Whole-house renovation
Whole-house renovation
Kitchen, baths, floors, wiring and walls, planned as one project with one schedule and one person in charge of it.
A whole-house renovation is a plan for the house, not a list of rooms. We look at what the house is, what's behind the walls and what you want to live with, and then build in the order that protects the work already done.
What is included
A single plan and schedule for the whole house
Wiring, plumbing and ducts replaced where they've reached the end
Kitchen, baths and floors
Insulation, windows and doors where the plan calls for them
Drawings, engineering and permits
What it doesn't cover
Not part of the price unless we write it in
Furniture and storage
Moved and stored by you, or by a mover we can name.
Appliances and fixtures
You choose and buy them, or we price them as an allowance in writing.
Landscaping
Repair of what the work disturbs is quoted separately.
Items found behind the walls
Written up and priced before the work moves.
What changes the cost
What moves the number
We print no figures here, because the cost depends on the house and the lot. These are the things that move it.
The age of the house
Wiring, plumbing and framing from the 1950s through the 1970s each carry their own surprises.
How much the plan changes
Moving walls, plumbing and the kitchen costs more than keeping them where they are.
Finishes
Floors, cabinets, counters and tile. The widest range of any line in the plan.
Systems
A new electrical panel, new plumbing lines, new ducts or a new heat pump.
Living in the house
A phased job keeps you home and takes longer. A cleared house goes faster.
What's behind the walls
Rot, old wiring and old pipes. We open what we can before pricing.
How it goes
From the first visit to the last walkthrough
- 01
Step 1: Walk the house
We open the attic and crawlspace, check the panel and the pipes, and list what you want.
- 02
Step 2: Draw the plan
A single set of drawings for the whole house, with the order of work.
- 03
Step 3: Permit
One file for the whole project, filed by us.
- 04
Step 4: Demolition and what's behind the walls
We open walls, find what's there and tell you before we price the change.
- 05
Step 5: Rough-in and inspections
Framing, wiring, plumbing and ducts, then the inspections.
- 06
Step 6: Close up and finish
Insulation, drywall, cabinets, floors, tile and paint.
- 07
Step 7: Walk through
A walkthrough with a written list, then a follow-up visit.
Permits
Permits and rules
Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement issues the building permits for electrical, plumbing, mechanical and building work, and each trade has its own inspections. We schedule them.
If your house is in a local historic district, exterior changes need a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic District Commission, and interior work generally does not.
Houses built before 1978 may have lead paint. The EPA's renovation rule covers paid work that disturbs paint, and always covers window replacement and demolition. Our certification is on the credentials page.
Questions
Common questions
Can I live in the house during a whole-house renovation?
You can, if we phase it. It takes longer, and some stretches, like the kitchen and a bath at once, are hard on a family. We plan the phases with you.
What if you find something behind the wall?
We stop, show you, write up the fix and the price, and move on when you've signed. Nothing is changed on a handshake.
Do you do the design?
We draw the plans and the construction details. If you want an interior designer for finishes, we work with yours.
How long will it take?
The schedule is part of the plan, and it depends on the permit and on what we find. We give it to you in writing before you sign.
Start with a walk around the house
We'll look, measure and tell you what we see.