What homeowners ask before they sign

A written estimate comes after the showroom visit and a site measure at your house. It lists the work room by room, with allowances for what you haven't chosen, what is not included, and a start window.

Room size, how much is moved, the cabinet line, the counter material, tile size and pattern, the age of the house and which appliances you choose. The pricing page lists them.

Moving a wall, plumbing or circuits needs a permit from your city's building department. We apply for the building permit, and our electrical and plumbing contractors apply for theirs.

It depends on the scope and on how long cabinets, tile and fixtures take to arrive. Your estimate gives a start window and the weeks on site. We often book a few months ahead.

Our City of Cleveland contractor registration, our EPA certification for work on older homes and our insurance certificates. The license page says where to check each one.

Paint in houses built before 1978 can contain lead. The EPA's rule covers paid work that disturbs it, and we follow the rule on every job in a house that age: the work area is sealed, dust is controlled and the area is cleaned and checked afterward. Small repairs below the EPA's size limits are exempt, but windows and demolition are always covered. Tell us the year at the visit.

We stop, show you, and write down what it is and what it adds before going on. You sign a change order for it.

A change is written, priced and signed by you before we do it. It states what changes and how many days it adds.

A deposit starts the order, and the rest is paid in stages as the work is done. The exact amounts are in your contract and follow Ohio rules.

Our own carpenters and tile setters, and licensed electrical and plumbing contractors. The project manager is on site each morning and is your one call.

Our labor, and the fixtures and materials we installed, against defects in installation for one year after the final walk-through. The license page has the terms.

We don't lend. Some homeowners use a home-equity line or a loan from their own bank. Bring the lender's terms and we will line the payment schedule up with them.

We don't take jobs in Summit, Lorain, Lake or Geauga counties, and we don't do roofs, windows or whole-house additions.

Most households do. We set up a temporary sink and a place for the refrigerator and microwave, and seal the work area from the rest of the house.