Our Approach to Remodeling
Most remodeling stress comes from what you don't know. What will it really cost? How long will it actually take? Will anyone answer the phone when something comes up? You've heard the stories, and maybe you've lived one. Our process exists to remove that uncertainty, one step at a time, so you can enjoy the remodel and love what it becomes.
We've heard the same story from too many homeowners: their last contractor started with a low estimate and finished with a bill nobody agreed to. Calls went unreturned for days. The finished work wasn't quite what they pictured, and by the end they just wanted it over.
After decades of remodeling homes across the Palouse, we built our process to be the opposite of that story:
Instead of an estimate that grows, you get one fixed price before work begins. It's exactly what you pay even if the job costs us more than we expected.
Instead of chasing a contractor for answers, you’ll have daily updates and progress photos on our online portal. If you have any questions, you’ll always hear back within one business day.
Instead of crossing your fingers that the final work lives up to your standards, we make sure that it is. At the end of the project, we give you time to live in the space and mark anything that’s not right. We make sure that you’re completely happy with your experience working with us.
Step 1: We have a conversation about your goals.
Tell us what isn't working about your home and what you wish it could be. There's no pressure and no obligation; this first conversation is simply about whether your project and our process are a good fit. We won't waste your time, and we'll be honest if we're not the right builder for the job.
If it makes sense to keep going, we'll schedule a visit to your home. In under an hour we'll walk the space together and ask about how you live in it: what you need, what you want, and anything special we should plan for. Within seven to ten business days you'll receive your Preliminary Range, a realistic cost range for the finished project covering materials, labor, permits, and cleanup. Before you commit to anything, you'll know whether the project fits your budget.
If approach feels like a good fit for you, we introduce you to our designers and prepare to start the pre-construction & design phase of your project.
Step 2: We start the “Clarity Builder” design process.
Clarity Builder is our pre-construction and design program, and it exists to eliminate surprises before construction begins. It moves through four phases: Discover, Design, Define, and Build Ready.
In Discover, we hold a kickoff meeting, define your project goals, review the site, and set the budget framework.
In Design, your layout takes shape across three drafts: Draft 1 sets the layout direction, Draft 2 refines the design, and Draft 3 confirms final alignment. Material selections are made along the way, and finalized in Draft 3.
In Define, we complete the detailed scope of work, gather real pricing from our trade partners, and finalize selections and construction planning.
In Build Ready, your remodel or home build plans are finalized. You’ll receive a fixed-price proposal, a construction schedule, and a construction agreement that includes a detailed scope of work and what to expect from us during the build.
You stay in control the whole way. We update the budget along the way to reflect any changes in the scope of work or level of finish. We have a conversation about budget and scope at the end of every draft, and treat it like a traffic light: green means continue moving forward, yellow means adjustments are needed, and red means we rethink the design. Nothing moves forward without your green light.
The Certain Guarantee: Our Promise to You
By the end of the Clarity Builder process:
You will know exactly what you'll invest for your completed project, with a single fixed price.
You will know every material selection that will be used in the finished space.
You will have an exact scope of work defining everything that will be completed, and a timeline for the construction phase of your project.
Our entire process is built to give you as much certainty and confidence in the outcome as possible. No work happens without your written approval.
If any surprises come up, like something unexpected behind a wall, you'll receive a written change order explaining your options and their impact before anything continues.
Step 3: We start the build, and keep you informed every step of the way.
We start construction with the goals of avoiding disruption to your life and respecting you and your home.
We protect your home with dust barriers, tidy the site daily, and deep clean every Friday. You'll know who is in your home and when, with several days' notice before we arrive. If your kitchen is being remodeled, we move appliances and set up a temporary kitchen to help your life proceed as normal.
Your Buildertrend client portal keeps the schedule, progress photos, messages, selections, and invoices in one place. You’ll see progress photos and updates on how the build is going, and we send a progress update email every week. Whenever you reach out, you'll hear back within one business day.
We want to be as consistent and predictable as possible, and payment schedules are no exception. We collect a deposit prior to construction to cover commitments like subcontractor deposits and long-lead materials. During construction, progress payments are invoiced on the 1st and 15th, so you always know when your next draw will be.
Step 4: We check our work, and make sure you’re happy with the final outcome.
When we reach the end of the build, our team goes back over every detail and makes sure it’s up to our standard. We mark anything that needs a touch up with a piece of blue tape.
Then, we hand the blue tape to you. Spend a week living in your newly remodeled home and see how everything feels: cook in the kitchen, run the shower, open every drawer. Anything that isn't exactly right, you mark with blue tape.
We correct every item, and only when you've signed off does the project move to closeout. By that point roughly 95 percent of your contract has been collected; the final 5 percent is yours until blue tape issues are addressed.
Step 5: It’s time for you to enjoy your home.
We walk the finished project together and review every detail, show you how everything works, share care and maintenance tips, hear about your experience, and walk through your warranty support.
You're covered by our one-year workmanship warranty from day one, and the products and materials in your home carry manufacturer warranties that often extend well beyond it; we're glad to help coordinate a claim at any time. You'll also receive a closeout packet with your project records, warranty certificate, and care guides, so everything about your home lives in one place.
After we’ve wrapped up the project, we’re still here to help if anything comes up. Whether we worked for you yesterday or fifteen years ago, you have a builder who answers the phone.
Don't spend another year living with a space that doesn't serve you.
Let's see if we're the right fit for your project over a phone call. If our process sounds like what you’re looking for, we’ll schedule a free, no pressure consultation to talk through the details. We’re looking forward to meeting you and helping transform your home.