FAQ

• We are always upfront and honest with how long we anticipate that it will take for you to receive your initial concept plans. This is the longest wait, usually 6-8 weeks, however the rest of the process moved through quite quickly.
• After your initial concepts, we will book an office meeting. We can generally get you in that week or the next week for the in-office meeting and revisions.  
• Once you have had the in-office meeting, we will generally have the updated plans emailed back to you within a couple of working days. We always give you an indication at the meeting of when you accept them back (depending on the current workload at the time).
• After receiving your updated plans, we request that you email back any further changes, or give us the go ahead to proceed into the next stage in writing once you are happy with the plans.
• We will have your draft working drawings issued within 2 weeks.
• We will then issue your final plans in a draft format and once that final invoice is paid, we arrange your energy efficiency report (for the projects that need it) and send you out your clean (non- watermarked) plans for issue to the builder and certifier for the final documentation and construction stages.

We love to work with people who know what they want. It actually makes our job much easier and it makes the changes process much faster. 

As long as you have an idea of what you’re looking to do, we are able to help you come up with a design that works for your space!  

• No. As building designers we are qualified to assist you with all your design needs.
• However, it is important to note that as a building designer in predominantly residential work – Garnet building design does not assist you with colour and specification selections outside the building material and  works. This is where we differ, as the builders have their selected services and suppliers for appliances and tiles, etc and they will assist you with these selections. 
• If you would like someone to assist you with your colour selections, we can provide a referral for a local interior designer that assists people with their colour selections for all types of projects – we are happy to put you in touch.

We have you covered in this area. We have 2-3 engineers that we work with and obtain quotes from when we finalise the concept and as a company policy we get you to engage the engineer directly, however we then assist in ensuring that they completed their works and get it back to you in a timely manner.

• We can also recommend a few different certifiers depending on where your project is based and if the builder you select doesn’t already have a certifier that they work with and include that step in as part of their building contract with you. 

Yes, all structural projects need an engineer – even a carport, as you need a footing detail for the posts.

We have 2-3 engineers that we work with all the time, and we are more than happy to help you through this step of the process.

You will be able to engage with the engineer after you have signed off on the concept stage plans at the same time we move into the construction issue plans. This way, Garnet and the engineers are working side by side to keep your project running smoothly and as fast a possible.

A building certifier is your alternative to using Council (e.g. Ipswich City Council) for your building approval. A certifier is able to issue the building approved plans just the same as council. They are often faster and easier to work with through the whole process.

• We have a great selection of Building Certifiers that you can choose from if the builder you select doesn’t already have one that they work with.
• If you are an owner builder – we have you covered! Two of the certifiers that we recommend also work with owner builders, which means we can still assist you through this process when the time comes. 

Yes GBD holds a current and active QBCC licence. We are licensed as a Medium Rise Building Designer.

Our QBCC Number is: 15251813

Sarah also still holds a personal QBCC Licence as an individual contractor as a medium rise building designer also.