How do I compare two renovation contractors fairly?

Compare written scope, not headline price. Ask each contractor for a line-item proposal, named material allowances, the communication schedule, who your single point of contact is, how change orders are priced, and what the quality-control and walkthrough process looks like. Vague answers are the risk, not the number.

What should be in a renovation proposal?

A proposal should separate labor and materials by phase, name every allowance with a dollar figure, list explicit exclusions, flag conditions that can only be verified after demolition with a priced contingency, and state how change orders are priced and approved before work begins.

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Why Renovation Masters

We're not going to tell youwe're the best.

Anyone can say that. Instead, here is exactly how we scope, price, communicate, build, inspect and close out a renovation — so you can hold every contractor you talk to, including us, to the same standard.

Judge Us On Evidence

Read a real project first. Then decide if we should walk yours.

Six North Georgia projects are documented end to end — the problem, what we diagnosed, what we recommended, and the measured result. Read one before you ever talk to us.

See the documented projects Have us walk my project

34 years: Building in North Georgia
7 stages: Documented hold points per project
In writing: Scope, allowances, exclusions, warranty
One lead: First estimate to final walkthrough

Clear project scope

You know exactly what is included — and what is not — before anyone swings a hammer.

We measure the space and photograph existing conditions before writing a single line of scope.
Every proposal lists work by area and trade: demolition, framing, mechanical, finish, cleanup.
Explicit exclusions are written down. If we're not moving the gas line, the proposal says so.
Anything we can't verify until demo (subfloor, framing, water damage) is flagged in advance with a priced contingency instead of discovered as a surprise.

Communication expectations

One point of contact, a set update rhythm, and a defined response time.

You get one project lead from estimate through final walkthrough — you never chase subs.
Daily progress photos on active build days, sent by text or email, whichever you prefer.
A weekly look-ahead: what happens next week, which trade is on site, and what we need from you.
Calls and texts answered same business day. If a decision is blocking work, we call rather than wait.

Detailed proposals

Line items and real ranges — not a single lump-sum number with no explanation.

Labor and materials separated by phase so you can see where the money goes.
Named allowances (tile, cabinets, counters, fixtures) with the dollar figure attached to each.
Written explanation of anything that could move the price, and by roughly how much.
Change orders priced and signed before the work happens — never billed after the fact.

Material discussions

We price options side by side so you choose the spend, not the salesperson.

Two or three real options per major selection, with the cost difference and the durability trade-off stated plainly.
Recommendations tuned to North Georgia conditions — humidity, clay soil, sun exposure, pets and kids.
We tell you where premium materials pay off and where they simply don't.
Selections locked with a deadline schedule so late decisions don't stall the build.

Project planning

Real start and finish dates, with the order of trades written out.

A phase-by-phase schedule showing which week each trade is on site.
Permits pulled and inspections booked by us, with the timeline built around inspector availability.
Long-lead items (cabinets, windows, specialty tile) ordered before demo so the job never idles.
Daily site protection: floor covering, dust barriers, and a defined work-hours window.

Quality-control process

Work is checked at the stages where mistakes get buried, not just at the end.

Hold points before close-in: rough plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and framing are photographed and reviewed before anything is covered.
Waterproofing and flashing verified with a documented check — the failures we're most often hired to repair.
Level, plumb and square confirmed at framing and cabinet set, not corrected with caulk later.
Every stage photo saved to your project record so you can see what's behind the drywall.

Final walkthrough

You build the punch list. We close it before the final payment.

We walk every inch of the project with you and write down anything you point out.
Punch items completed on a stated date, then re-walked together for sign-off.
Doors, drawers and hardware adjusted; paint touch-ups completed; site left clean.
You receive warranties, finish specs and care instructions in writing — plus a team that still answers the phone months later.

Side By Side

What usually happens, and what we do instead.

Decision point

Typical contractor

Renovation Masters

What you get to compare

One lump-sum number in a text message.

A line-item written proposal with allowances, exclusions and contingencies.

Who you talk to

Whichever sub happens to be on site that day.

One project lead from first estimate to final walkthrough.

How often you hear from us

When payment is due.

Daily photos on build days and a weekly look-ahead.

How changes are handled

Added to the final invoice.

Priced and approved in writing before the work starts.

What happens before close-in

Drywall goes up.

Documented hold points: rough-ins, waterproofing and framing reviewed and photographed.

How the job ends

Final invoice, then silence.

Homeowner-written punch list, re-walk, written warranty and follow-up.

Hold us to this — book the walkthrough See it applied to six real projects

Use This On Us Too

Nine questions to ask every contractor.

Copy these into your next three estimate appointments. The answers will tell you more than any price ever will — and we'll answer all nine in writing.

01Can I see a line-item proposal instead of a single total?
02Who is my one point of contact, and what is your response time?
03What is excluded from this price?
04What allowances are in this number, and what happens if I go over them?
05How are change orders priced and approved?
06What do you inspect before drywall goes up, and will I get photos?
07Who pulls permits and schedules inspections?
08What does the final walkthrough and punch-list process look like?
09What warranty do I get in writing?

See the nine-step process →See real projects explained →

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404 · 922 · 9209

RenovationMastersNorthGa@gmail.com

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Dallas, Georgia