We’re gathering our aprons to support a great organization! Join Classic Remodeling at the Craftsmen & Craft Brews Lowcountry Boil, a part of the Masters of the Building Arts Festival hosted by the American College of the Building Arts.

The Masters of the Building Arts Festival is a week-long event running from April 3-11 and features a series of professional workshops, hands-on demonstrations, lectures, tours and a variety of family activities.

Craftsmen & Craft Brews Lowcountry Boil brings the festival to a close on Saturday, April 11. Join us from 5:00 to 8:00pm and enjoy a Lowcountry Boil with all the fixins’ – prepared and served by our very own Bob Fleming – with some help from the ACBA students. Kick back, tell stories, listen to live music, and taste our craft brews from Holy City Brewing or Tool Brewing.

Tickets are $25 ($15 for students with a valid ID) and are on sale now. Proceeds from the Craftsmen & Craft Brews Lowcountry Boil benefit the student guild organization. Contact Ginna at 843-577-6283 to purchase your tickets today!

For those who aren’t familiar with ACBA, it is the only school in the country to offer a four-year liberal arts bachelors degree where students learn traditional craftsmanship along with modern building trades. Charleston is our learning lab where students learn the “old ways’ and develop the skills needed to help preserve historic buildings not only here in Charleston, but around the world.

We hope you’ll come out and enjoy this great event, and learn all that ACBA has to offer.

This month, our project consultant Mary Todd shares some important information homeowners may not be aware of regarding FEMA flood zones and how they may affect your remodeling project. 

If you are thinking about tackling a remodeling project, whether in your current home or a newly purchased home, it’s easy to dream big. After all, the fun of remodeling is making the space perfect for you and your family. Unfortunately, in our area, there can be limits on what you are permitted to spend on your remodeling project, depending on which municipality you are located in and if your property is located in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

FEMA defines SFHAs as land areas that are at high risk for flooding, where high risk is defined as having at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage.

to you as part of your closing documents when purchasing your home.

The first floor of the property is located at elevation 11’-6” (1’-6” below the BFE). In order to meet both the FEMA requirements and the city of Charleston’s freeboard requirements, the first floor needs to be at or above 14’ (AE-13 + 1’0” of freeboard).

There are now even more ways to stay up-to-date on the latest Classic news and industry buzz.

In order to stay better connected with our customers, we’re adding to our social media profiles. Now, you can find us on Twitter. We’ll be tweeting the latest industry news, company updates and keep you up-to-date with what’s going on in Charleston. Stop by and check out our profile and be sure to follow us!

We’ve also got a new way for potential clients to gain some insight into our company and the work we do. Porch.com is a free home improvement network the connects homeowners with the right home service professionals based on who neighbors have used, project and cost history, and friend and neighbors’ endorsements.

You can, of course, still find us on Facebook, Houzz, YouTube, BuildZoom and Google+. We hope that by adding these two new resources to our already established social media presence, we can make it a little easier for you to get acquainted with our company. Whatever your preferred channel is, we hope you’ll follow us and stay in touch!

We are pleased to announce that Classic Remodeling has been awarded “Best Of Houzz” for Design and Customer Satisfaction by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. Classic was chosen by the more than 25 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 500,000 active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals.

The Best Of Houzz award is given in two categories: Design and Customer Satisfaction. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 25 million monthly users on Houzz, known as “Houzzers.” Customer Satisfaction honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2014.

“Houzz provides homeowners with a 360 degree view of home building, remodeling and design industry professionals, empowering them to engage the right people and products for their project,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of industry marketing for Houzz. “We’re delighted to recognize Classic Remodeling among our ‘Best Of’ professionals as judged by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts who are actively remodeling and decorating their homes.”

For those who aren’t familiar with Houzz, it is a great way to find inspiration, get advice or find a home building or design professional for your project. Users can view project photos and save their favorites to an ideabook for future reference or ask questions about specific products or design dilemmas and get advice from professionals around the world. It’s also another great resource to help you find qualified home design and remodeling professionals in your area. “Best Of Houzz” award winners will have “Best Of” badges on their profiles to make them easily recognizable.

We’re honored to be among the “Best Of Houzz” award winners this year!

Be sure to stop by and check out our Houzz profile and see what we’ve been up to!

By the time guests began arriving everything was ready to go and we could sit back, work the crowd and enjoy.

Appetizers and the main course, which consisted of pulled pork sliders, 3 varieties of cole slaw, jalapeno cornbread and Frogmore Stew, were served as we enjoyed entertainment by The Bluestone Ramblers. Following dinner, a delicious array of desserts, prepared by our hostess Vivian Huguley, awaited us in the kitchen (a perfect way to draw people into the house to check out their renovations).

As the sun began to set on this gorgeous October evening, we packed up the van and headed home, bringing to a close another successful event. A beautiful night spent on the water with some great people – it’s going to be a hard night to top!

Homeowners Jack and Vivian Huguley with Classic Remodeling President, Bob Fleming

To check out more pictures from our Wadmalaw party, check out our Facebook page.

Interested in working for a great, locally owned remodeling company with a stellar reputation in the Charleston, SC area? Classic Remodelingis looking for experienced professionals to fill the role of Project Craftsman/Lead Carpenter.

Project Craftsman / Lead Carpenter

We are a high-end residential remodeling company seeking full-time long-term employees to fill our Project Craftsman positions. We have been in business for 25 years and pride ourselves on exceeding our clients’ expectations. Most of our employees have been with us a number of years. (Some have been with us over 15 years!) We have a team environment and (despite our professionalism) we like to have fun!

We do additions, decks / porches, kitchens, bathrooms, whole house remodels and repairs throughout the Charleston area.

This position requires responsibility for one remodeling project at a time. This is both a hands-on and management position requiring the following skills:

Skill Requirements:

• Demolition
• Foundations
• Framing
• Installation of windows and doors
• Installation of exterior siding, soffits and trim
• Installation of interior trim and cabinetry
• Installation of hardware
• Installation of appliances
• Knowledge of water-proofing, insulation and the building envelop
• Ability to keep a safe and clean work-site
• Ability to work in an occupied home (effective isolation of the work area)
• Attention to detail
• Ability to see a project through completion (punch list)
• Ability to schedule and over-see sub-contractors
• Quality control
• Ability to effectively communicate with clients, vendors, sub-contractors and project managers
• Monitoring of budgets
• Ability to maintain a project schedule
• Material take-offs

Our Project Craftsmen are expected to have and use their own tools. However, we offer an excellent tool program which provides the funds to help purchase and maintain tools.

We believe that our employees are our greatest asset and take care of them with a great benefits package:

• 401K matching
• Paid time-off
• Health insurance
• Equipment trailers
• Company cell phones (for most)
• Tool allowance

A college degree is preferred.

If you are interested, please email a resume or a detailed description of your work experience and goals to Cava Compton. (Responses that don’t include one or the other will not be considered.)

Charleston has been racking up the accolades again this year – #4 on the list of Best American Cities for Foodies (Conde Nast Traveler), #4 Most Romantic Getaway in the World (Fodor’s), Friendliest City in America (Conde Nast), Top City in the US and #2 city in the world (Travel + Leisure), and named one of the Best Places to Retire (Forbes).We’re certainly proud to be part of a city that receives so much positive recognition world-wide.

Over the last month, Classic Remodeling has also been on the receiving end of some great recognition.

The July/August issue of Charleston Living Magazine features the winners of their first annual “Best of Charleston” awards. Readers were invited to nominate their local favorites in a wide range of categories. We were thrilled to be named “Best Kitchen and Bath Remodeler” for 2014!

In the same issue, Classic Remodeling was prominently featured in an article by Erica England of GuildQuality,  titled “Guildmaster Builder Awards.” Classic is one of only 6 contractors nationwide to receive GuildQuality’s Guildmaster award every year since the award was launched. The Guildmaster award recognizes residential construction companies who would be recommended by over 90% of their customers.
And, finally, the Charleston Regional Business Journalhighlighted our company’s 25 years in business in the Milestone section of the July 14^th issue.

We’re so proud of our accomplishments over these last 25 years and pleased to have worked with so many great clients throughout the Lowcountry. Here’s to the next 25!

We are pleased to announce that Classic Remodeling has received the 2014 Guildmaster Award for exceptional customer service from GuildQuality, an independent customer satisfaction surveying company. This marks the ninth consecutive year Classic Remodeling has been honored with this award.

The Guildmaster award was created in 2005 to celebrate service excellence in the building, remodeling, contracting, and home services professions. This year, GuildQuality honored over 200 North American builders, remodelers, developers, and contractorsfor their superior delivery of customer care. Classic Remodeling is one of only 6 companies nationwide that has received the award each year since its inception.

GuildQuality reviews customer survey responses submitted over the course of the last year to evaluate Guildmaster candidates. To receive the award, candidates must meet established criteria for two key metrics: the percentage of customers who would recommend and the percentage of customers who responded. Classic Remodeling achieved a recommendation rate of greater than 90% from their customers (the industry average is approximately 70%).

We are thrilled to, once again, be recognized for the service we provide our clients. We take great pride in the fact that, over the course of our history with GuildQuality, we have maintained a 97% customer satisfaction rating. Our clients’ willingness to participate in the survey process allows us to constantly evaluate and improve the client experience, which is vital to the success of our business.

For more on the 2014 Guildmaster Award and qualifications, visit www.guildquality.com.

We are pleased to welcome Krista Scheider to the Classic Remodeling team as our newest Project Consultant.

Krista brings a wealth of experience in the remodeling field and will focus mainly on Classic’s kitchen and bath projects. Talk with Krista about her work and it’s easy to see how passionate she is about helping her client’s achieve the best possible results from their renovations.

“I do a lot of listening early on in the design process,” says Krista. “You have to spend time really listening to a client in order to deliver a space that will meet their needs and fit their lifestyle.”

Krista has been “in the business” for most of her life. She grew up working in her father’s cabinet shop on Hilton Head Island, SC where she began cleaning the showroom and helping with inventory at the age of 10. In 2000, after graduating from college and spending some time in Europe, she officially joined the family business as a designer. After 2 ½ years in Hilton Head, she moved to New York City where she spent 7 years, working first as a designer for a Kitchen and Bath Showroom on the Upper Westside, and then joining Beech Associates, a prestigious design-build firm on the Upper Eastside.

“My experience in New York City was truly amazing. Not only did I have an opportunity to work in some of the most prestigious addresses in Manhattan, I also was fortunate to gain experience in many facets of the remodeling process. I learned a tremendous amount about things like construction management, scheduling and interpersonal skills. And it definitely helped me become a better designer.”

Now back in the Lowcountry, Krista says she’s excited to put all of her experience to work for Classic’s clients.

“I believe that any contractor can start a job with gusto, but it is the ones who finish the jobs correctly, completely and on schedule that build a reputation for being the best of the best and really thrive. Classic’s reputation in the Charleston community is renowned and I’m really excited to be a part of a team that shares my goals of delivering both a quality project and a satisfied client.”

We are thrilled to have Krista as part of the Classic team. Her high standards and focus on the client experience, in addition to her design abilities will undoubtedly bring value to Classic’s clients and help us continue to deliver exceptional quality and customer satisfaction.

Spring has finally sprung here in the Lowcountry, and just in time for another “end of renovation” party.

Bjorn and Lindsay Miller own a beautiful home in Mt. Pleasant. They came to us with a desire to increase the size of their very small living room and create a larger, more family-friendly media room. The home also had a small porch and deck adjacent to the living room, but no way to access the backyard.

As Bjorn states, “We knew that with kids on the way we would need more room than we had. We also felt like expanding the living room would increase the water views in our back yard.”

So Classic went to work on a new addition and deck to help accommodate the Miller’s growing family and new needs for their home. We expanded the space for the new media room by eliminating the existing porch and opening up the entryway from the old living room to the kitchen. The room now has an open, airy feeling and delivers those beautiful water views the Miller’s were looking for. The old deck, was also eliminated and a new deck was built that not only provides a great spot for entertaining but also now offers a way to get to the backyard. By bumping out the exterior walls to create the expanded media room on the first floor, we also created a new patio area on the ground floor.

“Classic really shared our vision for how the project should go. There was a high standard that Classic set for themselves and no detail was too small. We felt like we were part of the process and kept informed the whole way through.”

Once all was said and done, our team came back to help them celebrate the completion of the project, and share the results of their renovation with friends and family (some from as far away as Pennsylvania).

“We are very happy with the end result and Classic was wonderful to work with. I felt like they were not happy until we were and the result is a fantastic addition for our home.”

Check out a few before and after pictures as well as some photos from the party:

Exterior before:

Exterior after:

Living room before:

New Media room:

Celebrating with friends and family: