When you set out to redo a kitchen or give your living room a more open feel, you are committing to having a crew in your house for days, weeks or even months — people digging into parts of your home that may be suffering from years of neglect.
And that’s before even thinking about the money you’ll have to spend.
J. Mark Williams began his career remodeling hotels. “I’ve renovated, I don’t know how many hotels,” he said. Later, he worked for a national restoration company.
Now, he and partner James Cayo own CayWill Inc. in Sanford, Florida, a one-stop-shop general contractor with a particular emphasis on roofing, mechanical, electrical and plumbing, or MEP, and renovation.
Williams says all remodeling jobs come down to one idea: Putting trust in the person or company you hire will come through.
Homes.com met with Williams at a restaurant near his home in Apopka, Florida. While the reporter ordered a decaf coffee, Williams made sure to tell the server that he needed his: “Leaded, leaded, leaded. I need the caffeine.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What should homeowners consider before starting a renovation?
The first thing I always ask is, 'How long are you planning on hanging onto your home?' That’s going to determine the direction and the cost of the renovation, what you’re willing to spend.
I tell homeowners, 'If you’re going to hang onto it, do it the way you want it.' I always suggest investing to make it the way you want your home to be. Don’t worry about the resale. Someone else in the world will love it because you love it.
Before and after
What unexpected issues should homeowners be prepared for during the process?
Based on the age of the home, there are so many things you could run into. We always put a clause in the contract that says, 'Hey, in the world of construction, we have no idea what’s behind your walls.'
We did a renovation where the people said they had a little bit of mold, and when we got behind [the wall], there was rampant mold from floor to ceiling. That has to be mitigated.
You have to be prepared to understand that things are going to happen during a renovation that are not going to go the way you want them to. Electrical and plumbing are always massive challenges, depending on the age.
What’s the biggest mistake homeowners make during renovations?
Trying to control too much when they don’t really know what they’re doing. They only know what they want.
Residential [renovation] is very emotional. As a contractor, we have to wear many hats, and that’s why it is so important to build trust with the contractor who’s doing work on your house. It takes some of the emotion out of it.
Should homeowners work through a single contractor or hire individual tradespeople — plumbers, electricians, masons, etc. — themselves?
As a homeowner, do you know what trade should come first? Who should be there first? When each part should be done? Who’s covering for each other?
If I’m going to work and I have to wait for this other guy to finish, that’s a week of my time. All you’re doing is really upsetting the trades.
That’s where the trust comes in. You want one person you can trust to run everything going forward, that you feel comfortable with, because that person can help you determine what things you really need.
How should homeowners find and vet the right contractor?
Word-of-mouth is much better than anybody you can find on the internet. Anybody can put anything out there.
Talk to people you know. Find out who did work, who did a great job, who did a bad job. You may not find anybody, but at least you’re eliminating those you don’t want.
You want to take your time meeting [contractors] individually. Look at their work. And call their references. Actually call. That’s a big one.
[Renovation] is a painful process, especially if you’re living in the home during it. There’s dust everywhere. It’s a mess. These are things you want to talk with your contractor about. They should be letting you know, 'This is how long, this is what you should expect.'
In the end, the pain is worth it if you’re getting what you want.