Home/Process
How we work
Seven stages, published deliverables, and no stage that begins before you have signed off the one before it.
Stage 1 — Site visit and brief (no charge)
Ninety minutes walking the space with you. We measure, photograph, check the ceiling void and ask how your teams really use the floor. You get our notes in writing within 48 hours whether or not you proceed.
Stage 2 — Order-of-magnitude budget (5 business days)
A one-page range with the assumptions listed. This exists so you can walk away early if the numbers do not work, before anyone has invoiced you.
Stage 3 — Concept design and test fits (2–4 weeks)
Two to four layout options, a finish direction, and 3D views of the three spaces that matter most. We present in person. Revisions are included, not billed hourly.
Stage 4 — Fixed proposal and contract (10 business days)
Full scope, programme, allowances, exclusions and a payment schedule tied to milestones, not calendar dates. Trade costs, our fee and contingency shown as three separate figures. Valid for 45 days.
Stage 5 — Documentation, permits and procurement (4–8 weeks)
Construction documents, City of Chicago permit application, subcontractor bidding and long-lead furniture orders. We track permit status weekly and publish it in the client report.
Stage 6 — Construction and installation (8–24 weeks)
A salaried Lion & Jo superintendent on site daily. Weekly minutes, a photographic log, a monthly cost report and a standing Thursday call. Change orders are priced before work proceeds — never after.
Stage 7 — Handover, punch list and 90-day review
Joint snagging walk, O&M manual, warranty registrations and asset register. We return at 30 and 90 days to fix what has settled, moved or annoyed you. Included in every contract.
What lands in your inbox, and when.
Clients tell us the reporting is the reason they come back. Nothing here is optional or chargeable.
- Every Friday: one-page progress note, programme variance, next week’s activities
- Every Friday: dated photographic log of each zone
- First Monday monthly: cost report — committed, spent, forecast, against contract
- Within 24 hours: any issue that could affect cost or date, flagged by phone then in writing
- At handover: O&M manual, warranties, as-built drawings and asset register
The unglamorous part we take seriously.
Every operative on a Lion & Jo site holds an OSHA 30 card. Every subcontractor is pre-qualified annually on insurance, licensing and safety record. We have recorded zero OSHA reportable incidents since 2019.
- Site-specific safety plan issued before mobilisation
- Daily toolbox talks, logged and auditable
- Certificates of insurance issued to landlord and tenant
- Lien waivers collected from every tier before each payment
- Written hot-works and dust-containment procedures on occupied floors
Tell us about the space and we’ll tell you what it takes.
Send drawings, a lease plan, or just the square footage. Elizabeth reviews every enquiry personally and replies within one business day with an honest read on budget and programme.