"We Design Stores That Look Good, Hit Your Budget and Sell Merchandise." Jeff Grant - Trio President	(800)454-4844	Se Habla Español		Log In		My Cart

TRIO's design fees are based on the amount of work required by our clients. We bill at an hourly rate or on a fixed fee basis and we provide a fee estimate in advance. Below is a breakdown of the services we provide with price ranges

Free Design and Planning

If you have an existing plan that either you or another designer or architect has completed and you want a second opinion, we will review the plan and provide an objective opinion regarding the store's layout, "look" and budget. We don't charge for this service.

Design Audit: $1000 - $3000
We have many clients who know that there existing store needs design help but they don't know where to start. We visit the store, ( either in person or via pictures and video) review the storefront, the window displays, flooring, lighting, fixture and display placement, traffic flow and many other details to create a list of suggestions (with a budget attached) that you can use to make your store a better place to shop. The typical fee for a small store runs $1,000 and ranges up to $3,000 for stores in excess of 10,000 square feet. Travel costs are additional so in many cases we use pictures and videos in place of a site visit.

Budget Design: $2500-$3500
Many of our customers have relatively low budget allowances for their store's build-out and can allocate enough money for the fixtures but very little for design. If you have a small store (under 2000 square feet) and have a budget of less than $20,000 for the fixtures, then we will help you design your store for $2500-$3500. We can afford to create a design at that price because the fixtures will be "off the shelf" and we won't have to spend time detailing custom displays. The plans provided include the basic elements required to facilitate the construction of a store that will look good and sell merchandise without many extra "bells and whistles." We don't include travel time in this design plan so our clients provide pictures and measurements of the shop for us.

The scope of work included in our budget design fee includes:

1) Store design and merchandising consultation.
2) Counter, floor display and wall fixture layout and selection.
3) Finish suggestions for paint, fixtures and flooring.
4) Lighting layout.
5) Graphics and logo review.
6) Provide and review equipment display bids.
7) Store fixture bid review.
8) Consultation through completion.

Standard Design Fee: 10-15% of Budget

Many of our customers plan to spend more than $20,000 on the build-out of their stores,. They require a certain amount of fixture customization and want their stores to look different than any other. Through the years we've found that as a rule of thumb the hours we spend on design correspond to the overall budget available for the interior fittings. For example, if the budget for a 3000 square foot store is $30,000, then we will typically spend approximately 40-65 hours on design and drafting hours and the fees will range from $3500-$5000. If the budget for that same job is $500,000 and the project requires extensive planning, design and branding, travel, design meetings, project review, renderings, architect and general contractor coordination, etc., then the fee will be in the $50,000 -$65,000 range. In most cases we can review your project and commit to a fixed fee. If your budget is not fixed or the project management aspects of the job look extensive or there will be a fair amount of travel involved, we will provide a fee range with a cap.

The scope of work included in our standard design fee includes:

1. Concept Review
2. Budget Analysis
3. Store design and merchandising consultation as required.
4. Design documents which may include all or some of the following as required by Client
1. Floor and fixture plans
2. Lighting plans
3. Interior elevations
4. Custom fixture details and specifications
5. Color and material specifications
6. Video planning
7. Visual merchandising review and planning
5. Graphics, branding and logo review and consultation
6. Provide and review equipment and display bids
7. Coordinate architectural plans and prices
8. Review General Contractors bids and contracts
9. Design consultation through completion

Do we need an architect?

We advise our clients to consult with an architect if permit-ready drawings are required. If the work you plan to have done is just cosmetic such as paint, carpet, tile, fixtures and display lighting, then you may not need an architect. If you plan to build walls, add electric, plumbing, HVAC or other structural building elements then you will probably need a permit and an architect may be required. We often associate with local architects and will help you coordinate the drawing requirements to keep costs to a minimum.

How long does it take to develop drawings?

We've turned drawings around in a few days. We have also watched the design approval process take several months. To begin the process we interview our clients and try to get a feel for how much they want to spend and how they want the store to look. We then create preliminary drawings to get the ball rolling. These drawings are critiqued, red lined and discussed in depth so that we can develop a second set that is much closer to the final design. We again go through the critique process and eventually arrive, collaboratively with our client, at a final design that everyone is happy with.

The final design goes in for bid review and typically we have to adjust the design as necessary to hit the budget (This process usually involves some vendor and contractor negotiation as well).

So what's the "standard" design turnaround?

Can we do it quicker? Sure, we often turn drawings around in days.

Can it take longer? If the approvals process stalls, the drawings can take months. If a permit is required the drawings can be drafted and submitted quickly but the city can take months to approve them.

How do we start the design process?

Call us at 858.539.7550 and talk to Jeff Grant, our head of design services. He will be able to tell you what the design fee will be, how long the process will take and whether or not an architect will be required.

• What do our services include?
• How much do our design services cost?
• 10 Questions begin the design process.

 

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