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Woodhouse Builders LLC
Full Home Remodeling: One Contractor, Start to Finish

Portland Local

Full Home Remodeling: One Contractor, Start to Finish

Woodhouse Builders manages every phase of your renovation so nothing falls through the cracks.

Call now(207) 544-3126
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What Full Home Remodeling Actually Covers

A full home remodel is not one project. It's a dozen trades coordinated in the right sequence, executed by people who understand how each phase affects the next. Framing decisions affect where plumbing runs. Electrical rough-in determines what your kitchen layout can actually be. When you're hiring a general contractor to manage a complete renovation, the difference between a smooth job and a drawn-out ordeal comes down to whether one person understands all of it, not just their slice. At Woodhouse Builders LLC, Scotty Woodhouse carries the project from the first structural decision to the final finish coat, and he's reachable every day of the week. Call (207) 544-3126 to talk through your scope.

What drives cost on a full home remodel is scope, condition, and material selections, roughly in that order. A straightforward cosmetic renovation covering flooring, paint, and fixtures lands in a very different range than a gut renovation that opens walls, moves load-bearing structure, or addresses decades of deferred maintenance. Homes with plaster walls, knob-and-tube wiring, or uninsulated cavities require more prep before any visible work begins. The finished result is the same either way, a home that functions the way it should and looks the way you want it to, but the path there is different. Every job is different, contact Woodhouse Builders LLC for an accurate estimate.

What We Mean by a Full Renovation

Scope matters more than budget. Know what you're buying before you commit.

A full home remodel typically means touching every major system and surface in a residence, not just the rooms that look dated. That includes structural work where needed, mechanical updates, new flooring installation throughout, a completely rebuilt kitchen remodeling and baths, fresh painting inside and out, and exterior upgrades to siding or roofing where they've fallen behind. The difference between a cosmetic refresh and a true full renovation is what happens inside the walls. We don't paper over problems. If we open a wall and find rot, it gets addressed before it gets closed again.
Home renovations

Our Process

How a Full Renovation Moves Forward

  1. 01

    Scope and Planning

    We walk the property with you, document existing conditions, and build a project scope that covers every phase in order. No vague estimates. You know what's happening, when, and why before anything starts.

  2. 02

    Structural and Mechanical First

    Framing, any load-bearing modifications, rough plumbing, and electrical happen before a single finish surface goes in. Getting this sequence right is what keeps the job on schedule and prevents expensive rework later.

  3. 03

    Finishes and Final Walkthrough

    Once the bones are solid, we move to carpentry, tile, cabinetry, fixtures, trim, and paint. The final walkthrough is with Scotty. Not a punch-list coordinator who wasn't on the job.

Scope Breakdown

Surfaces and Systems We Typically Rebuild

  1. 01

    Kitchen and Bathrooms

    Full gut renovations, cabinetry, layout, tile, plumbing fixtures, and ventilation. The kitchen remodeling and bath are usually the highest-impact rooms and where we focus structural planning first.

  2. 02

    Flooring Throughout

    Hardwood, engineered wood, tile, or a mix by room. We handle the full flooring installation after subfloor is confirmed level and sound. Floors installed over a bad subfloor show it within a year.

  3. 03

    Basement Conversion

    Many full renovations include finishing an unfinished lower level. Basement remodeling adds livable square footage without touching the footprint, which is often the highest-value addition a homeowner can make.

  4. 04

    Exterior Envelope

    Siding, roofing, and trim are part of a complete renovation if they're compromised. We handle exterior siding and roofing in-house, no secondary contractor handoff mid-project.

Why Single-Contractor Management Matters

full home remodeling work, professional service in Portland, ME
Most renovation disasters trace back to one thing: no one owned the whole project. A framing sub finishes before the HVAC contractor shows up, and suddenly there's a duct chase that wasn't accounted for. The electrician runs conduit where the plumber needed to go. These aren't unusual problems. They're what happens when trades are hired independently with no one coordinating the sequence. Scotty Woodhouse manages the entire scope as a single point of contact. He's not farming out phases to whoever is available. The same standards that apply to the structural work apply to the finish carpentry, and the same person is accountable for both. We serve homeowners throughout Greater Cumberland County, including Falmouth, Scarborough, and South Portland.

What to Know Before Hiring Any Contractor for a Full Renovation

01

Ask Who's Actually on Site

A contractor who subs out every phase isn't managing your project. They're brokering it. Ask directly who will be on your job site each week and who to call when something needs a decision.

02

Get the Scope in Writing Before Demo Starts

Verbal agreements about what's included collapse the moment an unexpected condition appears behind a wall. A written scope is what you fall back on when someone says 'that wasn't in the quote.'

03

Understand What Drives Cost Changes

Hidden rot, outdated wiring, and structural surprises are real. A good contractor tells you upfront that these can shift the number, and shows you the evidence before continuing. If a contractor says nothing can surprise them, something will.

04

Sequence Matters More Than Speed

A project that moves fast in the wrong order costs more to fix than one that paced itself correctly. Finishes installed before moisture is controlled, or tile set before floors are level, fail early and fail visibly.

Start here

Start With a Conversation About Your Project

Full home renovations are complex. The earlier you get a contractor involved in the planning, the fewer expensive surprises show up mid-project. Scotty Woodhouse is available seven days a week.

(207) 544-3126

Mon: 00:00–24:00 Tue: 00:00–24:00 Wed: 00:00–24:00 Thu: 00:00–24:00 Fri: 00:00–24:00 Sat: 00:00–24:00 Sun: 00:00–24:00

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you sequence a full home renovation to avoid rework?
Structural modifications come first, followed by rough mechanical, plumbing, electrical, HVAC. Those systems have to be roughed in and inspected before any wall surfaces close. Flooring goes in after walls are done but before base trim. Cabinets and fixtures come after tile. Getting this sequence wrong is the most common cause of a remodel running over budget, because rework on finish surfaces is expensive and entirely avoidable.
What conditions inside an older home typically add to the scope of a full renovation?
Plaster walls, knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized supply lines, and uninsulated exterior walls are the most common cost drivers in older New England homes. None of them are showstoppers, but each adds prep before the visible work can begin. We document what we find when walls open and walk you through it before we proceed. That's not optional. It's how we keep the project honest.
Can a full home remodel be completed while the homeowner is living in the house?
It depends heavily on scope. Cosmetic renovations room by room are manageable to live through. Full gut renovations that take down walls, cut utilities, or involve major structural work are much harder to stage around an occupied home. We'll tell you plainly which category your project falls into. For most complete renovations, a temporary living arrangement during the core phases makes the project move faster and protects your belongings.
How is a full home remodel different from a whole-home renovation?
The terms are used interchangeably, but the distinction that matters is scope. A renovation typically restores or updates existing systems and finishes. A remodel can change the layout, move walls, alter the structure. Both fall within what Woodhouse Builders handles. The conversation we have upfront determines which one your project actually is, because that affects permitting, timeline, and cost in ways that matter.
What permits does a full home remodel require in Maine?
Most full home renovations in Maine require a building permit for structural modifications, electrical work, and plumbing changes. Some municipalities require separate mechanical permits. Permit requirements vary by town and project scope. We handle the permitting process as part of the project. Unpermitted work creates problems at resale and can void homeowner's insurance coverage. It's not a step worth skipping to save time.

Ready to Talk Through Your Full Home Remodel?

Scotty Woodhouse is available every day of the week.

Call now (207) 544-3126

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