When builders Devon Hartman and Bill Baldwin founded their company in 1978, the young duo had one overriding goal: to do jobs that were, according to Hartman, at the “absolute top end.”
Charging for design and other preconstruction services is growing more common among remodeling companies, but the design/build concept is rarely executed the same way twice. Design expertise is valuable. Get paid for it.
Two major remodeling jobs on a modernist house in sunny California elevate practical storage spaces to works of art.
Although six qualified leads have come from the effort (one led to a kitchen remodel), partner Devon Hartman says the point of the booklet is to help people recognize the firm as a resource and to help past clients, when a friend or family member asks about their remodel, have something meaningful to pass along. "As far as dollar for dollar, it's a little too early to assess results, because this is a long-term investment," says Eve-Marie Lanza, company marketing coordinator.
In the next few years, Claremont, Calif., design/build firm HartmanBaldwin will likely reach its target of $10 million in sales volume. Devon Hartman (left) and William Baldwin, pictured in 1993, when they were named to the Big 50. "Our long-term goal is to offer curb to curb services -- from landscaping to interiors," Hartman says.
