Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for design/build contractors that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Evenich Construction, Inc., the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is simple: fulfill its clients’ specific needs without exceeding their budgets. “We’re dedicated to helping our customers achieve their construction goals, and we give them all the information they need to make smart decisions,” says Principal Ronald Evenich. “By providing transparent budgeting and clearly explaining their options, we’re able to give them what they want for a price they can afford.”

Evenich Construction has been providing design/build construction services for residential and commercial clients throughout Sonoma County and the Greater Bay Area since 1984. The company has the in-house capabilities to handle everything from custom home building to apartment rehab projects, and it’s also qualified to perform framing work.

Unlike less experienced construction companies that take a “hands-off” approach to following up with clients after their projects are complete, Evenich Construction makes client satisfaction the primary benchmark in determining every project’s success. “We never invoice our final bill until we’ve made sure everything was completed to the client’s satisfaction,” explains Mr. Evenich. “At the end of the job, we go over the invoice and do a final walkthrough, which gives us an opportunity to address any outstanding issues.”

To further differentiate itself from its competition, Evenich Construction provides every project with the hands-on expertise of Mr. Evenich himself. “In addition to communicating daily with my foremen, I personally visit each jobsite on a regular basis to ensure everything is being done correctly,” he says. “I also handle the numbers and estimating, and I make myself available to our clients in case they have any questions or concerns about their projects.”

When taking on a building project, be prepared for a lengthy planning process.
In anticipation of an upcoming building project, home and property owners tend to get excited about seeing the work begin. However, when it comes to building and remodeling, there are several preliminary hurdles that must be cleared prior to breaking ground. “Today, any large construction project requires a certain number of steps and the involvement of several parties in order to be successful,” says Ronald Evenich, principal of Evenich Construction, Inc. in Petaluma. “From the architectural design to legal aspects like permitting, there’s a lot that goes into a construction project before the physical work even begins.”

Mr. Evenich says the planning process starts with determining whether your project is even feasible on the piece of property you intend to build upon. “Your contractor should start by going to the city planning department and establishing the requirements for your property. It needs to be a buildable lot, which means it has access to water and sewer. If there isn’t a well, the contractor will have to drill one and install a septic system. Also, the type of soil on your property needs to be considered so your contractor can design a foundation that’s structurally safe for the house.”

Once it’s been confirmed that the site is appropriate to build on, the next step is to conceive and submit a design for the project. Mr. Evenich recommends putting a team together ahead of time to ensure planning accuracy. “A successful design involves the contributions of several people, including an architect, a structural engineer and a soil engineer, among others. Once your team completes the plans, they’re submitted to the planning department and you wait for revisions.”

From start to finish, Mr. Evenich says the design and approval process can take anywhere from a few months to more than a year, depending on the size and scope of the project. “The design process for a new home can take six to 12 months, and depending on your city, the building department might not approve the plans for another two or three months. Basically, you’re looking at six to 18 months before the actual building even begins. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the time involved beforehand so you can manage your expectations.”

Q: How long will it take to complete my construction project?

A: It depends on how many decisions we can finalize with you and how many materials we can get to the jobsite before we start. If we have to order specialty materials like cabinets in the middle of the job, it can potentially delay us for weeks, but if we can pre-order those materials, the duration of the job will be much shorter.

Q: Can you work around my schedule?

A: Absolutely. We can do all the work while you’re on vacation, or if you work nights, we can schedule the work for your days off.

Q: Do you use the same subcontractors on every job?

A: No. Our bidding process goes through two or three specialists in each field, including designers, engineers and craftspeople, so you’ll have options regarding who will be working on your project.

Q: Can you help with the permit process?

A: Yes, we can submit plans and pull permits if you need us to.

Q: Do you work on both large and small projects?

A: We’ll work on projects of any size. We’ve built everything from million-dollar custom homes to concrete retaining walls, but we’ve also done things like replace a few windows in a house.