I want to know how much the work will cost without committing very much money.  How does the design/estimate process work? What you are asking for is a feasibility analysis and preliminary budget.  These studies come in various sizes: 1)  You can usually get a quick appraisal at low or no cost in one meeting. 2)  If that is satisfactory, you can engage a design professional to perform a preliminary design (PD). (You will have to pay for this) 3)  Once you have the PD, you can interview contractors and also get several quick appraisals OR you can pay a contractor to develop a detailed budget. 4)  If that is satisfactory, the plans/estimate is finalized towards a target budget.  It is typical to perform what is called “valve engineering” at this phase to keep a project on budget and deliver maximum value to the client 5)  If the design/budget is NOT satisfactory, you can:           a) Abandon the process           b) Do another design (you have to pay for this as well)            Our policy for budget/scope alignment is based on the size of your project, we are prepared to commit 2-8 hours to evaluate your ideas and propose a budget.  Experience has taught us that we need to work diligently to arrive at a hiring decision promptly.  If we cannot determine compatibility in personality, type of project and budget within 8 hours, our sales lead tracking shows us that it is almost always not going to result in a sold project.  While we like to be paid for every hour we work; our motivation here is to be the best steward of our available time.  In this case our motivation is mutually beneficial. Roarke Custom Builders, Inc • 461 Elliot Road • East Greenbush • New York • 12061 phone: 518-689-0066 • fax: 518-689-0067 • email: info@roarkecustombuilders.com