Questions and answers
The things people ask before they call
Grouped by where you are in the project. If yours is not here, the phone is genuinely the fastest way to get an answer.
- Questions answered
- 19
- Topics
- 4
Getting started
5 questions
You send us a few details through the estimate form or call the office. Danielle books a site visit, usually within five business days. Marcus or a project manager walks the space with you for about an hour, takes measurements and photographs, and talks through what is realistic. You get a written ballpark range within three business days, at no cost.
The first visit and the ballpark range are free. If you move forward, design and pre-construction work is a paid agreement, because it produces real drawings, real selections and a fixed price. That fee is credited against the construction contract when you sign it.
Bathrooms and flooring usually start six to ten weeks out. Kitchens run ten to sixteen weeks. Additions and whole-home projects are typically four to seven months out because of design and permitting. We give you a current lead time at the first visit rather than a stock answer.
Yes, on full rehabs and unit renovations. We do not take on single small repairs or punch-list work for landlords, because our crews are set up for projects measured in weeks rather than hours.
Our minimum project is around $15,000. Below that the planning, permitting and site setup costs make up too large a share of what you would be paying for, and a good specialist trade will serve you better.
Pricing and financing
5 questions
Fixed price against a defined scope. You get a line-item scope document and an allowance sheet before demolition. The number you sign is the number you pay unless you change the scope or we find a genuine hidden condition, both of which get a written change order first.
An allowance is a budgeted amount for a selection you have not made yet, such as tile or plumbing fixtures. Ours name a real product at a real price so the number is achievable. A low allowance is the most common way a contract price turns into a surprise, and it is the first thing you should compare between bids.
For a home built before 1960 we recommend an owner contingency of 10 to 15 percent of the contract value. For newer construction, 5 to 10 percent. Most clients never spend all of it, but the ones who need it are glad it exists.
We work with two third-party lenders who handle home improvement loans, and many clients use a HELOC or a cash-out refinance instead. We do not lend money ourselves and we do not receive a commission. The financing page shows sample monthly payment ranges so you can sanity-check a budget before you apply.
A deposit at signing, then progress payments tied to completed milestones such as rough-in inspection, drywall and cabinet installation. The final payment is due after the punch list walk, not before it. Nothing is ever due for work that has not happened.
During construction
5 questions
For a kitchen, bathroom, basement or a single addition, yes, and most clients do. For a full gut, we recommend moving out because containment slows the crew and adds weeks. We set up dust containment, protect the path in, and clean the site at the end of every working day either way.
Typically 7:30am to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday. We do not start earlier than the local noise ordinance allows, and we do not work weekends unless the schedule slipped for a reason that was ours.
Your project manager. One person, whose mobile number you have, who runs a standing weekly meeting on site and updates the shared photo log daily. You are never chasing a subcontractor for an answer.
We stop, photograph it, price it and send you a written change order. Nothing proceeds until you approve it. About one project in three on a pre-1960 home turns up something hidden, most often old wiring, a past leak or framing that was modified by someone who should not have.
Our carpenters, painters, tile setters and site staff are W-2 employees. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete and abatement are licensed trade partners we have worked with for years, and they carry their own insurance which we verify annually.
After the work is done
4 questions
Three years on workmanship from the date of substantial completion, which is longer than the one year most contractors offer. Manufacturer warranties on products pass through to you. The warranty page lists what is covered, what is not, and how to make a claim.
Yes. Doors settle, caulk lines move and drawers need adjusting as a house comes back to normal humidity. Danielle checks in at 30 days, six months and a year, and we schedule an adjustment visit whenever you need one inside the warranty period.
You get a project file with permit cards, inspection sign-offs, the flood test photos on any shower we built, paint colors and sheens, product model numbers, and photographs of every wall before it was closed. That last one matters more than people expect when you hang a shelf five years later.
Kitchens, bathrooms and additional legal bedrooms generally recover the largest share of their cost at resale, but the recovery is never 100 percent and it varies by neighborhood. We are builders, not appraisers, so talk to a local agent before you treat a remodel as an investment.
Not covered here
Ask us the awkward one
We would rather answer a hard question now than have it turn up in week six. There is no such thing as a question that wastes our time before a project starts.
Free estimate
Or skip ahead and book the visit
Most questions get a better answer standing in the actual room. The site visit is free and takes about an hour.
742 projects since 2009 · 3 year workmanship warranty · Licensed, bonded and lead-safe certified (sample figures)