ABOUT HILLHOUSE RENOVATION
Bringing Trust and Integrity to Every Job
Hiring the right home remodeling contractor is a big decision. Whether you're looking to renovate your bathroom, remodel your kitchen, or finish your basement...you need a professional company - not a 'Chuck with a Truck' - but an experienced team of craftsmen who listen to your vision, deliver spectacular results, finish on-time and on-schedule, and at a price you can live with.
Quality is important to you so we back up every project with a 10 Year Craftsmanship Warranty. You want a remodel that matches your lifestyle so we offer Free Professional Designer Consultations. You want to feel safe, so our team members undergo Employee Background Checks before they ever set foot in your home. And after the recent pandemic, your health and safety is our top priority. Our Clean Workspace/Jobsite Guarantee is our assurance that you, your family, and your personal property are protected from dust and contamination while we're on the job. And we know you want your remodel completed on-time and on-schedule so we give you our Free On-Time Guarantee. From first sketch to finished build...HillHouse is where home renovations come to LIFE.
The name “House on a Hill” is often misinterpreted to be something clever like the television show “This Old House”. While we’ll admit we were being clever, there is more significance and meaning to the name than most people understand. In reality, the name has a hidden, Biblical reference (Matthew 5:14-16) which everyone in the company holds as “Our Promise” to be transparent in everything we do. A house on a hill cannot be hidden.
It’s not enough for us to be great craftsmen and deliver projects on time at a great price. The process, our promise, is to be transparent in all we do so every step of the journey we take together is always illuminated.
Tim's Story
Tim Hillebrand...in his words:
My father was a carpenter and furniture maker. Sawdust was a normal part of life growing up, and I worked with him after school on weekends from when I was 8 years old until I went off to college.
I received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University, and then had a successful 27 year career working in software design of automated production control systems.
My wife and I remodeled. That’s what we did. She was obsessed with HGTV and had a huge appetite for home projects. We had a big family so everything at home was always changing. We bought 3 fixer-uppers together – it was our marriage. Lots of late nights working after putting the kids to bed. Our entire marriage seemed like one continuous remodeling project.
I remember early in my marriage I hired a contractor to expand the back of our house. What was sold as a 3 week project took 7 months. I have tremendous disdain for the games some contractors play. It was a nightmare for our family and I vowed never to have that experience again.
Tim Hillebrand
General Contractor, CEO and Managing Member
I suspect the ‘science person’ in me has an almost obsessive focus on precision and detail. Over many years and thousands of hours working on remodeling projects I ultimately became a highly skilled craftsman.
Sadly, my wife passed away in 2013 only 10 months after giving birth to our 7th child. As a widowed dad with seven children, including a newborn infant, I needed to make a decision about the best way to raise my family alone. I had an opportunity to get some help with the kids but I would need to relocate my family. So I quit my Houston-based career, sold my house, and moved my family to St. Louis.
My only plan when I arrived in St. Louis was to buy a house to renovate and sell. I would have more flexibility with my time and some of my kids could help out just like I did with my Dad. The realtor I worked with liked my work and asked for help on her own project.
My reputation for quality craftsmanship spread by word-of-mouth, and soon I had so many customer projects I had to let my second oldest son manage the renovations on our real estate investments so I could take care of these other homeowners.
In some way, giving up my career, moving to St. Louis, and raising our children was the best way to honor her memory. There is a sense of immeasurable joy I receive by doing for others what made her so happy. I guess you could say this work is my labor of love.
Our Process
When you invite us into your home, you’ll immediately notice a different, enhanced level of customer service. We know that constant communication is key to keeping you informed on all aspects of your project, and we’re dedicated to making sure your life is as easy and stress free as possible throughout your entire project. At House on a Hill Renovation, LLC we’re always seeking to provide you with as much transparency as possible so every decision we make together will lead to a clear plan, vision and direction for your construction project.
What to Expect
1. FIRST CALL
2.CONSULTATION
3. DESIGN
4. ESTIMATE
5. CONTRACT
6. PRODUCTION
1
FIRST CALL - GET IN TOUCH
This is the easy part. Give us a call and tell us how you imagine your home when your project is done. What will it look like? How do you see your family using the new space? What colors can you visualize? What problems will it solve?
Our first call is about getting to know you and understanding a little bit about your dream. We’ll ask some simple questions about your home, your future plans for your home, and your past experience with remodeling. We’ll also discuss your ideas, thoughts, and plans for the space, and if you have any specific materials and/or products in mind, and what your ‘ballpark’ budget is for the project.
Next, we’ll get your contact information and schedule a time to do an on-site consultation with you at your home.
2
CONSULTATION
During our on-site consultation we’ll sit down with you in your home and discuss your vision for the project. This will include a walk-thru of the project area, taking measurements, understanding your design and fixture preferences, and the amount of time needed for the renovation. We can even discuss budget strategies for keeping costs down without compromising your desired result when the project is finished.
After gathering all necessary information we will put together a good-better-best cost comparison which includes a rough “ballpark” price range for your project. Without having a detailed design and material selections complete, it is impossible for us to know exactly how much your project is going to cost. But this comparison will help you to get an idea what to expect. You can also see our “How Much?” page to give you some sense of the cost for different types of projects.
After the cost comparison is completed, we’ll arrange a second meeting with you to discuss the pricing. This is a no-pressure meeting. We do not expect you to make a decision to hire us at this point, and we will not push you to make one. We encourage you to evaluate all your options and make the decision which works best for you and your situation! Should you decide to move forward with the process, a third meeting will be arranged.
3
DESIGN & SELECTIONS
When you’re ready to move forward with your project we move into the Design & Selections phase. The design process is a collaborative effort where we work with you and our preferred designer, and visit local suppliers and design showrooms. We ask a lot of questions, listen to your ideas, and make suggestions you may not have considered. There is tremendous value to having an experienced builder not only helping with the design, but keeping the designer on task. Sometimes, the design and budget just don’t work. We’re here to bring together the best possible design at a budget you can live with.
This phase involves signing a small Design Agreement. The Agreement is based on the anticipated size and scope of the project, as well as the amount of design and estimating hours involved. Obviously, smaller projects require less design time, but typically there can be anywhere from 30 to 40 hours of work involved in the design phase of a kitchen or bathroom remodel. The Design Agreement has a nominal fee which lets us know you’re committed to working with our company.
4
ESTIMATE
Once the design has been completed and all of the selections have been made for your project we will schedule a pre-contract meeting to review the project in it entirety, propose the completed design, and make sure every aspect of the project has been considered. The goal is to eliminate any surprises which might derail the overall cost estimates, timeline, or desired outcome of the remodel. The result of the pre-contract meeting is to have all the data necessary to generate the lowest possible cost project proposal.
5
CONTRACT & PROJECT PROPOSAL
The next step is to use the data from the estimate calculations to generate the final project proposal and contract. The proposal is based on the current design, scope of work, and selections you have made. There may be some negotiating on the proposal at this point. You may want to add an item that you had previously not included, or remove a few of the selections to bring the cost down. By this time the final proposal will not be a surprise because we will have been working together on it. There's no rush to sign this contract, but protracted delays could affect our ability to keep the proposed project schedule.
During the contract singing you will receive the production schedule for your project. This will include the material order lead-time, the payment schedule, and what will be happening every day through out the duration of your project. Usually no more than 10% of the final contract price is required to start the project.
6
PRODUCTION
During the production phase, we will keep you regularly informed and updated on the progress of your project. We are available to you for any questions or last minute changes. Our team will protect your home through out the project using tarps, carpet protectors on the trafficked areas of flooring. Whenever possible we will cover furniture with plastic covers and use a HEPA air filtration system to control dust.
Our job sites are cleaned daily and our team members are polite, courteous, and a pleasure to work with. Our trade contractors are accustomed to our job site requirements and abide by our agreements.