No Surprises,
Start to Finish.
Every Chris Pierce Construction project follows the same five-step path. You always know what to expect, what’s included, and what it costs — before we break ground.
How Every Project Runs
Same structure on every job — kitchen, bathroom, deck, or addition. The discipline is what makes the results predictable.
Site Consultation
I come to your home personally. We walk the space together — I take measurements, assess existing conditions, and listen to what you want the finished project to look and function like. I’m not sending a salesperson. I’m the person who will be running your project.
This visit typically takes 30–60 minutes. I’ll ask questions about priorities, timeline, and any constraints. I’ll also identify any visible conditions that might affect cost — older plumbing, settlement in the floor, accessibility issues — so nothing catches us off guard later.
What to expect
No pressure to commit at this stage. The site visit is about understanding your project, not selling you something. Come with questions — there are no dumb ones when you’re about to invest $20,000–$80,000 in your home.
Ballpark Range
Before you commit to anything, I give you an honest ballpark range based on what I saw on-site. Not a vague "it depends" answer — an actual range like "$35,000–$50,000 depending on cabinet selection and whether the plumbing layout changes."
This lets you decide whether the investment makes sense for your situation before we both put time into a detailed proposal. If the range works for you, we move forward. If it doesn’t, you haven’t wasted anything beyond a conversation.
Why this matters
Too many contractors skip the honest ballpark because they don’t want to lose a lead. We’d rather have the right conversation early than the wrong one after you’ve been waiting two weeks for a proposal that doesn’t fit your budget.
Fixed-Price Proposal
Once you’re ready to move forward, I prepare a detailed written proposal. This is a real contract — not a ballpark, not an estimate. It includes every line item in the scope, a locked-in total price, material allowances with specific dollar amounts, and a project timeline.
You review it, ask questions, and sign when you’re satisfied. The price you sign is the price you pay. The only exceptions are change orders — which happen only when you request something outside the original scope, or when a genuinely hidden condition is discovered during demo.
What’s in the proposal
Full scope description • Line-item breakdown • Material allowances by category • Exclusions listed explicitly • Payment schedule • Project timeline • Change order policy in writing
Build Phase
Systematic execution from demo through finish work. We follow the project timeline in the proposal. You receive weekly updates on progress, upcoming phases, and any decisions needed from you. If something requires your input mid-week, I contact you immediately.
We work one major project at a time. That means your project gets full attention — not half of it while we’re managing three other jobs simultaneously. If a subcontractor is needed (licensed electrician, licensed plumber), I coordinate them and stay on-site for their work.
Change orders
If something genuinely unexpected is found during demo — hidden water damage, knob-and-tube wiring, a rotted subfloor — we stop, document it with photos, and present a written change order before proceeding. You approve it. We never keep going and hand you a surprise at the end.
Closeout & Final Walkthrough
When the work is complete, we do a final walkthrough together. I go through every detail with you — every grout line, fixture, finish, and trim piece. Anything on the punch list gets addressed before the job is considered closed.
We don’t close out until you’re satisfied. Final payment is not collected until the punch list is complete and you’ve signed off on the finished project. That’s how we keep our referral rate high — and why most of our new clients come from past clients.
After the project
Permits are closed out. Warranties for materials and workmanship are provided in writing. If anything comes up after project completion that falls within our workmanship warranty, we address it — no runaround.
The Thinking Behind the Process
Fixed price protects you from ambiguity
Time-and-materials billing puts all the risk on the homeowner. If a job takes longer or runs into complications, you pay more. A fixed price means we absorb that risk — which means we have every incentive to plan carefully and execute efficiently.
The ballpark conversation saves everyone time
Most homeowners have a budget range in mind before they call a contractor. Being direct about what a project costs in the first conversation respects your time and ours. If we’re not aligned on budget, better to know in 20 minutes than after two weeks of proposal prep.
One project at a time means your job finishes
Contractors who juggle too many projects simultaneously are the ones who disappear from your job for two weeks and then reappear with excuses. We don’t work that way. When we’re on your job, we’re on your job.
Referrals only work if the experience is right
The majority of our new clients come from people we’ve already worked for. That only happens when every project — not most of them — ends with a homeowner who would confidently put their name behind our work. The closeout walkthrough is how we make sure of that.
Process Questions
Common questions about how we handle projects from start to finish.
After the site visit and once you’re ready to move forward, we prepare a detailed written proposal that covers every line item in the project scope, a locked-in total price, material allowances by category, and a project timeline. You review it, ask questions, and sign when you’re ready.
The price you sign is the price you pay. Changes only happen if you request something outside the original scope, or if a genuinely hidden condition is discovered during demo — in which case we issue a written change order and get your approval before proceeding.
A ballpark range is an honest, no-commitment price range we give you at the site visit — before you decide whether to move forward. Most homeowners want to know if their project is in the $25,000 range or the $60,000 range before investing time in a detailed proposal. We give you that information upfront.
If the range doesn’t work for your situation, you haven’t lost anything. If it does, we move forward with the detailed proposal. It’s a more respectful way to start a project relationship.
We stop, document it with photos, and issue a written change order with the added cost before proceeding. You approve it first. We never keep working and hand you a surprise invoice at the end of the project.
Common examples in older Sioux City homes: mold behind a tub surround, galvanized plumbing that needs to be replaced to code, subfloor damage that wasn’t visible before demo, or knob-and-tube wiring in the walls we’re opening. We account for common risks in the original ballpark — but some things genuinely can’t be seen until the walls come down.
At minimum, a weekly update on progress, what’s happening the following week, and any decisions needed from you. If something comes up mid-week that requires your input or approval, you hear from us immediately — not at the end of the week.
We also expect you to reach out any time you have questions. This is your home and your investment. You should never feel like you’re in the dark about what’s happening.
Final payment is collected after the punch list is complete and you’ve done the final walkthrough and signed off on the finished project. Not before. We don’t collect the final draw and then disappear before the last details are finished.
The payment schedule is outlined in the proposal. Typically a deposit at signing, one or two progress payments during the build, and a final payment at project completion. The exact structure depends on project size and duration.