Notes from the field.
What we tell clients across the kitchen table — permits, budgets, schedules, and how to read an estimate.
What a fixed-bid estimate actually covers — and what it can't
July 22, 2026 — 6 min read
Line by line through a real (anonymized) kitchen estimate: what's a hard number, what's an allowance, and the three places contractors hide the difference.
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Permits in Duval County: the real timeline
July 8, 2026
What gets approved in ten days, what takes ninety, and the one document that stalls half the residential applications we see.
Kitchen remodel budgets in 2026: three real ranges
June 19, 2026
What $35k, $70k, and $120k actually buy in the Jacksonville market this year — with the line items that move each number most.
Hurricane season and your open permit
June 2, 2026
How we secure an open jobsite for a named storm, and what your homeowner’s policy expects your contractor to have on file.
Addition or move? The math for staying put
May 14, 2026
Cost per square foot of adding on versus buying up in today’s rates — and the zoning check to run before you decide anything.
Five questions that separate contractors in one phone call
April 28, 2026
License number, insurance certificate, draw schedule, change-order policy, last inspector sign-off. How a good GC answers each.