Design, Engineering and Expert Advice
Ruhl Builds offers a range of design, engineering, and advisory services to help you realize your building goals.
Owner’s Representation
Navigating design, budget, contract administration, on-site decisions and quality assurance related to a new build or renovation project is technically demanding and time consuming. Owner’s representation service from Ruhl Builds allows our engineers to interface with designers, contractors, suppliers, and municipal officials on your behalf. We make regular site visits during construction, answer technical questions from project stakeholders, verify material choices and construction details, and confirm the accuracy of invoices for you. We do this while keeping you informed of the things that matter in concise reports and regular status meetings that fit your schedule. If you want to simplify project delivery, reduce stress, save money, and guarantee your investment, Owner’s Representation services might be right for your project.
Advisory Services
Ruhl Builds offers expert advice on all facets of residential construction– design, structure, envelope, materials, contract, budget, testing, quality assurance and commissioning. Ruhl Builds can develop a customized advisory service plan to meet your needs.
Project Planning
If you already have a property and are thinking about renovations or construction, we can help you to put together a cohesive design and construction strategy. The best plans include provisions for future servicing, construction, maintenance, and renovation. The earlier you begin to plan, the more likely you are to save time and money by maximizing the efficiency of your project delivery.
Project Modelling
We can build a 3-D model of your project to aid in visualizing ideas prior to construction. We typically include this service as part of any representation, design, renovation, or construction project.
Building Design
We offer in-house design services for new residential buildings, renovations, additions, sleeping cabins, accessory buildings, boat houses, docks, landscaping, and outdoor recreation areas.
Interior Design
Furnishings, lighting, colour, and material choices are important design considerations that are best determined during the building design phase. Ruhl Builds has in-house design capability to help you with interior design and purchasing for your project.
Ruhl Builds is ready to renovate your exiting building or construct your addition, garage, boathouse, dock, sleeping cabin, deck, or landscape.
Renovations
Well-designed and built renovation projects will result in the renewal of existing buildings while improving energy performance, durability, and aesthetic appeal through the application of appropriate materials and building technology. Careful consideration of existing conditions is key to success. The ability to address unforeseen conditions and changes is critical. Renovations are a specialized type of construction that require considerable expertise and understanding of building structures, materials and building science. They also require craftspeople with broad skillsets. Ruhl Builds has the expertise, interest, and skill to complete your renovation project.
Additions
An addition can be a dramatic improvement to an existing building. Whether you are thinking about adding a floor or increasing footprint on an existing level, Ruhl Builds has the expertise to bring your ideas to life. Our understanding of state-of-the-art building technologies makes almost anything possible. Ruhl Builds is experienced in ICF, advanced framing, and super-insulated assemblies. Let us work with you to find the best way to build your addition.
Garages
These high utility structures are a value-add on any property. In many cases, a garage construction project can offer additional living space in combination with ground level parking or workspace. Let us work with you to develop a custom garage solution that works for you.
Sleeping Cabins
Lake of Bays permits the construction of one sleeping cabin per property. A sleeping cabin can be up to 580SF and may include a bathroom. These buildings can be a great way to add capacity and value to existing properties.
Boathouses and Docks
Boathouses and docks are interesting structures that require specialized foundation considerations and building material selections. Ruhl Builds is equipped with the skills and expertise needed to take on these projects. We recommend allowing 6-12 months design and development time prior to construction for new projects and 3-6 months for renovation projects to allow for planning and approvals.
Decks and Landscaping
Outdoor spaces are an important consideration for any property. Well integrated and accessible exterior spaces are some of the highest value building opportunities that exist at new and existing properties. We are outdoorspeople and we relish the opportunity to help others find ways to be comfortable outside on their property.
Construction
Design
Ruhl Builds offers a range of design services to help you put your ideas on paper. All design projects are staffed with a professional engineer to make sure that your project is technically sound.
Pre-Purchase Consultation
Ruhl Builds can work with you during the purchase of a new property to assist in developing a renovation or construction strategy that works for you. Often this will include preparation of plan sketches and renderings, mood boards, and budgets. We recommend getting in touch when you are starting to look at properties so that we can start a dialogue before it's crunch time.
Whole House Strategy Consultation
If you already have a property and are thinking about renovations, we can help you to put together a cohesive renovation strategy. It is often impractical to complete all of the renovations that you have in mind at once. This service is intended to help you make a plan for your house that might span months or years. The sooner we get involved the more likely we are to save you time and money by maximizing the efficiency of your plan.
Renovation Design
Once a renovation plan is in place, Ruhl Builds can develop a set of permit drawings and general notes for your project. We will work with you through the process and typically meet to discuss the plan during development at 30%, 60%, 90%, and issue for construction stages.
Project Modelling
We can build a 3-D model of your project to aid in visualizing ideas prior to construction. We typically include this service as part of any design, renovation, or construction project.
Renovations
Renovations can be as simple as remodeling interiors and exterior finishes or as complex as stripping away finishes to include work on structure, envelope, and mechanicals. Ruhl Builds is ready to tackle your project, whatever the size or complexity.
Remodel Renovation
Remodeling can often be done without a permit. These projects are limited to changing existing finishes and appliances.
These types of projects offers you a way to express your taste and design sense on an existing space where you are content with the base building assembly.
Permit Renovation
A building permit is required whenever there is erection, installation, extension or material alteration or repair of a building. If you plan on modifying the base building or adding something new it is likely that a permit is required. With help from local municipal officials, we will determine if this is the case and take care of building permits and inspections during the work.
These types of projects offer you a chance to make significant improvements and changes to your property.
Foundations
Ruhl Builds has specialized expertise in foundation construction and repair. Areas that we specialize in including rubble stone foundation stabilization, leakage and crack repair, underpinning and basement height augmentation.
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