Planning & budgeting: Generally, this is where we will figure out what specialists will need to be involved (i.e.: an architect), how much the project will cost, and how long the project will last. A project manager from our team will walk you through this entire process and ask all the necessary questions to create a clear scope of work & estimate for the project.

Order finish materials: after you and your project manager have a scope of work created, this is a good time to start shopping for and ordering the finish materials needed later in the process. The reason why it’s best to do this process before the next steps is because big box stores and material suppliers are having a 2 – 3 month backlog on order fulfillment.

Acquire engineering or architectural plans: not all project will need plans. Simple ‘aesthetic only’ renovations only require an over the counter building permit to proceed. A rule of thumb to determine whether your project will require plans is if it involves removing or reorienting any walls regardless of whether they’re load-bearing or not.

Acquire building permits: this is where we, the remodeling company, would file the necessary paperwork with your local building department to get approval to start work. Note that your renovation company can’t start any physical construction until building permits have been granted by your local building department.
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All licensed home renovation companies or general contractors should not begin work unless permits have been granted by the city. If your contractor is willing to work without permits, that’s a red flag. If your home is found to have unpermitted renovation work being done, your building department can issue fines or make you redo the entire project legally.

Demolition & removal: with permits in hand, we’ll begin removing the old and unwanted to expose the structure of the home.

Framing, plumbing, and electrical: with the ‘skeleton’ of the home exposed we’ll start building/installing the necessary framing, plumbing, electrical, and/or HVAC; think of this as putting in the internal organs of the home.

Finish work: With the organs in place, we'll finish off the project by installing the insulation, drywall, flooring, tilework, appliances, painting the walls, etc.

Inspections: Inspections typically happen throughout the process depending on the complexity of the project. It's impossible to say when all the inspections will be but typically, there are inspections after framing, plumbing, and electrical, then once more when the project is deemed complete by your project manager.

As the homeowner, your home renovation plan should focus on 2 main things: the finish materials and appliances. Ordering the finish materials and appliances are generally not included in the scope of work  unless you negotiate it into the contract. But as part of standard practice, your home renovation company will tell you how much of each material the project will need. For example, your project manager should tell you how many square feet of flooring material you’ll need to buy.

On your plan, make sure you answer each of these questions:

     * What finish materials are needed? (LVP flooring,tiles, outlet covers, door handles, doors, paint, etc.)
     * Quantity needed?
     * Where to buy?
     * Can the supplier deliver to address? If not, arrangepick up with Project Manager.
     * When will the materials be delivered or ready for pick up?

Pro tip: buy 10% extra for potential mistakes.

No. The quote you receive covers the cost of labor, rough materials, and installation of standard materials. So you'll have to budget separately for the appliances and finish materials you want.

Generally speaking, rough materials include the lumber products, insulation, fasteners, electrical components, plumbing components, drywall, and siding.

We separate the cost of finish materials because we want you to be able to shop around for the materials that best fit your aesthetic. To get an idea of how much we charge for our projects, explore our portfolio. On there, you'll be able to see the price of each project and how long it took.

Our advice, don’t try to estimate it yourself unless you’re also planning to do the work yourself. Each home renovation company works at different price points so you’ll never get a clear idea if you try to estimate the work yourself. Anyway, we offer free estimation services so why not just book a free estimate.

A rule of thumb is 1 month for every 100sqft. This accounts for the time needed for planning, permitting, and construction. Due to worldwide logistics issues, the materials might extend this timeframe so ordering your materials early is key to a quick turnaround.

Our team will acquire all the necessary permits, engineer plans, and architect plans if applicable to your project. You are more than welcome to do it yourself if you prefer to work with a specific architect/engineer or want to be more involved with the process.

The cost to acquire plans and permits are typically not included in the quotes we provide because each city building department have different pricing. That being said, when the project manager you're connected with becomes more familiar with your project you can ask them to include the cost of permits in the quote they give you.

Not necessarily, no. This totally depends on you. You can be as involved in the design process as you want. You might want to consider hiring a designer if you don’t want to or have the time to shop for materials. Most building material suppliers will have large showrooms where their staff can help you pick materials out. Try checking out places like All Natural Stone or Friedman’s Appliances.

Not always. You will only need architectural plans or engineering plans when you’re moving or removing walls. Once your project manager is familiar with the ideas you have for your remodeling project, they will be able to tell you right away if an architect or engineer will need to get involved.

Yes. Our offices are located in Concord, San Jose, and Grass Valley. Our crews and project managers are all in-house and we all live in and around the areas we service.

Yes, we can come in and finish an ongoing project if you are unhappy with the contractor you are working with.

We cannot fire a contractor for you but if you have already requested that the contractor stop working for you, then we can come in and would be more than happy to finish the project.

The difference between each contractor is the license they carry and what each license allows them to do. General contractors carry a class B license which essentially allows them to take on a project that involve 2 or more unrelated trades. Other contractors carry trade specific licenses that only allow them to do work that is strictly within their trade. A good example of this is a C-10 electrical contractor. A C-10 license holder is only allowed to “[place, install, erect or connect] any electrical wires, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways, conduits, solar photovoltaic cells or any part thereof, which generate, transmit, transform or utilize electrical energy in any form or for any purpose”. For a full list of contractor licenses and what they can do, visit this CSLB link.

Yes, we are. We carry a class B - General Building Contractor license, carry General Liability insurance coverage of up to $2,000,000, and provide worker's compensation to our staff. You can view all this information on the CSLB website.

Payments for a remodeling project are due whenever each stage of the predefined scope is completed. The duration of each stage of work is unique for each project. We prefer to accept payments in check or cash.