Methods

Initial Consultation

Most of our work is contracted with builders. A basic design is provided by the owner’s designer or architect. In this case the first meeting might only be comprised of a look at the plans to establish the scope of the work, followed by pricing If you are a homeowner and you’d like to hire us to do the design work we first discuss the scope of the project, layout, styling preferences, time line, and budget expectations. It is helpful to bring examples from magazines and any conceptual sketches you have to this meeting. If we think that your budget allows upgrades or is unrealistic for the project, we will let you know. At this point we do not have enough information to provide construction pricing.

Custom Woodwork Design

Based on this information we formulate an estimated cost for the design process. When we present this estimate, we indicate the collaborative aspects of the design, and how you can influence both the design costs and your ultimate satisfaction with the finished product. If you agree to have us proceed based on the estimate, we then schedule the design work.

We consult with you, and then use your budget, styling preferences, and functional requirements to guide the design process to achieve your goals. Our design methods assure that you get the full value of the custom nature of design. As the design progresses we keep you informed of the anticipated construction cost and make suggestions to improve the overall functionality, cost, and aesthetic harmony of your project. The design is your property once complete and paid for, and you may therefore use it to solicit pricing from other shops, as well as ours.

We then move on to the drafting of your design, beginning with field measures of the site if appropriate, and 3D computer modeling. We send you periodic 3D images as the design progresses to give you a chance to check our work and ask for changes while still in the early stages. When you are fully satisfied with the appearance and functionality of your design, we produce standard two dimensional plan drawings for final design approval.

Final Pricing

When the design is complete, we produce a fixed cost bid for the fabrication of your cabinets. If you wish us to also do the installation, we can provide you with either an estimate or a fixed cost, depending on the job site.

Shop Drawings

After the design and sale are approved we will schedule your project, and proceed to finalize the design for production, adding additional views and information that are needed for fabrication. If we have designed your project the price for the shop drawings is included in the construction price. You will have a chance to approve the shop drawings.

Fabrication

There is a tremendous range of construction methods and materials available for custom woodworking. The methods chosen affect both the look and feel of your project and the longevity. The single most fundamental rule for IsGood Woodworks is that we will always choose those methods that produce the most appealing aesthetic and the longest life.

Here are some examples of our custom woodwork quality standards:

• We use traditional mortise and tennon joinery for larger solid wood pieces. Many shops will use biscuit joints that do not penetrate very far and are therefore weaker.
• The joints on our cope and stick doors are doweled. This does not affect the appearance but makes the door last longer.
• Our face frames are dowelled together (as opposed to the more frequent pocket screws that are weak and allow the connected pieces to move out of a flush condition not long after delivery). You cannot see this from the outside.
• We do lots of hand sanding to provide a very uniform surface for finishing
• The gaps between our doors and drawer fronts are narrow (3/32” is our standard) and very uniform.
• We take the time when assembling cope and stick doors to arrange the parts in what is called a pleasing match. This means, for example, that parts with similar color and grain will be balanced in location with each other. Most small companies order their doors and have no option to achieve this. It makes a big difference in the appeal of your project.
• Our standard drawer is solid hardwood with dovetail joinery and a veneered bottom.