The engagement

The full engagement, phase by phase, dollar by dollar.

This is the document you sign for at any project size — one room to a multi-floor fit-out. It runs from the discovery call to the final walkthrough. Every commitment is here. Every dollar is accounted for. Read it before you send the brief.

  1. Phase 00
    Prospect
    Duration
    0 – 6 months
    Phase ends when
    Discovery call held. Budget surfaced. Scope qualified.
    Deliverables
    Discovery call (45 min)
    DAF walks the space brief, the budget envelope, the timeline pressure, and whether DAF is the right fit. If not, DAF says so on the call.
    Fit memo
    A one-page note back the next business day with how DAF would scope the engagement and the rough fee envelope. No commitment either way.
    Decision gates
    Move forwardclient
    You decide if DAF gets the brief. DAF does not chase.
  2. Phase 01
    Spec & sign
    Duration
    2 – 6 weeks
    Phase ends when
    Contract signed. 50% deposit clears.
    Deliverables
    Sourcing proposal (the costed plan)
    Every piece listed by description, dimensions, finish, quantity. Workshop cost broken out separately from DAF's 20% fee. Freight, customs, and last-mile built up to a landed cost. Estimated lead times against your install target.
    Service Agreement + Engagement Letter
    Signed electronically. Scope, fee, timeline, service promises, dispute resolution, and your right to cancel.
    Decision gates
    Approve the planclient
    You can change any line in the plan before signing. After signing, line changes route through the change-order clause in Section 6.
    Sign the agreementclient
    Electronic signature. Counter-signed within one business day.
    Depositclient
    50% of project total, due on signing. Stripe link, wire, or EFT. DAF does not place a single purchase order until the deposit clears.
  3. Phase 02
    Procurement
    Duration
    8 – 14 weeks
    Phase ends when
    Container loaded with full QC photos. Bill of lading issued.
    Deliverables
    PO placement
    First PO issues within 24 hours of deposit clearing. Each workshop is contracted with a 30/70 or 30/40/30 deposit structure on DAF’s side — never 100% up front. Your money is exposed only to the portion that has actually moved into production.
    Sample coordination
    Where the line warrants it (custom upholstery, finishes you have not seen in person, anything dimensional), a sample ships to you or to a freight-forwarder hold. You sign off before full production runs.
    Status reporting
    Every Friday, DAF sends a written status report — every line, where it sits, what is next. A live call runs on the same cadence, biweekly.
    Change-management documentation
    Any change to scope, line item, finish, quantity, or destination ships back to you as a written change order with a cost delta and a timeline delta before it executes.
    Decision gates
    Sample approvalclient
    Production does not move until you sign off the sample. If the sample misses spec, the workshop re-runs at workshop cost.
    Change ordersclient
    Any change after signing routes through a written change-order. You see cost and timeline delta before you approve it.
    Worth knowing
    • Overseas casegoods: 16 – 22 weeks production, 4 – 8 weeks shipping.
    • Domestic North American upholstery: 8 – 14 weeks.
    • Locally sourced loose furniture: 4 – 8 weeks.
    • QC photos at three points: pre-production sample, mid-production line check, pre-shipment full set. All three land in your project folder.
  4. Phase 03
    Freight & customs
    Duration
    4 – 6 weeks
    Phase ends when
    Container clears customs. Drayage scheduled to install address.
    Deliverables
    Freight booking
    Ocean freight via a forwarder DAF contracts with directly. Vessel, ETD, ETA, and container number ship to you the day the booking is confirmed.
    Landed-cost reconciliation
    If freight or duty came in over the estimate, you see the delta with the invoice attached. If it came in under, the difference is credited against your final balance.
    Decision gates
    Install window confirmationclient
    DAF books drayage from port to install once you confirm the final install date. If your site is not ready, freight holds at the warehouse for the agreed grace period without re-billing.
    Worth knowing
    • DAF does not own freight, customs broking, or last-mile crews. Each is a contracted vendor; the contract sits behind DAF, not in front of you.
  5. Phase 04
    Delivery
    Duration
    1 – 3 weeks
    Phase ends when
    Delivery landed at receiving location. Punch list cleared. Walkthrough scheduled.
    Deliverables
    Last-mile delivery
    Third-party carrier booked against your access window. Lift, freight elevator, and any special access requirements scoped at the proposal stage and itemized on the plan. Delivery lands at the receiving location you specify.
    Install (your team)
    Unpacking, assembly, placement, and debris removal are handled by your own team or an installer you retain. DAF does not install directly, but stays available for spec-and-claim questions throughout install day.
    Punch list
    A walkthrough document — every piece, every room, condition noted. You mark what is right, what needs touch-up, what needs replacement. DAF owns the resolution with the workshop.
    Decision gates
    Walkthrough acceptanceclient
    You sign the walkthrough after the punch list is cleared, not before. If a piece needs replacement, the final balance does not invoice until that piece lands.
  6. Phase 05
    Sign-off & final payment
    Duration
    1 week
    Phase ends when
    Final 50% paid. Project record issued. Lifeware clock starts (if enrolled).
    Deliverables
    Final invoice
    50% balance, due on walkthrough acceptance. Same payment methods as the deposit. Full reconciliation attached: every workshop invoice, every freight invoice, every customs receipt, the surplus or shortfall against the original landed-cost build-up.
    Project record
    Single PDF: every piece with workshop, lead time actual vs. estimate, landed cost, photo, install location, warranty terms, care instructions. The document you keep.
    Lifeware enrollment (optional)
    If you took Lifeware at the founding rate, the 3 – 7 year exchange window opens on the walkthrough date. Trade-up is a one-for-one swap at parity, not a credit.
    Decision gates
    Final paymentclient
    Due within 14 days of walkthrough acceptance. Late beyond 14 days carries a 1.5% monthly finance charge per the engagement letter.
Chapter
Changes & cancellation

Projects move. Specs swap. Sites slip. What each kind of change costs, and what comes back to you if the project ends.

ScenarioRule
Line change before signingFree. Add, remove, swap, re-spec any line in the plan before you sign. The proposal re-issues.
Line change after signing, pre-productionCost delta + a written change order. If the workshop has not invoiced production, the only DAF charge is administrative.
Line change after production startsCost delta + lead-time delta + workshop’s published change-fee schedule (passed through at cost). DAF does not mark up change fees.
Full cancellationRefundable to the extent DAF has not yet committed your funds to supplier POs. Committed funds follow supplier terms — typically the deposit portion is non-refundable, the balance returns.
DAF cancellation (failure to perform)Refund of your uncommitted balance + the option to take over open POs at supplier cost (DAF assigns its position).
Two ways in

Read the whole contract, or send a brief and have it costed.

Read first
The contract →
Ten XLA articles, line by line. The agreement you would sign.
Or start
Send the brief →
A costed plan lands the next business day.
See the format of a costed planHow the 20% breaks downRead the honest FAQ