Our process.
Commercial controls on every project, a clear sequence from the first conversation to the final walkthrough, a progress report and schedule every Friday, and care long after you move in.
Commercial controls. Residential craft.
We build commercial projects too, and we run your house the same way. The documents and checks a commercial owner expects on every job are standard on ours, whatever the size of the house.
| The commercial standard | What it means on your project |
|---|---|
| Schedule of values | One cost breakdown that is your contract, your budget and your bill, line for line, for the life of the job. |
| Published construction schedule | Every trade and every milestone on one schedule, updated every Friday and sent to you and every subcontractor. |
| Requisitions with full backup | A bill every two weeks with every invoice and receipt behind it, and budget to actual on each line. |
| Lien waivers on every payment | No subcontractor is paid without a signed release, so your property stays clear. |
| Subcontracts and insurance on file | Every trade is under a signed scope and carries current insurance before stepping on site. |
| Written change orders | Priced, signed and tracked separately before any added work begins. |
| Formal closeout | Punch list, as-builts, warranties and final releases delivered before the final invoice. |
How an Appolonia project runs, first call to certificate of occupancy.
Every project moves through the same stages, and each stage has a gate that must be met before the next one begins. Nothing advances on a handshake.
-
1First conversation
Fit and scope
We talk about the property, what you want to build, where you are in the process, and what you expect it to cost. If we are not the right builder, we say so early.
- Review of any plans, surveys or listings
- An honest read on budget and timeline
- Which of our services you actually need
-
2Before purchase
Feasibility Optional
If you are still choosing a property, we evaluate it before you bid: what can be built, what the ground will cost, and how long the approvals will take.
- Zoning, setbacks, coastal and environmental review
- Utility availability and site conditions
- Rough construction budget for your intent
-
3Design to permit
Entitlement & budget Optional
Two tracks run in parallel. We direct the design team through the approvals while building your budget against the drawings as they develop.
Drawing phase What we do Design Cost advice while choices are cheap to change Pricing set First full budget, priced by real trades, with our carpentry crew leaders pricing their own scope Permit set Refined budget; permit application filed Construction set Final reconciliation; basis of the contract - Architect, structural, civil, septic and survey coordinated
- Local boards, CRMC and DEM
- Preconstruction estimate walked through line by line
-
4Contract
Setup before the first shovel
The contract states the cost-plus structure and fee plainly. The schedule of values becomes the one document we budget, bill and track against for the life of the job.
- Construction schedule published to you and every trade
- Selections calendar with a real deadline for every decision
- Every trade under signed subcontract and fully insured
-
5Construction
Five cycles, running at once
Costs captured daily. Billing every other Thursday. Schedule and selections reviewed every week. A written progress report and updated schedule every Friday. Change orders in writing before work proceeds. Conditions photographed before anything is covered.
- Budget-to-actual on every requisition
- Selection dates move when the schedule moves
- Inspections scheduled against the construction schedule
-
6Closeout
Handover, done properly
Closeout starts four to eight weeks before handover, not when the last trim goes on. We walk the house ourselves first, then with you, and every punch item is photographed, assigned and closed with a completion photo.
- Certificate of occupancy and all final lien releases
- Warranties, manuals and as-builts delivered
- An eleven-month check-in on the calendar
Confidence, every Friday.
Every project runs on a fixed rhythm. It is written into how we operate, so it doesn’t depend on anyone remembering.
Selections check
Each open decision is reviewed against its deadline, so a late choice never turns into a late house.
Requisition
Costs by line, fee applied, change orders separate, budget to actual, and every receipt behind it.
Progress report & schedule
A written report on work completed, photos, what’s next and open decisions, issued with the updated construction schedule for you and every trade.
Photo record
Framing, rough plumbing and electrical, and waterproofing are photographed before they disappear behind finishes.
What you see on every bill.
Cost-plus only works when the client can check it. We treat that transparency as the point of the contract.
Every line traces to a receipt.
Each requisition arrives with the invoices and receipts behind it, organized to match the bill.
Change orders stay separate.
Signed changes are tracked in their own division, so base scope and added scope are never blended.
No lien release, no payment.
No subcontractor is paid without a signed release, so no one who has been paid can place a lien on your property.
Variance shows up early.
Actual cost is tracked against budget every week, so variance shows up while there is still time to act on it.
| Division | Budget | To date | This period | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 · Sitework | 184,000 | 171,420 | 6,180 | 12,580 |
| 03 · Concrete | 96,500 | 94,210 | 0 | 2,290 |
| 06 · Wood & carpentry | 412,000 | 188,760 | 41,330 | 223,240 |
| 07 · Thermal & moisture | 138,000 | 52,900 | 18,450 | 85,100 |
| 15 · Mechanical | 221,000 | 61,300 | 24,800 | 159,700 |
| 17 · CO-03 Owner | 14,200 | 9,600 | 9,600 | 4,600 |
| Period total + fee | 100,360 |
The job isn’t done when you move in.
We start closeout weeks before handover, and our Home Care program looks after the house for as long as you own it.
At handover
- A closeout packageCertificate of occupancy, warranties, equipment manuals and as-built information in one place.
- A house walkthroughHow the systems work, where the shutoffs are, and what needs seasonal attention.
- Every final lien releaseCollected before the final invoice, so the title is clean.
- Eleven-month walkthroughScheduled at handover, before the warranty year ends, to catch anything the first four seasons revealed.
Appolonia Home Care
A dedicated team that keeps the house performing the way it did on the day you moved in. Available to Appolonia clients by annual agreement.
- Spring and fall inspections of the roof, envelope, drainage and mechanical systems
- A preventive maintenance calendar built from your house’s own equipment
- Scheduling and oversight of HVAC, generator, irrigation, landscape, pool and security service
- Priority service during business hours from people who know the house
- Seasonal opening and closing for second homes
- A living house record: every system, finish and paint color, kept current
- Additions and improvements built from the same records and the same standard
Start with a conversation.
Tell us where you are: looking at land, holding a property, or working with an architect. Alex replies personally, usually within one business day.
Our past clients have allowed us to share their homes privately. View the private portfolio; Alex will send you the password on request.