Whole-home
renovation.
A whole-home renovation touches every room, every trade and often the structure behind the walls. It suits owners who bought a house that needs more than updating, or who have lived in one long enough to know what it lacks. With Mike, the contractor who plans the work is the same person who builds it and takes your calls.
What the work involves
A whole-home renovation usually means new layouts, systems, floors, ceilings and finishes in every room, sequenced so no trade undoes another's work. Walls come open, and what is inside them decides much of the plan.
In South Florida the older block-and-slab house often hides dated electrical, uneven slabs, poor drainage and openings that no longer meet current wind rules. Impact-rated windows and doors are the common example, because they must be ordered and approved before an opening can be cut.
- Demolition and discovery
- Structure, framing and new openings
- Electrical, plumbing and air conditioning
- Windows, doors and the exterior shell
Where it goes wrong
Most trouble starts before demolition. A design is drawn without a builder in the room, selections are chosen late, and the permit set stops matching what was ordered. Then the schedule waits on a stone slab or a window order.
Flood zone status, the age of the house and neighborhood review can also change what you may rebuild. Check with the city before you design, because the rules can limit how much of an existing house you may replace.
How Mike runs it
Mike brings preconstruction in before the plans are final. Early budgeting and scope development let you decide with real information, not after the contract is signed.
He coordinates your architect, designer and engineer with permitting, the trades, the schedule and the selections. He stays personally involved from planning through closeout, so you deal with the contractor responsible for your house and not with a hand-off.
What to decide early
Settle whether you will live in the house or move out, because it changes the sequence and the care the crew must take. Choose the finishes you care about first, since they set the order of everything else. Agree who approves changes before they happen.
How the work goes
- 01
Consultation
A private conversation about the house, what to change and what to keep.
- 02
Scope and preconstruction
Mike reviews the plans with your architect and designer and tests the scope against a budget before any contract is signed.
- 03
Permitting and selections
Drawings go to the city while you place long-lead selections such as windows, doors, stone and cabinetry.
- 04
Construction
Demolition, structure, systems and finishes move in sequence, and Mike stays reachable the whole way.
- 05
Closeout
A final walk through every room, a punch list completed and a handover of the finished house.
Questions owners ask
How much does a whole-home renovation cost?+
Scope and price are set together in a private consultation. Cost follows scope: structure, systems, house size and finishes each move it more than any rule of thumb. A number given before the house is understood would be a guess.
Do we have to move out?+
Many owners do, because demolition, dust and shut-offs of water and power make a full renovation hard to live through. Some stay in part of the house while work is phased. Decide before the schedule is built.
Can the renovation be done in stages?+
Often yes, but structure, systems and the exterior shell are usually done first so later finishes are not cut open. Mike can lay out the sequence during preconstruction.
Will the city permit what we want?+
That depends on your lot, flood zone, the age of the house and any local review. Check with the city before you design. Mike coordinates with your architect and engineer so the drawings reflect those limits from the start.
Who will I deal with day to day?+
Mike, the contractor responsible for the project. He personally manages a limited number of projects, so you reach the person making decisions and not a hand-off after signing.