Our process · Bid, schedule, build, punch list, closeOur Remodeling Process five stages from bid to close
Every JACCO project, from a single bathroom to a whole floor of the house, follows the same five stages. This page explains what happens in each one, what you receive along the way and which decisions are yours.
Where remodels go wrong, and how five stages prevent it
Remodels rarely go wrong in the middle of a wall. They go wrong at the edges: a scope nobody wrote down, a vanity ordered the week it was needed, trades arriving out of order, a finish line no one defined. Each of JACCO’s five stages exists to close one of those gaps before it costs you time or money.
The sequence comes from Jonathon Wilkinson and his years on job sites, and it does not change with the size of the job. A new shower and a renovation that touches every room go through the same steps; only the length of each one differs. When you are ready to begin, the first step is to request a consultation.
Bid, schedule, build, punch list, close
What happens at each stage, and what you have in hand when it ends.
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Stage 1
Bid: a site visit, an estimate and a contract
The bid starts in your home. Jonathon walks the space with you, takes measurements and photographs, and asks how the room is used now and what is not working. From that visit, JACCO prepares an estimate based on a written scope of work. You can go through the scope line by line, ask for changes or alternatives, and take the time you need. When the scope and price are agreed, you receive a contract to sign.
- Measurements and photos of the existing space
- An estimate tied to a written scope of work
- Room to question, adjust and compare before you commit
- A contract once scope and price are settled
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Stage 2
Schedule: selections, ordering and a day-by-day plan
Before demolition, the decisions that drive the calendar are made and written down: tile, fixtures, cabinetry, lighting and anything with a long lead time. Materials are ordered so the work does not stop to wait for a delivery. You then receive a Scope of Work document and a detailed work schedule showing which trade is in your home on which day. Travel, work-from-home days and rooms you need to keep using are planned in at this stage, not improvised later.
- Selections confirmed in writing
- Long-lead materials ordered before work begins
- A Scope of Work document for your records
- A detailed schedule of what happens on which day
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Stage 3
Build: protection first, then construction
The first job on site is protecting your home. Floors along the work path are covered with Ram Board, and plastic sheeting separates the work area from the rest of the house. Construction then follows the schedule in the order the trades require: framing and rough plumbing and electrical come before inspections, and waterproofing, tile, cabinetry, trim and paint come after. Each day ends with the work area cleaned up and safe to walk past.
- Ram Board on the floors and plastic containment
- Trades sequenced around inspections
- The work area cleaned at the end of each day
- Updates whenever the plan changes
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Stage 4
Punch list: a walk-through you lead
When construction is complete, you and Jonathon walk the finished space together, slowly. Anything that is not right goes on a written punch list, whether it is a paint touch-up, a cabinet door that needs adjusting, a gap in a caulk line or a scuffed piece of trim. The crew works through every item, and you check them off together rather than taking anyone’s word for it.
- A joint walk-through of the finished work
- A written punch list you agree with
- Each item completed and checked off together
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Stage 5
Close: final sign-offs and the last payment
The project closes once the punch list is complete, not when the crew is ready to move on. Any final inspection the permit requires is signed off, the final payment falls due as your contract sets out, and the job site goes back to being your home. And if a small problem shows up after closeout, call Jonathon; he would rather hear about it than have you live with it.
- Final inspection sign-off where a permit applies
- Final payment as scheduled in your contract
- A direct line to Jonathon after the job closes
How you stay informed while work is underway
The work schedule is the baseline for every conversation. You know which trade is due and when, so a quiet day or an empty driveway is never a mystery. If a delivery slips, an inspection moves or the weather pushes outdoor work back, you hear about it from JACCO, along with the revised plan.
Jonathon is your point of contact from the bid to closeout. Questions about scope, selections or timing go to him, and he keeps the crew and any specialty trades working from the same plan. Small questions on site get answered on the spot; anything that would change the scope, the price or the schedule waits for your decision.
Changes are priced and approved in writing first
Most projects see at least one change. You may decide on a different tile once you see it in the room, ask for an extra outlet, or need a repair that was hidden behind old drywall. Each change is written up with its effect on the price and the schedule, and work on it does not start until you have approved it in writing.
That paper trail protects both sides. It keeps the final invoice tied to decisions you actually made, and nobody has to rely on memory about a hallway conversation from three weeks earlier.
Billing that follows the contract
Your contract sets out the payment schedule before any work begins, so you know when each payment falls due and what it covers. Invoices refer back to that contract and to any approved changes, which makes every line easy to trace.
Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover card, by cash or check, by bank transfer, or through Venmo, Cash App or Apple Pay.
How many site visits happen before I receive a bid?
For most projects, one visit is enough to measure, photograph and talk through what you want. Larger or more involved work, such as an addition or a primary suite where walls move, may need a second visit once selections or drawings are further along. Either way, the estimate is built from what you and Jonathon agreed on site, not from a template.
What is the difference between the estimate and the Scope of Work?
The estimate is the price for the project as discussed. The Scope of Work document spells the job out in detail: what is removed, what is built and installed, with which materials, and what is excluded. It becomes the reference everyone works from, including the crew, so a question about what is included has a written answer instead of two different memories.
Does someone have to be home while the crew works?
Usually not. Many clients keep their normal routine while the crew works, once access, parking and pets have been sorted out before the start date. Each evening the work area is shut and left tidy, and Jonathon keeps you posted on progress. For decisions, walk-throughs and the final punch list, we schedule a time when you can be there.
How do inspections fit into the schedule?
When a project carries a permit, inspections happen at set points, typically after framing and rough plumbing or electrical and before walls are closed, and again at the end. JACCO requests them and builds them into the work schedule. Inspection dates depend partly on the permit office’s calendar, which is one reason a realistic schedule leaves a little room around them.
When is the final payment due?
The timing is written into your contract, and it is tied to the end of the project rather than to the crew’s last day on site. In practice, that means the punch list is complete and any final inspection has passed before the job is considered closed. If any part of the payment schedule is unclear, ask before you sign; it should make sense to you from the start.
Tell us about your project.
Jonathon will follow up personally to schedule a visit. The first consultation is complimentary.