Pricing & payment
Why is your bid higher than the other guy's? +
Usually because ours includes things his doesn't — permits, floor protection, haul-off, licensed (not handyman) plumbing and electrical, and a visible 10–15% contingency line instead of a surprise change order later. Put the two bids side by side and check: does his name the cabinet line, the tile, the fixture models? A bid without materials named is a guess, and the Texas Attorney General's scam warnings start with "extremely low bids that balloon later." We'll walk you through both bids line by line, free, even if you go with him.
How much do you need up front? I've heard the horror stories. +
Fair — about 1 in 10 homeowners have been burned by a contractor, and the pattern is always the same: big deposit, vanishing act. We take no more than 25% down (on small jobs, often nothing until materials are ordered), and every payment after that is tied to a completed, inspected milestone — never a calendar date. Final payment only after you sign off on the punch-list walkthrough. And for homestead projects over $5,000, Texas law requires your money to sit in a dedicated construction account — we show you the verification without being asked.
Do you offer financing? Is it a rip-off? +
We offer it, and we'll tell you when NOT to use it. Through our lending partners you can get 12-month true same-as-cash (0% if paid in full, no retroactive interest) or fixed terms from 7.99% APR up to 12 years, approval in minutes with a soft credit pull, no home equity required. But 0% promos cost us a dealer fee that's baked somewhere in the price — so if you have a HELOC at 7–9%, that's often cheaper for a $50K+ job, and we'll say so. Ask for the cash price and the financed price; a contractor who won't show both is hiding the fee.
Process & timeline
How long will my kitchen really take, and can I live in the house? +
Honest numbers for DFW: a refresh runs 2–4 weeks, a mid-range remodel 6–10 weeks, a full gut with layout changes 12–20 weeks — and cabinet lead times (4–8 weeks) start before demo, which is why we don't swing a hammer until your cabinets are in our warehouse. Yes, you can live at home: we build a temporary kitchen station (fridge, microwave, sink access where possible), seal the work zone with dust barriers, and clean up daily. It's camping-adjacent for a few weeks. We'll be straight about that.
What happens when you find something bad behind the wall? +
In a metroplex full of 1970s–90s houses, we sometimes find rot, aluminum wiring, galvanized or polybutylene plumbing, or a slab surprise. That's what the contingency line in your bid is for — we price it visibly (10–15%) instead of pretending problems don't exist. If we open something up, work in that area pauses, you get photos and a written change order with a price, and nothing proceeds until you approve it. No verbal "we'll settle up later." If the contingency isn't used, you keep it.
Trust & licensing
Texas doesn't license contractors. How do I know you're legit? +
Correct — anyone with a truck can call himself a remodeler here, which is exactly why you should demand what IS verifiable: our certificate of insurance ($1M liability + workers' comp) sent before work starts, our RCAT roofing license, the state license numbers of every electrician and plumber on your job (TDLR and TSBPE — you can look them up online), and written references you can actually call. A contractor who hesitates on any of those is telling you something.
Who's actually in my house — employees or random subs? +
Our demo, carpentry, and tile crews are our W-2 people, led by a named project manager who introduces the crew on day one and texts you photo updates twice a week. Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are done by our long-term state-licensed trade partners — the same three companies for years, not whoever answered Craigslist that morning — and their license numbers appear on your invoice. Everyone is background-checked and covered under our workers' comp, so an injury on your property is our problem, never yours.
Insurance claims
Will you just handle my hail claim so I don't pay anything? +
No — and please run from anyone who says yes. Since 2019 it's a crime in Texas for a contractor to waive or absorb your insurance deductible, and most DFW policies carry a 1–2% wind/hail deductible ($3,500–$7,000 on a $350K home), so "free roof" means someone is committing fraud with your name attached. What we DO do: free documented inspection, meet your adjuster on the roof to fight for the full scope, handle supplements, and complete the work at the insurance-approved price. You pay your deductible; that's the law working correctly.