ASKED OFTEN. ANSWERED STRAIGHT.

On 91% of projects in the last decade, final cost landed within 3% of our signed estimate. The gap is almost always owner-directed changes — which are priced and signed before the work happens, so you choose them with the number in front of you.

Ranges as of 2026, our region: renovations $80–200/SF, interior build-outs $90–210/SF, commercial shell $140–240/SF, new residential $175–320/SF, custom homes $280–520/SF. The estimator on our quote page gives an instant range for your numbers; a real estimate follows a site visit.

We don't lend, but we work daily with three regional lenders offering construction-to-permanent loans and renovation financing, and we produce the draw schedules and inspections their programs require. Ask the estimator for the lender sheet — no referral fees change hands, so the advice is clean.

Lump sum (fixed price), GMP (guaranteed maximum with shared savings), cost-plus with a capped fee, and standard AIA forms. For most residential work we recommend lump sum: you know the number, we carry the risk.

Typical durations once permits are in hand: kitchen or bath 6–10 weeks; whole-house renovation 4–9 months; custom home 10–14 months; interior build-out 2–5 months; ground-up commercial 10–22 months. Your proposal includes a week-by-week baseline schedule — and the schedule is a contract term, not a hope.

We do — preparation, filing, plan review responses, and inspections, for building, zoning, utility, stormwater, and health department approvals. Permit fees are itemized at cost in the estimate. You sign forms; we do everything else.

Yes; roughly a third of our work is occupied sites. Expect sealed dust partitions, negative air where needed, posted work hours, nightly clean-down, and a superintendent whose phone number is taped to your fridge or front desk.

The baseline schedule carries stated weather allowances. Anything beyond them appears in the Friday report the week it happens, with the recovery plan — resequencing, added crew, or a documented time extension. You hear about slippage from us, immediately, never at the end.

Two years on workmanship, ten years on structure, plus all manufacturer warranties registered in your name and handed over in the close-out binder. We schedule an 11-month walkthrough ourselves so defects are caught inside year one.

Call the office or email the warranty desk with a photo. Acknowledgment within one working day; non-urgent repairs scheduled within two weeks; anything letting in water treated as an emergency via the 24-hour line, (412) 555-0199.

PA HIC 001971, registered in PA, OH, and WV, $10M general liability, statutory workers' comp, builder's risk per project, and $60M bonding through an A-rated surety. Certificates of insurance naming you as additional insured are issued before we mobilize. Verify our license with the state directly — we'll give you the lookup link.

The contract says it plainly: direct negotiation first, then mediation, then binding arbitration. In 54 years we have arbitrated four disputes. The Friday paper trail — ledger, photos, signed change orders — is why there haven't been more.

Submit the form on the quote page — plans and photos help but aren't required. An estimator responds within one working day to book a free site walk, and you'll have a feasibility memo after it. No obligation at any step.

Renovations and additions, yes. We're honest when a project is too small for our overhead to be good value — and we'll name a smaller contractor we trust instead. Several of our best clients started exactly that way.

A named Ferrum superintendent daily, our own crews for concrete, carpentry, masonry, and roofing, and prequalified trade partners for the rest — vetted on safety record and rework history before price. You meet the superintendent before you sign.