Becoming A Contractor’s In-House Design Team

A contractor can hire us for design and include a markup on our work, as they would with another trade. We’re treated as a subcontractor, but over time we can become something that feels like their in-house design team. I see that as a huge plus for the contractor.

Design is expensive. In this arrangement, the contractor can include our work in what they offer rather than having to do the design themselves. They bring us into the project, and our design work becomes part of the service they present to their client.

The part I really like is getting to know how a contractor works. The more we go back and forth, the more we understand their preferences. They might like to use certain kinds of cabinets, or they might already have a source for a product. Those are useful details for us to know as their design team.

That’s the value of an ongoing working relationship. We love working with those contractors, and we treat them very well. That familiarity carries into the next project.