Question 1

What areas do you serve?

Accepted Answer

We work throughout Lehigh and Northampton counties, including Nazareth, Easton, Allentown, Bethlehem, Palmer Township, Forks Township, Whitehall, Upper Nazareth and the surrounding communities.

Question 2

What kind of work do you take on?

Accepted Answer

All home renovations. Kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, framing, insulation, drywall and spackle, painting, doors, windows, roofing, siding, plumbing, electrical and HVAC. Most of our work is residential renovation, and we would rather run the whole project than one slice of it.

Question 3

Do you offer free estimates?

Accepted Answer

Yes, free and no obligation. We come out, look at the job, talk through what you want, and put a detailed written estimate in front of you. There is no charge and no pressure to book.

Question 4

How do I prepare for the estimate visit?

Accepted Answer

Nothing special. Clear a path to the work area if you can. It helps if you have a rough idea of what you want changed and any photos you have saved, but if all you know is that the room needs to go, that is a fine place to start.

Question 5

How far out are you booking?

Accepted Answer

It moves with the season. Exterior work fills up in spring and summer, and interior work like kitchens, baths and basements runs through the winter when the schedule is usually more open. Call us and we will tell you honestly where you would land. We will not promise a start date we cannot hit just to get the signature.

Question 6

Are you licensed and insured?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We are registered as a Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor, PA201169, and we are insured through USLI. We will hand you proof of both before any work starts.

Question 7

My house is old. Do you handle lead paint safely?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Joe is an EPA Certified Renovator under the federal Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, which is what a home built before 1978 requires. In practice that means we contain the work area, use the required methods rather than dry sanding or open flame, and clean and verify the space before it goes back into use. It applies to painting, window replacement and demolition in an older house, not only to a full remodel.

Question 8

What happens if you find asbestos?

Accepted Answer

Work stops in that area. Joe is trained in asbestos awareness, which is the training to recognise suspect material and leave it alone: floor tile and its adhesive, pipe and duct wrap, some old textured ceilings. We do not remove it and nobody should disturb it to find out. It gets tested, and if it is positive a licensed abatement contractor handles it before we carry on.

Question 9

How long have you been doing this?

Accepted Answer

13 years running this business, and a lot longer than that on job sites. Joe Brennan comes from a construction family and grew up working for his father and uncles. We have completed more than 100 kitchens on top of everything else.

Question 10

Who is actually in my house?

Accepted Answer

The same crew from the first day through the final walkthrough. There is one person to call with a question, and that does not change halfway through the project.

Question 11

What makes you different from the next contractor?

Accepted Answer

Standards in this industry have gotten low and everybody has heard the horror stories. We show up on time every day. We are clear and direct about what we are doing during the contract and during the work. There are no catches and no gimmicks.

Question 12

Do you stand behind your work?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If something we installed is not right, call us and we will come back and take care of it.

Question 13

What does a full kitchen remodel include?

Accepted Answer

Demolition and haul-away, plumbing and electrical rough-in, cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring, trim, paint, lighting and appliance hookup. We coordinate the sequence and pull the permits.

Question 14

Can you take down a wall to open up the floor plan?

Accepted Answer

Often yes. First we determine whether it is load-bearing. If it is, we size and install a beam and get it inspected. If it is not, it comes down and we patch the ceiling and floor where it was.

Question 15

Do you handle plumbing, electrical and heating?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Moving a sink, adding a bathroom or finishing a basement all mean the mechanicals move with it, and we handle that as part of the project rather than leaving you to line it up. Where the work needs a permit and an inspection, it gets one.

Question 16

Should I replace or reface my cabinets?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the boxes. If the frames are solid and the layout works, refacing gets you a new looking kitchen for a fraction of the cost in a few days. If the boxes are water damaged, sagging or crumbling particleboard, refacing is money over a bad foundation and we will tell you so.

Question 17

Do you finish basements?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is the cheapest square footage most people can add, because the walls, floor and ceiling already exist. We frame, insulate, wire, drywall and finish it. Before any of that we check for water, because finishing over a moisture problem just hides it until the drywall goes soft.

Question 18

Can you modify a house so someone can stay in it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Step-in or curbless showers, wider doorways, ground floor bedroom and bathroom conversions, flush floor transitions and better lighting. If we have a wall open we will put solid blocking in for grab bars even if you are not fitting them yet, because it costs almost nothing now and drywall anchors will not hold later.

Question 19

Do you take on exterior work too?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Roofing, siding, exterior painting, doors and windows. We tear off and replace roofs rather than layering over a failing one, and we look at the decking once the old shingles are off.

Question 20

Do you handle the permits?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If your project needs a permit for electrical, plumbing or structural work, we pull it and schedule the township inspections. You do not deal with the municipal office.

Question 21

How long will the job take?

Accepted Answer

It depends entirely on scope. A repaint is days. A cabinet and countertop update is usually 1 to 2 weeks. A full kitchen with layout changes typically runs 4 to 8 weeks. You get a written schedule before we start.

Question 22

Can I stay in my house during the work?

Accepted Answer

Almost everyone does. We seal the work area off with dust barriers and keep it contained. For a kitchen, plan on a temporary setup elsewhere in the house with the microwave and coffee maker. We will tell you which days you will be without water.

Question 23

How bad is the dust?

Accepted Answer

Demo day is the worst of it. We hang plastic barriers, cover the floors on the path in and out, and sweep the site at the end of every day. It is construction, so it is not spotless, but it is contained.

Question 24

Do I need to be home?

Accepted Answer

Not every day. We do want you there for the walkthrough before work starts, at the big install milestones, and at the final walkthrough. For the rest, plenty of clients hand us a key and go to work.

Question 25

What do your projects typically cost?

Accepted Answer

Most of our renovation projects land between $20,000 and $100,000, depending on the size of the job and the materials you pick. Smaller single room work comes in under that. You get an itemized written estimate before anything starts.

Question 26

Do you charge for estimates?

Accepted Answer

No. Estimates are free and carry no obligation.

Question 27

Do you offer financing?

Accepted Answer

No, we do not offer financing. Payment terms are laid out in the contract before the job starts, so you know exactly what is due and when.

Question 28

Do you require a deposit?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a deposit holds your spot on the schedule and covers materials ordered for your job. The balance is tied to progress, not paid all up front. Pennsylvania law caps what a contractor can collect before work begins and we follow it.

Question 29

What happens if you find something behind the wall?

Accepted Answer

Older homes hide things: rotted subfloor, undersized wiring, a leak nobody knew about. When we find one we stop, show you, and price the fix as a written change order before we continue. You will not get a surprise line item at the end.

Question 30

Why is your quote higher than the other guy?

Accepted Answer

Usually it is scope. Cheap quotes often leave out permits, disposal, subfloor repair, or the electrical the job actually needs, and those come back as change orders later. Put the quotes side by side and compare line by line. If ours is genuinely higher for the same scope, ask and we will explain it.

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