IN Upper St. Clair Fall 2017 | Page 57

SPONSORED CONTENT BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT SPONSORED CONTENT DESIGN AND BUILD: ALL-IN-ONE VISION AND CONSTRUCTION SAVES TIME AND COST T he unique combination of design and build services wrapped into one is a hallmark of Action Builders and saves time and money on every project. The company’s key project leader, Elizabeth Sable, earned her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from La Roche College. From the first meeting with a homeowner, she starts sketching in her head. She knows how to see the possibilities in a house, and understands structure and flow. “I love design, and I approach every project with a sense of how people live and use their everyday rooms. I have the ability to think of unique solutions for challenging spaces,” says Sable. Rather than having a separate design firm or architect plus a cast of characters—from the bank, to inspectors, to municipal permit folks and all the million other critical details of a major renovation—a single project manager from Action Builders handles it all. While some customers have already engaged an architect by the time they connect with Action Builders (and that’s perfectly fine), Sable notes that it’s an avoidable investment. “Our ‘all-in’ cost is almost always at least half of what an architect would charge,” she says. Upwards of 85% of Action Builders’ projects are designed by Sable, the firm’s architectural draftsman, and an engineer who stamps the drawings. “We are more efficient than architects because they don’t price things every day; they design. We are on-site, in the house, in the work, literally, so we understand from the ground up what a project will cost,” explains Sable. Most sources cite architectural fees as 8-15% of the total cost of a project. Some charge by the square foot and others have minimum service charges. The experience and efficient process at Action Builders also add up to economy of time. “After we have the design, the construction takes between three and five months,” says Sable. Overall, working with Action Builders delivers a seamless experience for the homeowner and significant cost savings. WWW.PITTSBURGHADDITIONS.COM Upper St. Clair | Fall 2017 | icmags.com 55