INITIAL CONSULTATION
The first step is to have a call and talk about your project. I need to learn what you want to build and what you need help with. I can also show you what I can provide and answer any questions you may have. I’m more than happy to have a chat about your current ideas and give feedback.
BEGINNING A PROJECT
The first step is to collect the information that I need to work with. I’ll need the following from you:
LOCATION:
Share the location on google maps, or send me the coordinates.
Drone photos:
If it’s possible, take a drone shot of the site you want to build on. Take the photo from straight overhead, looking straight down. Take photos at the highest resolution available. Another thing that is handy to do is to make sure you have a reference for scale. A building, or two buckets set 20’ apart work well.
Ground Photos:
I need some pictures of the site we are building at. Nothing fancy, just snap some photos with your phone from different angles around the site.
We’re looking for things that we have to work around. Roads, power lines, buildings, water points, things like that. This is mostly for me to get a lay of the land.
PLANS:
And finally, make a sketch of what you have in mind. I’ve found that most people have a kernel of an idea in their mind and they need my help to develop it. If you’re rebuilding an old set of corrals, lets try to keep what worked good about them, and if you’re starting from a clean slate, lets take a look at ones you have seen that you liked. Every project and every ranch is different and I don’t pretend to have all the answers to what the best corral system is. I’m here to help you thru the process.
The drawings don’t have to be to scale, but the more info you can include, the better it will be. Take a picture of the drawings from straight overhead.
3D MODEL
I’ll take the information you send and work up some basic models. These first models are rough and are meant to be easily changed so that we can get the general shape of how the project will look. What we’re trying to do here is block out the spaces of where the chute and alley will go, where the cows will stay before working, where they will stay after working, and where they will enter and exit the facility.
We will work back and forth several times, I’ve found that it usually takes 4 or 5 major revisions to get the model all set up like we want it to work. On the final iteration of the 3D model, we can meet on a videocall and walk thru it together to make sure everything is working right.
2D DRAWINGS
The next step is to make some construction documents that you can build with. I’ll take the 3D model that we worked on and turn it into construction documents that will be easy to understand and useful for the builders. They are designed to be printed out on common letter or A4 size sheets of paper because most farms don’t have big printers like an engineering office. The drawings are linked to the model, so if we want to make some small changes, it is still possible to do so.
These drawings are color coded and I try to make them easy to understand for ranchers and practical builders, not just for engineers!
The final step is to make a bill of material. The BOM will have the amounts of material that you need to build the project. It includes gates, latches, posts, fence rail, cement if applicable, and any other major components that we are drawing up in the plan. They are as accurate as the model we make and that’s why we want to model up everything in detail.
BILL OF MATERIAL
SERVICE
After the project is complete, I’ll be here to answer any questions that you may have about the design. I can make extra detail drawings if needed and will support you any way I can to ensure you get the best possible corral system.
The payment is 50% in advance and 50% upon your acceptance of the drawings.
I will make an invoice on PayPal that you can pay with a credit or debit card.
If you need to make other arrangements (especially for international clients) I am more than happy to accommodate.