Questions homeowners askbefore they hire a contractor

There is no honest single number. It depends on the scope, whether any structure moves, the finishes you pick and what the permit requires. Two houses the same size can come out very differently. What we do is give you an itemized estimate, line by line, so you can see where the money goes and decide what to keep before you sign anything. The scariest line on any project is the cost you could not see coming, so we go looking for it early, on purpose. When we open a wall and find something, we photograph it, price it and send it to you before anyone keeps going. The warranty terms are written into the contract.

Yes, for anything structural or anything that needs a permit, and in Miami-Dade that covers most renovations and additions. If you can, bring us the drawings before they are final. We read plans for what is missing, not just what is drawn, and we bring it up before pricing, so the estimate covers the real job. A question answered on paper costs nothing; the same question answered after demolition costs time. We work with your architect and your designer as one team. For a house in the Coral Gables historic district, the drawings also go to the district's review board, and we handle those approvals along with the permits. If you do not have an architect yet, say so early and we will talk it through with you.

Pull the permit. Most construction in Miami-Dade County requires one, and unpermitted work has a way of surfacing later, when you sell the house or file an insurance claim. We handle the permit from the application through the final inspection as part of the job, so you are never the one standing in line at the building department. Every stage is inspected before the next one starts, so the work behind the walls is checked long before the finishes cover it. For a house in the Coral Gables historic district, the work also goes through the district's own review board, and we build the schedule around how long those approvals take. The permit is in hand before the crew shows up.

Sometimes. It depends on the scope. For a full-home remodel we usually suggest moving out for a while, because the dust, the noise and living without a kitchen wear on a family faster than anyone expects. For an addition or a job done in phases, staying often works. We lay out the options and build the schedule around how you need to live. If you stay, tell us early who works from home, when the children are home and which rooms you cannot be without, and we plan the phases around it. Kitchens and baths run in order with the trades, and the house comes back clean. You will always be able to reach us while the work is going on.

Often, and the way to do it is planning, not cutting corners. Speed is not shortcuts. We move fast because we plan meticulously: selections ordered before demolition, permits in hand before the crew shows up, and long-lead items like windows and millwork on order from day one. A job that waits on a decision runs long, so we ask for the decisions early. Speed also comes from answering the phone. Responsiveness is not a perk here. It is the standard, and a question answered quickly is a day the crew keeps working. What we will not do is skip an inspection to save a week. Every stage is inspected before the next one starts.

Yes, and the right time to do it is before the estimate is final. Value engineering just means finding another way to get the same result for less: a different material, a simpler way to carry a load, a change in the order of work. Some of those choices lower the price and nobody would ever notice. A few would show. We tell you which is which, and you decide. Changing a line on the drawings costs nothing; changing it after demolition costs time and money. And some choices deserve more time, not less. Stone is a twenty-year decision. Most people make it in an afternoon, so we show you what each option costs before you commit.

For a whole-home renovation or a new build, usually yes. A project needs a long list of selections, from the tile to the door hardware, and a designer makes them fit together and makes them early enough that nothing holds up the crew. We work with your designer and architect as one team. If you do not have one yet, say so early and we will talk it through. The designer brings the look. We bring the order, the pricing and the lead times. Selections are locked in before demolition, so the crew never waits on a tile choice, and anything with a long lead time is on order from the start.

Yes. We hold a Florida certified general contractor license, FL CGC 1530743, and it is listed in the footer of every page. You can look it up on the state's license search. We carry insurance for the work we do. Ask any contractor for the certificate of insurance before you sign, including us. The license and the insurance are what make the permit, the inspections and the warranty mean something. Every stage of our work is permitted and inspected, and the warranty terms are written into the contract, so you know what is covered before the work begins. If anything about the license or the insurance is unclear, call and ask.

Yes. We work in English and Spanish.