The Halton Reno Budget Guide.
How we price a home renovation, how payments work, and what we do about the things homeowners worry about before they call anyone.
The eight things homeowners worry about, and what we do about each one.
Every renovation starts with the same fears: the budget, who shows up, what happens if something goes wrong, and whether anyone will answer the phone. Here is our answer to each, in writing, so you can hold us to it.
“Will it cost more than the number I was given?”
One price for the whole scope
Your firm quote is one price for everything in the written scope, agreed before we start. If we find something behind a wall, we price it and show you before we proceed. Any change you ask for is discussed, approved, then put in writing before the work changes.
“Who is actually going to be in my house?”
Our own crew
The same electricians, plumbers, tilers, painters and installers who have worked together for years, on one schedule, with one person accountable for all of it. You know who is coming and when, because the weekly update tells you.
“What if something goes wrong?”
Licensed and insured
Fully licensed and insured, and WSIB covered. Our general liability insurance covers your project and our in-house team, and every specialty trade carries its own liability and workers' compensation before they set foot on site.
“Will I be chasing them for answers?”
A weekly update, one number to call
Every week you hear what is done, what is next and what is still needed, including the decisions we need from you. In between, one person picks up the phone. Before you are a client, we respond within 7 business days.
“Will it drag on for months?”
A rough schedule by week, and the truth about it
Your quote comes with a rough schedule by week, and your deposit holds your start date. Trade and material dates can move, so we do not promise a date we cannot keep. You hear about a change the week it happens, not at the end.
“Can we live here while it happens?”
Clean Site Standard
Floor protection, sealed dust barriers and a clean-up at the end of every day, so the rooms we are not touching stay livable. If your kitchen or your only bathroom will be out of use for a stretch, we tell you before you sign.
“Will I get talked into more than I need?”
Three levels, and honest advice
Refresh, Full Renovation or Signature: you pick the level, and we tell you when the cheaper option is a mistake and when the expensive one is a waste. When a budget is thinner we say so early and suggest where to cut back without cutting corners.
“Will it still look right in five years?”
A walkthrough, then a warranty
We walk the finished job with you and fix what is not right before we call it done. After that, the workmanship warranty defined in your quote, and a phone number that still answers.
“Communication was clear and consistent, timelines were respected, and the workspace was always left clean and organized at the end of each day.”
Three levels, one price each.
Every project fits one of three levels. You get one firm price for the whole scope, not a list of unit costs. Projects start at $10,000.
Signature
The room you show people or host in, or the addition that changes how the whole house lives. Everything in Full Renovation, plus a design partner who helps you land your style, builds mood boards and creates design drawings of the new space. Includes an additional six months of warranty as things settle, outlined in your quote.
Full Renovation
Down to the studs, built to work better. New layout, plumbing and electrical where needed, all new finishes and permits handled.
Refresh
New look, same layout. Finishes, fixtures, tile, lighting and paint. Walls and plumbing stay where they are.
How payments work.
A non-refundable 25% deposit is due when you sign your quote and scope of work, and it holds your start date. Another 25% is due on the day we start, and the rest is billed in stages set out in your quote.
Plan for a contingency.
Set money aside on top of your budget for what is behind the walls: old wiring, rot, plumbing that is not to code. Ten to fifteen percent is the usual planning figure. If we do not need it, you keep it.
How you get a number you can trust.
- Tell us about your space. Start on the contact page. Send your overall goal, your needs and wants, three to six photos and a short video of the space. That is the discovery package, and it is what lets us price your project without guessing. The prep guide on the form shows you exactly what to send.
- Free estimate. Based on what you send, we call you with a realistic price range for your project. The estimate comes from Drew, who has seen and quoted projects of every size, from a powder room to a full main floor. No site visit is required yet. You get a number you can plan around before anyone comes to your door.
- In-home consult. An in-home consult with our project manager, usually a two-hour site visit, $500 plus HST, paid at booking. We review the space with you, take photos, video and measurements, check the structure, plumbing and electrical, and flag any changes we foresee from the floor plan before they turn into surprises. Everyone making the decision should be there.
- Firm quote and scope of work. Within 7 to 10 business days of the in-home consult you receive a firm quote and a written scope of work: room by room, what is included, what you supply, and a rough schedule by week. You have 30 days to approve it.
Before you send photos.
Our 2-minute prep guide shows exactly what to send so your free estimate is accurate the first time. Questions? Email our email.