Every quote uses the word custom
Custom is on every website in this trade. It costs nothing to say so it has stopped carrying information. The test is not what they say. It is what you get to look at before the number appeared.Keep that straight through the whole process. A package is a price with a description attached. A design starts with your building and arrives at a number. Both are legitimate ways to sell. Only one of them is designed for you, and you deserve to know which you have.
What you should be looking at
A real design specifies the property, not the product. Scope should be written down feature by feature, because the front of the house means two different things to two people. It says what the standard white is. It says where the controller mounts and how the wiring runs. And it says what is deliberately being left dark.
Why the design has to come before the price
You cannot compare quotes without knowing what each one includes. Two quotes a few
https://erickziwg043.talesignal.com/posts/lighting-for-curb-appeal-the-half-of-curb-appeal-everyone-forgets-does-lighting-improve-curb-appeal-the-short-answer-is-yes-and-here-is-why-curb-appeal-after-dark hundred dollars apart can describe completely different jobs. When the design comes first, the comparison is honest. When the price comes first, the design gets shaped to fit the number, quietly.Once the plan is written down, you can compare the finished work to it, which is the whole point of having it.
Designing for how you live there
Expect to be asked things, not just told things. How you use the outside of your home, where you actually go after dark, and whether the priority is holidays, everyday light, or both. The way you use the property drives the design, and a designer who does not ask is designing for a stranger.
Bringing the categories together
Most properties end up wanting several things. Piecemeal buying gives you fixtures instead of a result. One plan, installed over time if necessary, holds together.
The design is a conversation
The first plan is a draft. If a run looks wrong to you, say so. A company that will not alter the plan is showing you the package. Ask how many rounds are normal during the first conversation.
The plan should end up in your hands
Ask to be sent the plan, and keep it. It is useful down the road in ways that are not obvious at the time. The design is part of what you bought.
Getting a design drawn
It starts on site, which is the only place the useful questions can be answered. EverCrest Lighting designs and installs custom outdoor lighting across permanent, landscape, accent, patio and security work for residential and commercial properties across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. Consultations are free. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].