EP01.S02 TWLP | Thinking Of Renovating? How To Find The Right Contractor
- Sydni Hoffman
- Jan 19
- 6 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
January has a particular kind of clarity.
It’s not dramatic. It’s quiet. You notice what’s been bothering you. The corner you keep walking around. The kitchen that asks too much of you at 6 p.m. The bathroom that never quite feels finished, no matter how many candles you light. You start imagining a different way of living inside your own home, and for the first time in a while, it feels possible.
That’s what we love about January. New beginnings.
On our most recent episode of The Well Lived Podcast features our very dear friend and contractor, Adam Marmo of Marmo Contracting, not because he has a flashy origin story (though he does), but because he’s the person we call when we need the honest answer. Adam is the voice of reason in our crazy world of renovations and builds. The one who will tells us what’s doable, what’s delusional, what’s worth it, and what will quietly haunt you later if you cut the wrong corner now.
This conversation isn’t about perfection. It’s about reality. The kind that protects your budget, your timeline, and your nervous system.
Listen on Spotify here
Listen on Apple here
In this post, we not only outline the conversation we had on the podcast but highlight the best points of our chat that we think you might find helpful should you find yourself thinking about partaking in a build project.
The messy middle: Why you shouldn't live through a reno
We'll go over somewhat of a checklist below but first, we need to urge you not to live through a renovation. If you have the option, live elsewhere because let's face it, there’s the dream, and then there’s the middle.
The middle is loud. It’s dust in places you didn’t know dust could reach. It’s a house that looks worse before it looks better. It’s decision fatigue. It’s the moment you realize you shouldn't have stayed in your home during a renovation.
Adam speaks to the emotional truth of renovating while living in your home: homeowners aren’t able to romanticize the process. They aren't popping in here and there and then seeing the finished thing, they’re living inside the crazy, messy process. And it can feel like chaos instead of progress.
Whenever it’s possible, we encourage clients to get some distance from their home during construction. Not because you shouldn’t care, but because you’ll care more calmly when you’re not standing inside the noise every day. There’s a difference between being engaged and being consumed.
Trust is the aesthetic no one talks about
Let's talk about trust. We truly believe, the biggest indicator of whether a renovation feels good is trust.
Trust is what lets a homeowner breathe when the walls come down.
Trust is what makes the process feel good.
Trust is built in the early moments: The research. The references. The conversations that aren’t exciting but are deeply revealing. The ability to ask a question and get a straight answer, even if it’s not what you hoped to hear.
Adam put it plainly: the industry is the wild west. Anyone can call themselves a contractor. The gap between “says they can” and “actually can” is wider than most people realize.
The point of doing your diligence isn’t to become an expert. It’s to give yourself a team that won’t require you to be one.
Project Old Orchard / Build by Marmo Contracting / Photographed by Niamh Barry
Don't choose a contractor based solely on the quote
One of the themes that comes up again and again, especially when homeowners are just starting, is the temptation to pick the lowest bid and call it a win.
The lowest bid is often just the cleanest-looking lie.
Not always malicious. Sometimes it’s lack of experience. Sometimes it’s strategy. But in practice, it tends to play out the same way: the job gets won on a low number, then the real pricing arrives later under the name “extras.”
A quote should tell a story. It should be itemized. It should make sense. It should reflect a contractor who has actually looked at what’s involved and isn’t relying on hope to get them through.
Adam’s approach is experienced enough to be slightly heavier in certain areas, because he’s pricing what’s likely to happen, not what would be nice if it didn’t.
That difference doesn’t always look good on paper at the beginning. It looks very good at the end.
The house you want vs the house you bought
There’s a version of renovation content that suggests you can will a home into becoming what you want. That with enough inspiration images, everything is possible.
Adam’s lens is the opposite. He’s looking at the parts you can’t see.
What’s behind the walls. Where the joists run. How the plumbing travels. What’s been layered on top of what, especially in older houses where renovations have happened in decades, not months.
He says it in a way we loved: everyone else is admiring the paint colour, and he’s thinking about what’s not pretty.
It’s not pessimism. It’s expertise.
A good site looks like organized chaos
There’s something oddly telling about a job site. You can feel when the work is being held by someone who cares.
A renovation will never be pristine in the middle of it. But there’s a difference between “active work happening here” and “no one is steering this ship.”
Floor protection maintained. Debris managed. Tools stored safely. A clear effort to keep the job from spilling into unnecessary damage, unnecessary risk, unnecessary stress.
When a site is consistently careless, the carelessness usually isn’t limited to the floor.
The invisible value of hiring professionals
A lot of people can imagine the final reveal. Fewer people understand the hundreds of decisions that lead to it.
Adam talked about what happens when a homeowner takes on the role of designer by default: endless choices, hours of running around, walking into a tile showroom and feeling their brain turn to static.
There’s a quiet honesty in the question: what is your time worth?
Not just your time. Your attention. Your bandwidth. Your ability to still be a person during the renovation.
Design isn’t just taste. It’s structure. It’s editing. It’s decision-making. It’s knowing what matters and what doesn’t. It’s being able to hand someone three strong options instead of sixty overwhelming ones, and it’s doing that again and again until the home feels like you.
And the same is true of hiring a GC: you’re not just paying for labour. You’re paying for coordination, relationships with trades, sequencing, accountability, and someone to carry the problem-solving so you don’t have to.
Project Cedar Hills / Build by Marmo Contracting / Photographed by Lauren Miller
The only closing thought we’ll stand behind
There was one moment in the episode that felt blunt in the best way.
If you can afford to do it properly, do it properly. Don’t stretch a renovation out for years by half-finishing a home and reopening it again and again. It costs more in the end. Not just financially, but emotionally. It keeps you living in a state of “almost.”
If you’re not ready, wait. If you are ready, do it with intention. Do it with the right people. Do it once.
If you’re stepping into a renovation season and want support building the right team, planning the scope properly, and creating a home that feels like it was designed for the life you actually live, we’d love to help. And to start you off, we'll leave you with simple roadmap to make the beginning stages feel a little less daunting:
1) Start with clarity
Before you talk to anyone, get clear on three things: scope, budget, and priorities. What are you changing, what matters most, and what’s your realistic range when you consider construction + finishes/fixtures/materials. Build in a contingency from day one so surprises don’t derail you.
2) Build the right team early
If you’re hiring a designer, bring them in at the beginning. The earlier the plans and scope are defined, the more accurate pricing and timelines will be. Just as important: make sure the people you hire feel aligned with you. Renovations run on communication and trust.
3) Vet the contractor like you’re hiring for a long relationship
Look for contractors who come referred, who are transparent, and who ask smart questions when they walk your space. Call references, and if you can, see what their work looks like mid-project by visiting an active site. You’re not looking for perfection, you’re looking for professionalism and consistency.
4) Confirm the non-negotiables in writing
Before anything begins, verify the basics: license, liability insurance, WSIB (or equivalent), and a written contract with a clear payment schedule. If anything is cash-only or vague, treat it as a red flag.
5) Tender the project properly
Get three itemized quotes based on the same drawings/scope so you’re comparing apples to apples. Make sure each quote clearly states what’s included and excluded. Don’t default to the lowest bid—look for the quote that feels complete, realistic, and supported by experience.
6) Align on how the project will run
Confirm the timeline with buffer, understand what decisions are needed and when, and set expectations for what the home will feel like during construction. A good site won’t be spotless, but it should be safe, protected, and managed with intention.
7) Protect your peace during the build
If you can avoid living through major work, do. If you can’t, set up clear communication rhythms and trust the process you hired people for. The goal is momentum, fewer surprises, and a finish that feels worth the disruption.
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