Pinnacle’s Building Planning Process (BPP)

The first step in Pinnacle’s Building Planning Process is initiated with the submission of our free online assessment or an inquiry phone call to our Design Studio.

From your very first point of contact with Pinnacle Group, we promise a timely response to your email or voicemail and will do our best to provide you with the necessary information to make an informed decision on how to proceed with your home renovation or custom home project.

Here’s what you can expect once you contact Pinnacle Group:

• An initial introductory meeting will be scheduled at our Design Studio; in order to gather all the necessary information, we ask that all ‘decision makers’ attend this first session.  Prior to this meeting, your Renovation Consultant may send you our DNA document (Design, Needs, and Alignment Document) for you to get acquainted with prior to this meeting. This is a tool that will help us uncover your motivation for your home transformation and understand your family’s needs both now and in the future for the spaces in your home. It is important that both parties commit to open and honest communication from the very start, working together towards a successful end result. The primary purpose of our first meeting is to listen and gather information regarding both your needs and your wish list. This is also an opportunity to establish compatibly with respect to our collective expectations in regards to your project scope, timeline and investment. Pinnacle Group is a Design-Build firm which means as long as your investment range is reasonably in alignment with your design inspiration then we can develop a plan that comfortably meets your goals.
• A follow-up secondary home appointment will be scheduled. For our home visit, we ask that you have a copy of your Real Property Report (RPR). You should have received this at the time of purchase of your home; if you no longer have this available to you, a new survey will be required to create a new Real Property Report. The home appointment allows us to evaluate the structural considerations and design creativity possible, based on your existing house plan and layout, as well as your lot size if you are considering an addition. We will address points of frustration in your current spaces as well as delve into design inspirations unique to you and your family; these are what we refer to as “inspired living” influences and ultimately what makes your house a home. Perhaps it is a special hobby, activity or sport, a favourite place to travel, or a family heirloom that is creatively tied into the rich atmosphere we help you conceive. During our meetings we will also provide you with information about opportunities to further experience the Pinnacle difference; whether this is through an invite to one of our upcoming Seminars, Pre-board Tours (tours of projects in progress), or Renovation and Custom Home Tours (tours of completed projects). Our goal is to establish trust and determine whether we collectively feel our Design-Build approach and your expectations are a fit. If so, we proceed to the Design-Discovery Phase.

We have invested many years developing our Design Discovery Phase, which is inherently interwoven into the Design-Build Model. Most Design-Build firms employ professionals from both the design and construction sector which is the case with Pinnacle Group; this creates a seamless communication forum. Naturally, the expertise and creativity of an architect or designer is required to draw up the plans. However, they may not be conversant in real-life construction applications; specifically as the design relates to associated costs of construction. What is designed and what occurs on the construction site can lead to a disconnect; resulting in major setbacks in project timelines and midway construction delays, not to mention cost overruns. Pinnacle Group goes one step further; inviting not only the architectural design team and production team to the initial Design Discovery conversation, but also the interior designer and in many cases, specific trade experts for mechanical sizing. Having all parties involved in the conversation from the onset, with this degree of collaboration, helps ensure the best possible end result in terms of design, aesthetics and adherence to your investment range.

We begin the Design Discovery Phase with an agreed upon retainer, and then schedule our first Design Discovery conversation with you and our team of experts as outlined above. This session is entirely about working through the specific design details of your project and deciding the best approach to integrating every possible nuance of what we discussed from the completion of your DNA document. After listening to your ideas and having a thorough discussion, we begin interpreting these ideas into a blueprint version, implementing both 2D and 3D rendered drawings.

You can also expect the following during this phase:

• Measurements of the entire renovated space, or if a custom home is in order, a survey of the property showing the percentage of lot coverage possible and ultimately your home’s square footage.
• Several meetings, emails and plan reviews to successfully interpret your family’s dreams and wishes. Once the designs are complete, and we have achieved Design Sign Off (DSO), your project is now ready for final fixed costs to be created within Pinnacle’s SCC 3-Way Guarantee™. As a consumer it is very important to become acutely aware of the pros and cons with the Cost-Plus Builder model in comparison to the Fixed Cost/Design-Build model. The best way to describe the difference is by evaluating who is responsible for cost risk and accountability when it comes to budget-adherence in each model. In the Cost-Plus Builder model, You shoulder cost risk and accountability to budget-adherence with regards to accountability/liability to project costs. In the Fixed Cost/Design-Build model, Your Builder shoulders cost risk and accountability to budget-adherence. Determine who you wish to OWN that responsibility. Statistically more than 80% of projects that end up in litigation do so as a result of the homeowner owning the cost accountability. Pinnacle is of the belief that the Design-Build model maintains the alignment between the client and builder, when it comes to providing a finished project in which all expectations are met; this is in consideration to the start date, completion date and cost, as well as the creation of a home that truly meets every family members’ unique needs.
• Upon client review and subsequent approval, the contract is endorsed, a project deposit is invoiced and Pinnacle schedules a firm start date.
• Pinnacle will coordinate and apply for all necessary City of Calgary Building Permits or Development Permits at this time; these are required prior to the commencement of construction. Building permits are turned around typically in two weeks or less and are required when your home meets contextual guidelines as set out by your MD or City of Calgary permit office. Development Permits are required when your renovation includes an addition beyond contextual guidelines and will add a minimum of several weeks, and sometimes can lead into months depending on the complexity of the proposed addition, neighborhood willingness, or relaxations that are requested.

The following outlines how Pinnacle successfully structures the scheduling of your project:

• Pinnacle’s Site Supervisor meets with each trade and supplier to determine the timeline involved for their particular segment of the project.
• Using Pinnacle’s proprietary software project management system, a detailed project schedule is generated and online access is granted to every single supplier and trade involved in the project as well as you the homeowner, so you can follow the progress 24/7, anywhere in the world.
• Pinnacle’s Site Supervisor is then responsible for ensuring that every scheduled element is executed on time.  Pinnacle Group is the only RenoMark™ Builder to guarantee our clients’ project start dates, completion dates and costs with our SCC 3-Way Guarantee™ and it is this detailed scheduling system that allows us to provide this solid guarantee (with the exception of any changes and additions by the homeowner outside of the original agreement that could then affect the move-in date).
• Pinnacle’s Site Supervisor will discuss with you the arrangement for removal of any furniture or appliances, prior to the construction date. We have developed relationships with local movers and appliance recyclers and can arrange for those services, if you choose.

The following explains what is involved when it is time to complete your project material and product selections:

• Pinnacle’s Interior Designer/Selection Coordinator will meet with you during the time frame between contract approval and actual project start date in order to complete all material and product selections.
• This segment fondly called the ‘shopping stage’ is enjoyable because of the unique level of service provided by Pinnacle’s in-house Interior Design Specialist. Each client is escorted to all Pinnacle vendors & suppliers for each item impacted by the renovation or custom build, including color & paint selections, millwork & custom built-ins, fireplace selections, flooring, plumbing fixtures, cabinetry, countertops, balusters etc.
• The ‘shopping stage’ is time-sensitive, simply because the project cannot begin without the ‘critical-path’ items chosen on time. For example, Pinnacle could not begin the framing stage without the window selections and sizes completed. For this reason, Pinnacle has developed a time-line and product selections document given to the client and Selections Coordinator in order to ensure adherence to the schedule.

• A few days before construction begins; the disposal bin and Porta Potty will arrive on your property.
• A meeting is scheduled between Pinnacle’s Site Supervisor and the trades that are first on the project; any last minute information or requests you may have will be conveyed, as well as clarifications regarding items you wish to save during demolition, hours of construction, clean-up duties etc.
• Once blueprint confirmations are in order, an approved Building Permit is placed in a prominent location for all city inspectors to see and the construction stage is ready to commence!

A flurry of activity is normally associated with the first day of construction. Complete floor, wall and living space protection measures will commence, including significant dust entrapment procedures. All plumbing and electrical areas of the home impacted by the renovation will be disconnected.

This is what you can expect once construction begins:

• A final pre-walk of your home to carefully mark those items you wish saved.
• The creation of temporary living/kitchen areas if you are occupying your home.
• Consistent, open and transparent communication is vital to our collective success; Pinnacle’s Site Supervisor will establish your preferred method (by phone, text or email) and your desired consistency (daily, weekly and time of day).
• Pinnacle’s Site Supervisor will be monitoring activity and quality control daily; certain stages may require more than one visit per day.
• Only WCB cleared trades and suppliers are allowed on site. In addition, Pinnacle’s Site Supervisor will consistently be monitoring and ensuring site safety protocols are being followed.
• City building code inspections at specific stages of the project will be required which include foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, insulation and final occupancy inspections.
• Milestone walk through times will be required to ensure all items are as you envisioned. An example is electrical installation; Pinnacle always engages in client walk through detail with our electrical team as well as our designer to ensure these details are correctly positioned.

Lock-out is an industry term in residential construction which means the project is nearing completion; this is when the finishing touches will be taken care of such as baseboard installation, paint touch ups, mirror and shower glass installations, appliance placement and the installation of fixtures and electrical plates.

After each trade and supplier has successfully completed their segment of the project, Pinnacle’s Site Supervisor conducts a Quality Control inspection as well as a scheduled professional cleaning, which includes your furnace and ducting. You can expect to move into a stunning, newly transformed home that is spotless!

Throughout the Construction Stage, Pinnacle’s Site Supervisor has been monitoring quality control daily and deficiency resolution has been top priority; our goal is to minimize corrections identified during the final walk-through.

During the final walk-through, a comprehensive checklist will be reviewed, ensuring the turn-over (transition from construction to possession) is as smooth as possible. Any deficiencies identified will be resolved within 10 business days of possession.

Once any outstanding deficiencies have been corrected, final payment is collected in accordance with the Province of Alberta’s Mechanics Lien holdback policy.

We value our client’s feedback and want to ensure your expectations during your renovation or custom build were exceeded. However, we know we aren’t perfect and that issues can arise; our commitment to open and honest communication means if problems do arise during the course of your project, we will be transparent and handle them in an efficient and respectable manner. At the completion of your project, you can expect a phone interview from Client Insight Inc., the third party Customer Review Company we have hired to hear your perspective on the Pinnacle experience and how our team performed. The results and feedback you provide us during this Customer Review provides us with the opportunity to continually improve and enhance our Building Planning Process. Those reviews are also used to further train our employees, suppliers and trades, so we can ensure quality and excellence. Going much further than just clicking a short yes or no to a few questions on a typical online review format; these telephone interviews from Client Insight are significantly more in depth; allowing you to provide honest and helpful feedback that helps us continually improve.

Pinnacle Group’s comprehensive Two-Year Warranty Package includes the RenoMark™ Warranty for renovations and a New Home Warranty program for custom homes, as well as Pinnacle Group’s commitment to structural and aesthetic warranties. This includes 60 day, 12 month and 24 month follow up inspections and subsequent repairs, as well as a Five Year Structural Warranty on foundations and all engineered components.

Included in Pinnacle’s Warranty Manual is a simple ‘one-call’ phone number to our Warranty Manager for any questions or concerns that may arise between our Warranty walk through anniversaries. The entire Warranty Manual is provided for you upon final completion walk through of your renovation or custom home.

At our 60 day follow up; we provide maintenance training as well as a presentation of our optional Concierge Services on all aspects of your home. These tips as well as optional services are designed to maintain the aesthetics, as well as protect the structural components, so that strong resale values are retained on your home.

On the 12 and 24 month anniversary from possession date, we will contact you and conduct another complete walk through; if necessary, any corrections will be completed after this inspection.

Note: All appliances, windows, fireplaces and plumbing fixtures, flooring etc., carry their own manufacturer express warranties. All these manufacturer Warranty documents will be included in your complete Warranty Manual; provided to you upon possession date.