Built to Last
Renovators do more than update kitchens and bathrooms.
They help families stay in the neighbourhoods they love, adapt homes as their needs change and turn an older house into a place that can work for decades to come. That could mean opening up a kitchen so it works better for a growing family. For homeowners looking to make a house their forever home, that might mean finishing the basement so that space gets utilized for more than holiday décor storage. And for homes that simply no longer fit the way people live, renovations can give those spaces a new purpose without asking the family to leave the community they already love.
Behind every one of those projects is a lot of trust.
Homeowners are handing over one of their biggest investments. For Paul Foster, President of Contact Renovations and Chair of BILD Edmonton Metro’s Renovation Committee, that makes craftsmanship and integrity just as important as the finished product.
“Good renovation work is not only about what you can see when the project is complete. It’s the quality behind the walls, the care taken when something unexpected comes up, the communication along the way and the confidence that the work has been done properly.”
Craftsmanship, integrity and professionalism are at the heart of Renovation Month. Held in conjunction with CHBA National’s Renovation Month, October celebrates the expertise and impact of local renovators through industry events and community initiatives like the Annual Renovation Project.
That pride in doing things the right way is central to building trust in the renovation industry and it is also at the heart of RenoMark, CHBA National’s professional renovation program and certification process.
For homeowners, RenoMark is one way to identify renovators who have committed to a national Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics, including written contracts, warranties, and ongoing attention to industry best practices.
Programs like RenoMark matter because they help raise the standard across the industry and give homeowners more confidence in who they are hiring. That same pride in quality work and professional standards also shows up in the way renovators work with one another.
Through BILD Edmonton Metro’s Renovation Committee events, members regularly share advice, recommend trades and offer peer-to-peer support to one another when projects get complicated. It is a tight-knit community, and that collaborative spirit was on full display during this year’s Annual Renovation Project at Youth Empowerment & Support Services (YESS).
Over three days, more than 100 members, volunteers, trades, suppliers, sponsors and supporters contributed time, materials, expertise and support to help transform spaces used by youth every day. Each volunteer brought something different to the table, with all of those contributions coming together in the finished spaces.
“It came down to what the renovation industry does best: bring the right people together, take pride in the work and leave a space better than they found it,” Paul said with pride.