EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO ASK FIRST
Straight answers.
Honest answers about cost, timelines, permits, living through a renovation and what it is actually like to work with us.
THE QUESTIONS HOMEOWNERS ACTUALLY HAVE.
Most renovation FAQ pages are written to sell. This one is written to answer.
If something here reads as unhelpfully vague, that is a mistake on our part — tell us and we will fix it. And if your question is not here, email Janet. She answers these herself.
FIRST CONVERSATIONS.
Yes. We walk the space, talk through what is not working and give you an honest budget range. There is no charge and no obligation, and we will tell you if we think the project is not a good fit for us.
Most homeowners do not know, and that is normal. Bring us a rough number you are comfortable with — even a wide range — and we will tell you honestly what is achievable at that level. We would rather right-size the scope than quietly cut corners to hit a number.
No. Bring whatever you have — saved photos, a Pinterest board, a rough sketch on paper, or nothing at all. Design is part of what we do, not a prerequisite for talking to us.
Earlier than you think. Because we take on a limited number of projects at a time, our calendar fills further out than a larger company's would. Reaching out early costs you nothing and keeps your preferred timeline on the table.
Occasionally, depending on the scope. The radius exists so Janet can be physically present on every project. If you are just outside it, ask — we will give you a straight answer.
MONEY, HONESTLY.
Because any number given before seeing the space is a guess, and guesses are how homeowners end up with change orders. A price we cannot stand behind is worse than no price. We will give you a realistic range at the walkthrough, free.
Usually scope, not greed. The cheaper bid is frequently missing permits, subfloor prep, waterproofing, electrical upgrades or realistic material allowances. Compare the line items, not the totals — and if ours is higher, ask us exactly what is in it that the other one is missing.
An allowance is a placeholder budget for something you have not picked yet — tile, fixtures, cabinetry. Lowball allowances are the most common way an estimate gets artificially cheap. We set allowances at numbers you can actually buy at, and we show you what they buy.
It should, unless you change the scope or we uncover something hidden inside a wall. If either happens, you get it in writing with pricing before any work continues. No surprise line items at the end.
Yes — a deposit secures your place in the schedule and covers material ordering, with the balance drawn in progress payments tied to milestones. Everything is spelled out in the contract before you sign anything.
We do not provide financing directly. Many of our clients use a home equity line or a renovation loan through their own bank, and we are happy to provide the documentation a lender asks for.
LIVING THROUGH IT.
As a rough guide: bathrooms four to seven weeks, kitchens six to ten weeks, basements eight to sixteen weeks, whole-home interiors three to six months. Design and material lead times happen before that clock starts, and we will tell you both numbers.
For most single-room projects, yes — we set up dust barriers, protect the path in and out and clean daily. For whole-home renovations it is your call: staying is possible with phasing, moving out is faster. We will price both honestly.
Sealed barriers at the work zone, floor and surface protection along the route, and cleanup at the end of each working day. Renovation is never dust-free, but it should never take over your whole house either.
You get a posted schedule showing which trades are working which days. We are guests in your home before we are contractors on a jobsite — that means set hours, no surprises and no unannounced arrivals.
Weekly at minimum, whether or not there is news — plus immediately whenever something changes. You should never have to ask what is happening in your own house.
Yes, wherever the scope requires them, and we manage the inspections. Unpermitted work becomes your problem when you sell, so this is not a corner we cut.
We stop, show you exactly what we found, price the fix in writing and get your approval before continuing. Old homes hide things — how a contractor handles that is the real test.
AFTER THE BUILD.
Yes. At the end we walk the space together and write down every small thing that is not right — a touch-up, a sticky drawer, a caulk line. Then we fix all of it. A punch list is normal, and pointing things out is the whole purpose of the walkthrough.
Tell us. We stand behind our work and we come back. The specific warranty terms are written into your contract so there is nothing to interpret later.
Yes. We carry the licensing and insurance required for the work we perform in Georgia, and we are glad to provide current certificates before you sign anything. Ask every contractor you talk to for the same.
For specialized trades — electrical, plumbing, HVAC, structural — yes, as every renovation company does. The difference is that they are people we work with repeatedly and Janet coordinates them directly. You are never the one chasing a plumber.
Yes to both. We will show you completed projects similar to yours and connect you with past clients who agreed to talk. If a contractor hesitates at that question, that tells you something.
Ask. We take on smaller scopes when the schedule allows, and if it is not a fit we will say so directly rather than pricing it high to make it go away.
ROOTED IN GWINNETT COUNTY. BUILDING WITHIN 20 MILES.
JVR Signature Renovations works within roughly 20 miles of our Gwinnett County studio — across Gwinnett, Walton, Barrow, DeKalb and Rockdale counties.
Lawrenceville, Loganville, Snellville, Dacula, Lilburn, Duluth, Suwanee, Buford, Sugar Hill, Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Berkeley Lake, Grayson
Monroe, Between, Walnut Grove, Jersey, Loganville
Auburn, Bethlehem, Winder, Statham
Stone Mountain, Tucker, Lithonia, Clarkston
Conyers, Milstead
Start Your Renovation
STILL HAVE A QUESTION?
Just ask.
Email Janet directly and she will answer it personally — no form funnel, no sales call queue. If your question is about scope or budget, include the room and roughly what you have in mind and you will get a genuinely useful answer back.
Gwinnett County, Georgia · Serving a 20-mile radius