Chicks in Construction

Kitchen Renovation Nightmare: Avoid These Costly Mistakes
Welcome back to Chicks In Construction! In this episode, we dive into a gut-wrenching homeowner horror story involving a kitchen renovation gone terribly wrong. Hosts Mikki Paradis and Jessica Abreu discuss the dire consequences of hiring a contractor without checking licenses and permits, the importance of having a detailed contract, and why you should get multiple bids before starting your renovation. Learn valuable lessons about contingencies, budgeting, and how to avoid being taken advantage of in your home improvement projects. Plus, we address some spicy comments and provide tips for safeguarding your investment. Don't miss this eye-opening episode packed with essential advice for every homeowner looking to renovate. Like, subscribe, and share your own renovation stories in the comments!

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
01:25 Food Delivery Shenanigans
06:00 Homeowner Horror Stories
12:22 The Importance of Checking Licenses
18:56 Breaking Down the Story
26:49 The Reality of Renovation Costs
28:04 Importance of Multiple Bids
28:19 Choosing the Right Contractor
38:16 Understanding Contingency Budgets
45:28 Permits and Inspections: Why They Matter
54:27 Final Thoughts and Viewer Engagement

Submit your homeowner horror story:
www.chicksinconstruction.com

Follow on Social Media:
www.instagram.com/chicksinconstructionpodcast
www.facebook.com/chicksinconstructionpodcast
www.linkedin.com/company/chicksinconstructionpodcast
www.youtube.com/@ChicksInConstruction

________________

Love what you hear?
Subscribe to Chicks in Construction and share this episode with your friends because every homeowner, builder, contractor, and designer needs to hear this one!


Creators and Guests

Host
Jessica Abreu
As a social media expert, Jessica has a knack for identifying what makes each business unique and translating that into powerful, engaging content that resonates with clients and customers. From crafting tailored strategies and managing accounts to recording on-site content and boosting engagement, Jessica and her team handle it all so their clients can focus on what they do best.
Host
Mikki Paradis
President & CEO at PDI Drywall Inc. Mikki founded her first construction company, PDI Drywall Inc, in 2005 while she was still a student at NC State. After growing PDI into a multimillion dollar company, she has become an accomplished entrepreneur, speaker, and advocate for innovation in business and leadership. With a passion for empowering others, she has built a reputation as a forward-thinking professional dedicated to driving growth and fostering meaningful connections. Known for her dynamic energy and ability to inspire, Mikki is deeply committed to creating positive change in her industry and beyond. Whether through her entrepreneurial ventures or speaking engagements, she consistently challenges the status quo and encourages others to reach their full potential.

What is Chicks in Construction?

You plan your renovation with excitement, trust your contractor, and hope for the best...until things start going sideways. That’s when most homeowners realize they didn’t know what they didn’t know.

From permits that were never pulled to “contractors” who ghost after demo day, the construction world can feel like a maze of hidden costs and shady shortcuts. Too many homeowners end up confused, overwhelmed, and out of a lot of money.

The Chicks in Construction Podcast is here to change that. Hosted by Mikki Paradis, a licensed general contractor with 20+ years of experience, and Jess Abreu, a homeowner turned construction content creator, this show breaks down real renovation horror stories and teaches you how to protect your time, money, and home.

After building a multimillion-dollar drywall business and helping countless homeowners recover from construction nightmares, Mikki is on a mission to make sure you go into your next project informed, not blindsided. And Jess brings the perspective of someone who’s been in your shoes and now knows exactly what questions to ask.

Submit Your Construction Horror Story: https://chicksinconstruction.com/

The Honest Truth About Home Renovation Permits
===

[00:00:00] Mikki: ~An inspection, protects you as the homeowner.~

~Mm-hmm. To make sure that that work is done properly, that it is to code that it is how it's supposed to be. So ~i'm not gonna lie to you, I'm not gonna lie straight to your face. Okay? I'm gonna tell you True. It is a pain in the ass. You have to pay for the, in the, the permit you have to pay for like the inspection I think is a reinspection is something you have to pay for, but you have to wait for the inspector.

It's a whole thing. It is annoying. I'm not gonna lie. It will slow down your timeframe, but, but just a little bit. A little bit. I mean, I mean here they have rules. They can't go past a certain amount of days. Like they have to show up or you can get them in trouble. I wouldn't recommend it, but you can, .

It can slow you down. But again, this is protecting your investment. If you're spending between 30, which is not really a number, as we've discussed, to $80,000 renovating your kitchen, you want to make sure that that's done correctly. And here's the thing, the general contractor is not doing all of that work themselves.

They're hiring people. Mm-hmm. And so it's not even like a shade on the gc, you're just, it's, it's shade on, maybe this electrician doesn't know everything that they're supposed to know. It is saying, Hey, I just wanna make sure that everything that I'm signing up for, that I'm getting is done correctly.

Right. There's nothing wrong with that. And you should be pushing and advocating heavily for yourself. ~Like, here's what I would do. And, and then this actually, we had somebody who we, we are, they asked us to come do, they were doing a kitchen renovation and immediately the first thing he said was, we're not gonna do any inspections.~