that the actual drafting is easy; the more difficult thing is to make sure the plans created are in perfect harmony with state and local building codes, your budget, the property’s natural assets, and the owner’s needs in terms of size and function.
All too often homeowners get into trouble trying to save money on plans. What most people don’t realize when they’re shopping for draftsman and comparing costs is the difference in the quality of their work. Most people don’t know enough about drafting to even know what a good set of plans is supposed to show or if the plans they got are any good at all. They’re just happy to have them. They then run down to the building department and submit them . . . but alas, when people start trying to read them (e.g. contractors and plan examiners at the County) the trouble starts. Oh my.
Download our Comparison Charts and get the information you need to know when shopping for plans, comparing architects, plan makers, draftsman, drafting houses, and more.
Summary Explanation of Comparison Charts:
1st Column shows various plan items found in typical plan sets
2nd Column shows Pro Draft, Inc. Standard items included
3rd Column shows Pro Draft, Inc. Optional items
4th Column shows items Required for Permits
5th Column shows Preferred items that you want to have in your plans
6th Column shows items to AVOID items that you don’t want to have in your plans
7th Column (use as check list for others)
8th Column (use as check list for others)
9th Column (use as check list for others)
Architecture for Homeowners
Pro Draft Inc. is a full-service architectural firm. If you’re looking for this experience please click here. We do so much of this work we’ve created a special section in our website just for it.
Interior Design for Homeowners
Pro Draft Inc. also provides interior design services. If you’re interested in an interior designer please click here. We have created a special section of our website just for interior design
Consulting and Site Assessment for Homeowners
Pro Draft, Inc. provides consulting for homeowners, including site assessments, CC&R’s, and assessments for Design Review Committee, zoning, set backs, and permitted use requirements. We also provide consulting for ATF (after-the-fact) permitting solutions and County RFS (request for service) solutions. Often prospective buyers hire us to assess their property before making an offer and to get an idea of what can be done with that property. We also offer confidential consulting services for homeowners. Whether you have existing non-permitted work or you’re thinking of building without permits, we highly recommend speaking to Robert Robinson Assoc. AIA. With one quick phone call he can tell you what you need to know to avoid disaster down the road.
Permitting Expediting Services for Homeowners
Pro Draft, Inc. provides permit expediting services. If you need help with your building permits or you hit a snag of some kind you can always call us to help you over the hump. We love to give free advice over the phone and are happy to help you do what you need to do all by yourself. Of course we are willing to provide these services for you, but in many cases it’s not required for a successful solution. In general, the idea with permit expediting is to get what you need done as inexpensively as possible.
Request for Service (RFS) Solutions
An RFS is the result of a complaint made to the County, usually through their website or by phone. It’s only when the inspector shows up on your property that you realize the complaint has been made. The complaint letter will have a number on it called the RFS number – this is the number of your complaint and you can look it up online (see helpful links section) to view its progress and the inspector’s reports. Sometimes when the inspector comes your property he will also request an after-the-fact (ATF) permit to resolve things to his satisfaction. If you reach this point, I highly recommend you speak with Robert Robinson assoc AIA. While it’s true that an ATF permit is one way to solve your issue, it may not be the only way and it’s important for you to know what your options are and their financial implications when making these decisions.
The truth is, while the County is very helpful, they are broken up into a number of departments. Just because you’ve satisfied the requirements of one department, it doesn’t mean that same solution won’t trigger an equally expensive problem at another department. Speaking with an experienced professional can save you a lot of running around between departments.
After-The-Fact (ATF) Permitting Solutions
Pro Draft, Inc. provides after-the-fact permit services. If you’re in a position where you need plans fast then you’ve come to the right place. Our standard next day drafting service can make all the difference in getting these permits approved on time. If you received a letter from the County demanding changes to your buildings they often give you a date by which all of these issues must be resolved by. It’s usually six months from when they wrote the letter. We call it “the Drop-dead date”. It is from this date that the County will charge you fines. The object here is simple avoid fines. The trouble is it can take months for after the fact permit approvals. And months longer for hold harmless agreements or certificate of exemption to be processed by the Bureau of conveyances and the County’s legal department should they be required. So if you’ve received one of these letters, by all means act quickly. It’s highly recommended that you speak with an experienced professional when resolving these situations. There is always more than one way to resolve an issue. It’s important that you know what your options are right from the start.
While it’s true that in after the fact permit is one way to solve your issue it may not be the only way and it’s important for you to know what your options are and their cost implications when you’re making these decisions. The truth is while the County is very helpful; they are broken up into a number of departments. Just because you’ve satisfied the requirements of one department, it doesn’t mean that same solution won’t trigger an equally expensive problem at another department. Speaking with an experienced professional can save you an awful lot of running around.
Fire Protection Solutions
Pro Draft, Inc. provides fire protection solutions for homeowners and commercial projects. From fire sprinklers to fire hydrants, designing the right fire protection system for your needs is one of our specialties. In most cases, it’s a matter of determining the most efficient way to achieve the requirements. In general, we are a big fan of fire sprinklers for residents. It’s certainly the most beneficial to the occupants. However, in some cases, fire sprinklers are not acceptable solutions. In these cases, fire hydrants and/or tanks and standpipe systems are required. In some cases, we can actually use swimming pools as part of the fire protection system.
Whatever your situation might be, we have the experience and resources to navigate these potentially expensive solutions to your benefit.
Water Catchment Systems
Pro Draft Inc. provides water catchment systems for domestic water use and/or fire protection. If you need both domestic water and fire protection, there are ways to design a single system to serve both functions, which can save you money. Catchment systems are an excellent way to develop property without water access. The size of the system needed is determined by a number of factors, including the annual rainfall of the area and the number and size of the proposed buildings. Whatever your particular situation may be we have the experience and resources needed to get the job done.
PV and Thermal Solar Systems
Thermal solar systems are now required in Maui County for new dwellings and will soon to be required in all of Hawaii. Pro Draft Inc. provides both PV and thermal solar systems for homeowners. We use a wide variety of manufacturers and methods for solar designs, depending on your project specifications. This is an area that is experiencing a great deal of growth right now and new equipment and methods are arriving on the scene all the time. In the meantime, we recommend systems with at least a 25- or 30-year warranty. In most cases, it takes this long to maximize the cost benefit of installing such a system. So whether you need to meet the minimum requirements or you’re interested in going off grid altogether, Pro Draft Inc. has the PV and thermal solar solution for you.
General Contractor and Subcontractor Services
Pro Draft Inc. works with many contractors and subcontractors throughout the state of Hawaii. We only recommend licensed contractors to our customers. We have contractor resources on all islands throughout Hawaii. If you’re looking for general, electrical, or plumbing contractors you’ve come to the right place. Check out our “Getting Started” and “Resources” section of this site.
Pro Draft, Inc. does not receive commissions of any kind from any of our referrals. We only recommend contractors based on their history of performance and good customer relations. Pro Draft customers are always welcome to use any contractor they like. In fact we recommend Pro Draft customers get bids from other contractors, even if you’re planning to use our contractor services. It’s generally recommended that you get at least three bids for your project.
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