Questions
What owners ask before they start
Why do you only build October to May?
Because the house is lived in from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We keep those months for design visits and leave the house alone.
What does the estimate include?
The scope, allowances for what you haven't chosen, the weeks the work will take and who will be on site. What it doesn't include is listed beside it.
What do you do about permits?
We prepare and submit the applications the town and county require, and the estimate lists them.
Are you licensed and insured?
Our credentials and insurance are on the credentials page, with where to check them.
What if you find something behind a wall?
We photograph it, explain it and price the fix in writing before we do it.
How are changes handled?
In writing, with the price and the weeks it adds, before it's built.
How do I pay?
A deposit and stages tied to finished work, set out in the agreement. We follow Wisconsin's rules on deposits.
Who is in my house?
Our carpenters and trades we've introduced to you. The superintendent is there every working day.
What do you not do?
We don't build in Illinois or on the Lake Michigan shore, and we don't take roof-only or paint-only jobs.
What about when I'm there in summer?
We keep summer for design visits. If you want to talk about a small job in June to September, ask.
My house was built before 1978. Does that change how you work?
Yes. For homes built before 1978, federal rules require a renovation firm to be EPA lead-safe certified and to use lead-safe work methods wherever paint would be disturbed. Our certificate is on the credentials page. Minor repairs under 6 square feet inside or 20 square feet outside are exempt, but window replacement and demolition are always covered.
Build windows
Ask while you're at the lake
Design takes the summer, and windows and cabinetry take months to arrive. The first conversation is the earliest part of the schedule.