Frequently Asked Questions

Most of our work is residential: kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, home additions and custom homes built from the ground up, plus whole-home renovations, basement finishes and investment property work across the Columbus metro area. We also take on commercial and institutional work — tenant build-outs, office renovations and facility projects. Standalone design consultation and project management are available on their own if you only need part of the job covered.

We don't take on general emergency repair work. The exception is warranty-related repairs on projects we've previously completed. If you have a warranty issue, contact us directly at contactus@ispecllc.com or 1-614-725-0489 and we'll respond promptly. For general emergency repairs, we recommend contacting a licensed handyman service or your home warranty provider.

Yes. iSpec LLC is a licensed Ohio contractor (License #HIC02450), operating as a limited liability company in the state of Ohio. We carry workers' compensation insurance and public liability insurance as required by Ohio law. Every subcontractor working under us holds a license appropriate for their trade.

We're based in Columbus, Ohio and work across the metro area: Columbus proper plus Dublin, Upper Arlington, Hilliard, Westerville, Delaware and Powell/Liberty Township. We hold the contractor registration each of those jurisdictions requires and we pull the permits and schedule the inspections ourselves — our permits and inspections guide explains how each office works. Reach out to discuss projects outside that area; we evaluate them case by case.

Start by filling out our contact form. We'll reach out within one business day. From there, we'll schedule a free initial call to discuss your project scope and determine whether an in-person consultation makes sense. In-person consultations are $225/hr, billed in 15-minute increments, and are not credited. A written project estimate is a one-time $125, and that estimate fee is credited toward your project if you move forward with us. On that first call we ask what the property is and roughly how big, which rooms are involved, whether the electrical panel or the plumbing has ever been updated, rough dimensions and who is supplying the finishes — enough to put a realistic range on the job before anyone visits.

iSpec LLC is the general contractor on every job, and what we hold ourselves to is a clear line of communication. The project manager who takes your first call stays your contractor representative for the life of the job — the liaison between you, your designer and the crew. On site, a skilled-trades lead runs the day-to-day work and coordinates with the project manager. You name an owner's representative on your side, and decisions run between the two of them, so you always know who to call.

Cost-plus is one of the two ways we bill. Work our own crew self-performs is billed time and materials at the labor rates below, with no fee on top of the hourly rate. Subcontracted trades under a cost-plus contract are billed at their documented cost plus our 20% contractor fee. Every receipt, invoice, and labor hour is recorded in our job cost accounting system and available for your review. There are no markups hidden inside line items. What the project costs is what you pay, plus our clearly stated fee where it applies.

Our labor rates are as follows: Design consultation — $225/hr. Project management — $155/hr. Experienced trades labor (journeymen, licensed specialty trades) — $85/man-hr. Field support labor — $65/man-hr. General labor (site prep, demo, support work, landscaping) — $55/man-hr. All rates are billed in 15-minute increments. A written time log is provided with every invoice.

Room by room. Every room is a floor, a ceiling, two to four walls, at least one door and maybe a window; a kitchen or a bath is a room plus the fixtures it needs, so a whole house can be estimated from a short conversation about which rooms are involved and roughly how big they are. The age of the house and whether its electrical or plumbing has ever been updated tell us what the walls hide — galvanized drains, an old panel — and the hours and materials come from the averages of the jobs we have already done, which is why the estimate is relatively accurate. Finish selections are carried as variable items, and a contingency line covers what cannot be seen until demolition.

It depends on the contract and the scope. A deposit is due at signing; the amount is set per job — special-order items, quantity-priced materials and the size of the project decide it — rather than a flat percentage. Progress invoices are typically issued weekly as work completes; on larger or lender-financed projects we can set a milestone draw schedule in the contract instead. A final invoice follows substantial completion. Payment on each invoice is due within 3 business days of receipt.

• ACH / E-Check — Preferred0% processing fee. This is our preferred method.
• Certified CheckPaper checks must be certified before mailing. Mail to: iSpec LLC, P.O. Box 163605, Columbus, Ohio 43216.
• Credit & Debit CardsAccepted with a 3% processing fee.
• FinancingUp to $30,000 through our payment portal, subject to credit approval.

Yes. Financing up to $30,000 is available through our payment portal, subject to credit approval. Ask when you receive your estimate and we will point you to the application in the portal. The balance is invoiced the same way as any other project — the financing sits between you and the portal, not inside our pricing.

Yes. After providing reasonable written notice, iSpec LLC has the right to suspend work if any undisputed payment is not received as specified in our agreement. Work will remain suspended until all amounts due are received. This protects both parties and is standard practice in the construction industry.

Any change in scope, materials, or conditions that affects cost or timeline is handled through a formal Change Order. We'll provide you with a written change order before any additional work begins. You are never obligated to approve a change order, and we won't proceed without your written authorization. Change orders are part of how cost-plus contracts stay transparent — nothing gets added without your knowledge and sign-off.

Every project is different, and a design consultation and initial scope discussion are the starting points for any honest timeline. Kitchens run a week to six weeks. A like-for-like bath is about a week; a bath gut remodel two to three weeks, four at the longest. Whole-home gut remodels and new construction run 3–12 months or more. We'll give you a realistic schedule at the pre-construction conference and update it as the project progresses. We never quote a timeline to win the job — only what we can actually deliver.

Before any work begins, we hold a pre-construction conference with you. We'll establish who's involved, their roles and contact information, the construction schedule, how change orders will be handled, site requirements and safety procedures, inspection procedures, and how payment requests will work. You'll also receive a full set of project plans maintained on-site throughout construction, and we'll provide weekly job progress photos for the duration of the project.

The same order on every job, because each trade covers the last one's work: demolition, framing, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, then fireblocking, insulation and vapor barrier, drywall and backer board, drywall finish, prime and a first finish coat of paint, tile and grout, cabinetry, floors, countertops, trim, finish paint, electrical finish, appliances, and clean-up. Rough plumbing, electrical and framing are inspected before they are covered, and finish plumbing can land at any point after the rough. Skipping ahead is how paint gets redone and how inspections get failed.

Not every job needs one — swapping appliances, counters, cabinets, flooring or light fixtures does not; moving plumbing, electrical or a wall does. When a permit is required, iSpec LLC secures all permits, licenses, and renewals required by government authority to complete your project. If subcontracted work requires separate permits, those subcontractors secure their own. You'll receive a copy of every permit issued. Building permit fees, plan check fees, and government inspection charges are paid by the owner as part of project costs.

Yes. We provide a series of job progress photos taken no less than weekly throughout the construction period. These document work progress and give you a clear record of what was completed and when — particularly useful on longer projects where you may not be on-site every day.

Under Ohio law (Chapter 1312 of the Ohio Revised Code), before you may file a lawsuit or commence arbitration for alleged defective construction, you must provide the contractor with written notice of the conditions you believe are defective at least 60 days before filing. The contractor then has an opportunity to offer to repair or pay for the defects. You are not obligated to accept any offer made. There are strict deadlines and procedures under state law — failure to follow them may affect your ability to file a lawsuit or commence arbitration. We take this seriously and are committed to resolving any issues before they reach that point.

We handle disputes directly and in good faith first. If a claim can't be resolved through direct negotiation, we agree to first attempt mediation before pursuing arbitration. Any unresolved claim that cannot be settled through mediation is resolved by binding arbitration — not litigation. Arbitration hearings are held in the county where the project is located unless otherwise agreed. Work and payments are not suspended during a dispute unless there is a specific contractual basis for doing so.

If you have a claim, provide written notice as soon as possible. Within 10 calendar days after completion of the work that is the subject of the claim, a final written statement must be submitted including: the date of the statement, when the relevant work was completed, the full amount of the claim, and an offer to provide detailed written records. We take every claim seriously and respond promptly.