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Pros Share How They’re Adapting to COVID-19 Conditions Now
Builders, architects and designers on Houzz tell how they’re working with homeowners and managing their businesses
Annie Thornton
June 18, 2021
Houzz Editorial Staff
It’s been quite a journey over the past year, as shelter-in-place orders stalled many home remodeling and construction projects last spring, new precautions and services transformed how building and design pros worked, and then firms experienced some of their busiest times ever. Now, as COVID-19 conditions continue to improve and regions around the country are relaxing regulations, we wanted to hear how pros are adapting yet again. Here, 16 builders, architects and designers describe how they’re working with clients and managing their businesses now.
Maintaining Some Precautions
“Masking restrictions have been lifted in Maryland, but we are still asking clients if they would like us to wear masks when interacting face to face or when in their homes. In short, we are leaving the decision to wear masks up to our clients. Previously, we required all employees to wear masks when interacting with clients and when in the homes of our clients. We are also still wiping down all high-touch surfaces when we leave a project as an added layer of protection for our clients’ comfortability,” Janet Price of Bearded Builders in Baltimore says.
“We do not have any employees working remotely, other than the employees that worked remotely before the pandemic,” she says. “We are not limiting workers on the job site or in our design studio. We have followed our governor’s recommendations about safely returning to work and office restrictions and requirements.”
“Masking restrictions have been lifted in Maryland, but we are still asking clients if they would like us to wear masks when interacting face to face or when in their homes. In short, we are leaving the decision to wear masks up to our clients. Previously, we required all employees to wear masks when interacting with clients and when in the homes of our clients. We are also still wiping down all high-touch surfaces when we leave a project as an added layer of protection for our clients’ comfortability,” Janet Price of Bearded Builders in Baltimore says.
“We do not have any employees working remotely, other than the employees that worked remotely before the pandemic,” she says. “We are not limiting workers on the job site or in our design studio. We have followed our governor’s recommendations about safely returning to work and office restrictions and requirements.”
Getting Back to Business as Usual
“Things have loosened up substantially as more and more clients, contractors and vendors have had access to vaccines. We are not quite back to business as usual but it is much, much better than last quarter,” Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, says.
Enjoying Personal Connections
“Being in Texas, Austin has largely opened up. In general, I think clients and our design team are all thrilled to meet in person and see each other’s smiles again. Our team has been enjoying in-person team meetings and lunches together again,” Karen Ice-Burris of Ice Interior Design in Austin says.
“Things have loosened up substantially as more and more clients, contractors and vendors have had access to vaccines. We are not quite back to business as usual but it is much, much better than last quarter,” Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, says.
Enjoying Personal Connections
“Being in Texas, Austin has largely opened up. In general, I think clients and our design team are all thrilled to meet in person and see each other’s smiles again. Our team has been enjoying in-person team meetings and lunches together again,” Karen Ice-Burris of Ice Interior Design in Austin says.
Continuing Virtual Meetings
“During the majority of the pandemic, we worked with homeowners much more over [videoconferencing] than ever before. It became really fun rather than challenging, and we all found that sometimes meetups on site were just not as necessary as we believed in the past. Even now, as Atlanta has been fully open for quite some time, we still do virtual meetings to help streamline processes,” Carl Mattison of Carl Mattison Design in Atlanta says. “I use Houzz Pro to help follow up on leads, as so many come in. It is a helpful tool, where all leads stay in one place and I can see at a glance if I have followed up.”
“During the majority of the pandemic, we worked with homeowners much more over [videoconferencing] than ever before. It became really fun rather than challenging, and we all found that sometimes meetups on site were just not as necessary as we believed in the past. Even now, as Atlanta has been fully open for quite some time, we still do virtual meetings to help streamline processes,” Carl Mattison of Carl Mattison Design in Atlanta says. “I use Houzz Pro to help follow up on leads, as so many come in. It is a helpful tool, where all leads stay in one place and I can see at a glance if I have followed up.”
Adjusting to Life Back in the Office
“We physically returned to the office the first week of June. The trigger was the full vaccination of all staff. It has been an adjustment — I work from home two days a week and employees are testing working from home twice a month. The youngest employees were definitely slipping in productivity during the pandemic and really needed to be back in the studio,” Mark English of Mark English Architects in San Francisco says.
Balancing In-Person and Remote Work
“We are beginning to reenter our office; however, work will continue to be partially virtual and from home, with the team meeting together a couple of days a week for human interaction and tactile experience. We expect team members will spend less than 50% of their work hours in the office; our job sites are beginning to become maskless as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has relaxed its rules,” Nick Nichols of KitchenLab Interiors in Chicago says.
“We physically returned to the office the first week of June. The trigger was the full vaccination of all staff. It has been an adjustment — I work from home two days a week and employees are testing working from home twice a month. The youngest employees were definitely slipping in productivity during the pandemic and really needed to be back in the studio,” Mark English of Mark English Architects in San Francisco says.
Balancing In-Person and Remote Work
“We are beginning to reenter our office; however, work will continue to be partially virtual and from home, with the team meeting together a couple of days a week for human interaction and tactile experience. We expect team members will spend less than 50% of their work hours in the office; our job sites are beginning to become maskless as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has relaxed its rules,” Nick Nichols of KitchenLab Interiors in Chicago says.
Tracking Building Permit Status
“Our main problem during COVID-19 was getting city permits for our larger projects. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety were working with reduced staff and only online. We are looking forward to being able to get more information on the situation with requested permits — some were filed a year ago and we are still waiting for answers,” Catherine Bosler of Bosler Earth Design in Los Angeles says.
“Prices of lumber and other materials, as well as labor, are going up so much that we do not know if clients will be able to afford projects — we are adjusting designs due to this.”
“Our main problem during COVID-19 was getting city permits for our larger projects. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety were working with reduced staff and only online. We are looking forward to being able to get more information on the situation with requested permits — some were filed a year ago and we are still waiting for answers,” Catherine Bosler of Bosler Earth Design in Los Angeles says.
“Prices of lumber and other materials, as well as labor, are going up so much that we do not know if clients will be able to afford projects — we are adjusting designs due to this.”
Observing Homeowners’ Preferences
“During COVID-19 we kept initial client meetings outside, which worked fine since we are a landscape design firm. But, being in Wisconsin, this also meant some chilly site visits. If clients are now comfortable welcoming us into their homes, we are OK with that, along with whether clients want us wearing masks or not. We have gone more paperless in terms of client handouts,” James M. Drzewiecki of Ginkgo Leaf Studio in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, says.
Keeping Up With Demand
“Massachusetts has high vaccination rates, so we are all mask-free now. We continue to meet clients outdoors on their properties and do virtual design meetings. We are working at full capacity, with demand higher than ever and operations much the same as last year,” Amy Martin of Amy Martin Landscape Design in Cohasset, Massachusetts, says.
“We’ve discovered that we mostly work better in quiet places (our homes) and gather for meetings only, except when working with my designers in the office on selected days.”
“During COVID-19 we kept initial client meetings outside, which worked fine since we are a landscape design firm. But, being in Wisconsin, this also meant some chilly site visits. If clients are now comfortable welcoming us into their homes, we are OK with that, along with whether clients want us wearing masks or not. We have gone more paperless in terms of client handouts,” James M. Drzewiecki of Ginkgo Leaf Studio in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, says.
Keeping Up With Demand
“Massachusetts has high vaccination rates, so we are all mask-free now. We continue to meet clients outdoors on their properties and do virtual design meetings. We are working at full capacity, with demand higher than ever and operations much the same as last year,” Amy Martin of Amy Martin Landscape Design in Cohasset, Massachusetts, says.
“We’ve discovered that we mostly work better in quiet places (our homes) and gather for meetings only, except when working with my designers in the office on selected days.”
Managing Client Expectations
“With so many people vaccinated and the fact that we work outdoors, very little has changed for our day-to-day activities. Business is booming. We’re fortunate to always have a six- to eight-month backlog with regard to installations; currently, it’s closer to 10 to 12 months. I’m being upfront with clients so that they can adjust their expectations or find someone else to do their project,” Jay Sifford of Jay Sifford Garden Design in Charlotte, North Carolina, says.
“My labor force has decreased by one-third, but my best workers are still with me. I’d like to find one or two more good employees, but, as we all know from watching the news, there’s a big labor shortage. We’ll do what we can until I find more good employees.”
“With so many people vaccinated and the fact that we work outdoors, very little has changed for our day-to-day activities. Business is booming. We’re fortunate to always have a six- to eight-month backlog with regard to installations; currently, it’s closer to 10 to 12 months. I’m being upfront with clients so that they can adjust their expectations or find someone else to do their project,” Jay Sifford of Jay Sifford Garden Design in Charlotte, North Carolina, says.
“My labor force has decreased by one-third, but my best workers are still with me. I’d like to find one or two more good employees, but, as we all know from watching the news, there’s a big labor shortage. We’ll do what we can until I find more good employees.”
Optimizing Pandemic-Motivated Efficiencies
“We are handling systems and procedures the same as at the start of the pandemic — meaning not much has changed in how we adjusted to communicating, scheduling and managing required showroom times. The pandemic restrictions promoted thinking and acting more efficiently because access was so restricted,” Donna McMahon of KE Interior Solutions in Denver says.
“Things are back to normal in terms of busyness. Remote work is still popular, but our team mostly worked this way pre-pandemic. We are not limiting the number of people gathering for job-related purposes. All members of our team are vaccinated and feel safe.”
“We are handling systems and procedures the same as at the start of the pandemic — meaning not much has changed in how we adjusted to communicating, scheduling and managing required showroom times. The pandemic restrictions promoted thinking and acting more efficiently because access was so restricted,” Donna McMahon of KE Interior Solutions in Denver says.
“Things are back to normal in terms of busyness. Remote work is still popular, but our team mostly worked this way pre-pandemic. We are not limiting the number of people gathering for job-related purposes. All members of our team are vaccinated and feel safe.”
Supporting Local Artisans and Businesses
“While I do my best to keep to a schedule, the supply chain and shipping delays that we are experiencing are, unfortunately, not within my control. I have been doing more custom orders as a result and I have been doing my best to support local craftspeople,” Gianna Marzella of Gia Mar Interiors in New York says.
“I see this time as an opportunity to increase our custom and artisanal fabrication here in the U.S. and to help support local businesses. I am excited about these challenges having a potentially unintended beneficial consequence to the artisans that I work with. I hope that I, and other designers, will continue to create an increased demand for custom domestic fabrication as we are now learning it is much easier to deal with the logistics of products that are made and sourced locally.”
Sharing New Processes
“I am doing more e-design. I do more meetings with clients virtually and via phone. I have developed more standard operating procedures to explain how different design processes work and to explain what clients should expect. Since getting fully vaccinated, I have started offering in-home consultations again. I do require a mask if the client is not vaccinated,” Barbara Schwarz of Avec Interiors in Los Angeles says.
“While I do my best to keep to a schedule, the supply chain and shipping delays that we are experiencing are, unfortunately, not within my control. I have been doing more custom orders as a result and I have been doing my best to support local craftspeople,” Gianna Marzella of Gia Mar Interiors in New York says.
“I see this time as an opportunity to increase our custom and artisanal fabrication here in the U.S. and to help support local businesses. I am excited about these challenges having a potentially unintended beneficial consequence to the artisans that I work with. I hope that I, and other designers, will continue to create an increased demand for custom domestic fabrication as we are now learning it is much easier to deal with the logistics of products that are made and sourced locally.”
Sharing New Processes
“I am doing more e-design. I do more meetings with clients virtually and via phone. I have developed more standard operating procedures to explain how different design processes work and to explain what clients should expect. Since getting fully vaccinated, I have started offering in-home consultations again. I do require a mask if the client is not vaccinated,” Barbara Schwarz of Avec Interiors in Los Angeles says.
Focusing on Efficiency and Staffing
“Our staff is back in the office and our collaboration and energy is high. We are practicing COVID-19 protocols, as outlined by the CDC, and will continue to do so,” Susan Christian of Meadowlark Design+Build in Ann Arbor, Michigan, says.
“While the unknowns continue to cause us to react (material supply and cost issues), the business is healthy and we are focused on efficiency and ensuring we have the right people in the right seats both on our team and with our trade professionals. We spent some of the commanded downtime last year homing in on our process efficiency.”
(If you’re looking to more efficiently manage your business, Houzz Pro project and business management software can help. Houzz Pro keeps all communication, documents and client approvals for each project in one central place that you can refer back to at any time.)
“Our staff is back in the office and our collaboration and energy is high. We are practicing COVID-19 protocols, as outlined by the CDC, and will continue to do so,” Susan Christian of Meadowlark Design+Build in Ann Arbor, Michigan, says.
“While the unknowns continue to cause us to react (material supply and cost issues), the business is healthy and we are focused on efficiency and ensuring we have the right people in the right seats both on our team and with our trade professionals. We spent some of the commanded downtime last year homing in on our process efficiency.”
(If you’re looking to more efficiently manage your business, Houzz Pro project and business management software can help. Houzz Pro keeps all communication, documents and client approvals for each project in one central place that you can refer back to at any time.)
Adapting to Increased Costs and Wait Times
“From a construction standpoint, COVID-19 has been a true test of our office’s agility. We have had to, on more than one occasion, quickly research alternative materials, step in to assist ordering and have the client or contractor purchase things like lighting and stone well in advance of the project start date to secure materials. Costs have risen dramatically for cedar and bluestone, causing past contract pricing to be thrown out the window and new estimates procured for decks and patios,” Kim Rooney of Kim Rooney Landscape Architecture in Seattle says.
“From a permitting standpoint, COVID-19 has been a true test of patience. Projects are being reviewed by the municipality and [the county] at a much slower pace due to short staff. It has been much harder to get input and response from the reviewers. Everyone is doing the best they can, but every part of the process is taking substantially more time and costing substantially more money all the way around.”
“From a construction standpoint, COVID-19 has been a true test of our office’s agility. We have had to, on more than one occasion, quickly research alternative materials, step in to assist ordering and have the client or contractor purchase things like lighting and stone well in advance of the project start date to secure materials. Costs have risen dramatically for cedar and bluestone, causing past contract pricing to be thrown out the window and new estimates procured for decks and patios,” Kim Rooney of Kim Rooney Landscape Architecture in Seattle says.
“From a permitting standpoint, COVID-19 has been a true test of patience. Projects are being reviewed by the municipality and [the county] at a much slower pace due to short staff. It has been much harder to get input and response from the reviewers. Everyone is doing the best they can, but every part of the process is taking substantially more time and costing substantially more money all the way around.”
Incorporating Long-Term Protections
“Although California opened up on June 15, we anticipate that we’ll keep some of our COVID-19 measures, as they’re protective of overall health,” Bill Fry of Bill Fry Construction in Cupertino, California, says.
Your turn: How is your firm adjusting to COVID-19 conditions now? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
“Although California opened up on June 15, we anticipate that we’ll keep some of our COVID-19 measures, as they’re protective of overall health,” Bill Fry of Bill Fry Construction in Cupertino, California, says.
Your turn: How is your firm adjusting to COVID-19 conditions now? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
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