Questions people ask before they sign.
These are the ten that come up on nearly every first call, answered the way we answer them on the phone. If yours is not here, ask it — the answer is usually a number.
Ten answers.
How much will my renovation cost?
The ranges on the pricing page are real and they are wide, because a kitchen in a 1911 two-flat with a cast iron stack is not the same job as a kitchen in a 1998 build. After the survey you get one number with the scope attached to it, and that number does not move unless you change the scope.
How long does it take?
Whole home, 14-22 weeks on site. Kitchen, 7-11. Bathroom, 5-8. Add 2-6 weeks for permits before any of that starts. We contract to a date and we hit it 91% of the time.
Can we live in the house during the work?
For a single bathroom or kitchen, usually yes, and we build dust containment and keep one functioning bathroom. For a whole home, no. We will tell you that before you sign, not in week three.
What happens when you find something behind the wall?
You get photographs, at least two options, the price of each, and the schedule impact of each, before anyone touches it. Nothing gets done and billed after the fact. That is a written term, not a promise.
Why does the survey cost money?
Because it takes two people a day and produces a measured drawing, a defect list and a priced scope. A free estimate is a sales call that has to be recovered somewhere later. We would rather charge $2,400 up front than build it into the tile.
How do payments work?
10% deposit at contract. After that, draws against completed phases only. We are never paid for work that is not standing in front of you. Final payment after the punch list is walked with you.
Are you licensed and insured?
Illinois roofing contractor #104.017842, Chicago general contractor #TGC-104882, IMPIC alvará #91744 in Portugal. $2M general liability and workers' comp on every trade on site. Certificates go out with the contract, unprompted.
What if something fails after you leave?
Two-year written workmanship warranty in both markets, plus the statutory five-year structural guarantee in Portugal. You call the project manager who ran your job, not an office.
Do you work outside Chicago and Lisboa?
No. The service areas are listed on the about page. The constraint is simple: a crew that cannot reach the site on the same morning cannot hold a schedule, and the schedule is most of what you are buying.
Can we use our own architect or designer?
Yes, and about a third of our work arrives that way. We still run our own survey, because we will not price a building we have not measured ourselves, and we will not carry a risk we cannot see.
Most answers start at the survey.
One day on site, two people, and a defect list with photographs. It is the document that turns every question on this page into a number.
The question that is not on this page.
Ask it. If the honest answer is that you should spend the money on the roof instead of the kitchen, that is the answer you will get, and we will put it in writing.