What Actually Happens
On a BB Carpentry Project
Most contractors will tell you the process is simple and then improvise it. Ours is written down, runs the same way every time, and you can read the whole thing before you spend a dollar.
A renovation goes wrong in the planning, not in the building
Almost every renovation horror story traces back to a decision that was never actually made. A selection left open. A budget line called an allowance. A change agreed verbally on a Tuesday and remembered differently in August.
The stages below exist to close those gaps before they can cost you anything. Each one ends with something you can hold: a number, a drawing, a signature, a photograph. If a stage has not produced its document, the project does not move to the next one.
Who you deal with
Brad runs every project personally, from the first planning call through to the final walkthrough. There is no account manager, no handover to a site crew you have not met, and no phone tree.
Subcontracted trades work under his direction and are vetted to produce the same documented standard.
Seven stages, and what each one owes you
The planning call
You describe what you are trying to do and we talk it through honestly: rough scope, a realistic cost range, and whether the timing works. No site visit and no obligation. If we are not the right fit for the project, this is where we say so rather than three weeks later.
A realistic range for your specific project, and a straight answer on fit.
Site visit and assessment
Brad walks the space, measures, and looks at the things that actually move a price: ceiling heights, the state of the electrical and plumbing, structural conditions, access for materials. Existing conditions are the single biggest source of surprise on a renovation, so they get looked at before anyone quotes a number, not after demolition finds them.
A shared understanding of scope and any conditions that could affect cost.
Scope, selections and a locked budget
This is where the work really happens. Every selection is confirmed and priced, the scope is documented line by line, and the budget is locked before demolition begins. There are no allowances carrying your risk, and no open-ended estimates. The only acceptable surprise later is a genuine hidden condition behind a wall.
A locked budget, a documented scope, and confirmed selections. Nothing left to interpretation.
Agreement and permits
You sign an agreement covering the documented scope and a milestone payment schedule tied to project phases. We never ask for payment in advance of work done. Permit procurement is ours, not yours: we prepare and manage the full application with the City of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo or Guelph as applicable, and we manage the inspections that follow.
A signed agreement, a payment schedule tied to phases, and permits handled on your behalf.
Construction
Work runs against the documented plan and the seven pillars. You receive a written update every Friday without exception: what was completed, what is planned, photographs, and any schedule notes. If something unexpected is found, you hear the same day with a proposed solution attached, not just a problem. Nothing that changes scope, cost or timeline proceeds on a verbal instruction.
A written Friday update every week, and same-day disclosure of anything unexpected.
Quality gates
Formal checkpoints happen before demolition, before walls close, and before handover. Work is inspected and documented against the standard while it is still visible and still cheap to correct. Once drywall goes on, a shortcut behind it is yours for the life of the house, so the gates exist to make sure there is nothing behind it to find.
Documented checkpoints at each gate, photographed before anything is covered.
Walkthrough and handover
We walk the finished project together and you sign off on it. The final payment is issued only after that sign-off, not before. You also receive the documentation gathered along the way: warranty and product information, and the photographic record from the gates.
A completed project you have signed off, and final payment issued only after you have.
Every stage above is governed by the Complete Renovation Standard
Seven pillars: planning, design, finishes, infrastructure, longevity, tradesmanship, and communication. The process is how the standard gets applied to your specific home. The standard is what stops the process from bending when a project gets difficult.
Questions about how a project runs
Start with the
planning call
Twenty minutes, free, no obligation. You will get an honest read on scope, a realistic range, and a straight answer on whether we are the right fit.