post and beam collage

For contractors and architects

Long Island guest house trussescontractor stairs

Whether you are planning a house, an addition, or a set of trusses for a great room or commercial space, call us today. We will explain how a timber frame is engineered, and how it fits seamlessly into a design and building schedule.

When clients see our frames they are amazed and delighted that this level of craftsmanship is available and affordable. (See our testimonials.) Contacting us may be the most important step you take toward complete client satisfaction with your work—and with minimum effort on your part.

We are thoroughly familiar with all aspects and phases of construction, and will work with you and coordinate with sub-contractors as needed. Our proposal will detail every step of our process so that you know what is involved and what is covered in our pricing.

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A frame from Hardwick Post & Beam includes the following services:

  • Timber frame drawings that include joinery details. (Five sets.)

  • Purchase and preparation of timbers (green timber in the species your client prefers, typically red oak, Douglas fir, hemlock, or Eastern white pine; standard treatment includes chamfered edges, smooth planed and oiled faces, and wax-sealed end grain.)

  • Cutting of the joinery by hand at our Massachusetts workshop. We use traditional joinery for strength, durability, and appearance.

  • Shipping the frame to your client’s site anywhere in North America.

  • Traveling to the site and assembling our frame on the first deck. We peg every joint and leave the frame secure.

  • All necessary communication with subcontractors to insure a smooth flow of work and satisfactory completion of the project.

  • For an insulated building, coordination with the stress-skin panel company of your choice. We normally work with Foard Panel (this link will take you off our site).

  • If the local building department requires an engineer’s stamp, we will have the plans reviewed and stamped by our engineer.

    • After the frame raising, most of our frames, with the exception of uninsulated barns, are covered by stress skin panels on the rafters and sidewalls of the building. These panels are "sandwiches." On one side is blueboard for paint or plaster; in the middle is rigid foam insulation; on the exterior is sheathing for shingles or clapboards. Using panels allows you to close the building in quickly so that tradesmen can get to work on the inside. Your clients will be surprised and pleased at the rapid progress.

    If your clients are calling for “passive” energy-efficient buildings, as seen in Europe, you’ve come to the right place.

    For contractors (1) If we design the building as well as provide the frame, we supply a complete set of working drawings including outside elevations, floor plans, window and door schedule, foundation plan, and cross sections as well as the frame drawings. (2) We are not responsible for the foundation, and typically don’t build the first deck unless specified by the contract.

    We look forward to your call.