Our Approach

R&S knows that finishing a basement can be a stressful and confusing process. There are many decisions to make, and multiple product and finish options from which to choose. We’ll work with you to understand how you plan to use the space, create a design that meets your needs, and educate you on the steps we’ll take to do the job right. Furthermore, R&S doesn’t charge for any of these up front services (steps 1 thru 3 below), and there’s no obligation to move forward until you are ready to do so!

So how do we go from your initial concept and ideas to a “ready to get started” state?

Step 1: We listen

R&S will meet with you in your home, and walk the proposed space to be finished or remodeled. We’ll listen to your ideas, share ours, answer your questions, and analyze the space. During this first meeting many of your initial questions will be answered, while some may require research and follow up. Some design ideas may be suggested at this time. It’s likely that you have been thinking about this project for some time, and our goal for this step is to hear the sum of all your thoughts and ideas, and to develop a complete understanding of your vision for the finished space.

Step 2: We ask the right questions

After completing the first step and seeing the space, we’ll ask a series of questions to help us gain a detailed knowledge of your design preferences, your project objectives, your budget, and your planned use of the space. For example, it’s not enough to simply understand that you plan to put a pool table in a rec room. We’ll also want to know if that pool table will double as a ping pong table, because if it will, you won’t want to install an overhead pool table light. It’s not enough to understand that you want to finish the guest room and bath for your parents. We’ll also want to know, for example, if they need wheel chair access to the bedroom and bath, as you may need to install 36” wide doors and a low step shower dam.

Step 3: We validate our understanding and suggest alternatives

After having met with you in your home and asking a series of detailed questions about your project, we will develop a written proposal and an accompanying floorplan. This proposal will outline the scope of work required to complete the project, design details, allowances for product selections, and a total fixed cost for the project. We will walk thru the proposal in person to validate that we captured all of your requirements correctly. Our goal in taking this step is ensure that you have complete understanding of the proposal, to capture your feedback, and to answer any questions you might have.

Step 4: We deliver

Once you’ve made the decision to move forward with your project, we’ll execute a contract and schedule the work. The contract will outline the work in more detail, state your responsibilities (e.g. clearing the space for work), provide a schedule of work and associated payments, etc.

Once the project begins, we’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll meet and communicate with you regularly to review completed work and to discuss details of work yet to be started. We’ll help you make detailed decisions and answer any and all questions you may have.

When the project nears completion, we’ll conduct a formal walk-thru to identify a complete punch list of items required to consider the project 100% complete. We’ll document this list and communicate progress as we make it. We won’t ask for that final check until all items have been completed to your satisfaction.