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A remodel, done by an expert team of luxury home builders committed to bringing homeowners a concierge level of service, can create a home that will bring people back together. “At Ramos Construction, we recognize the importance a home has to a family, and we focus on creating relationships that address every detail,” James Ramos says. “We remember that homes are built to bring people together, and we pride ourselves on bringing the family back to the table.”
Family is something Ramos knows a lot about. He’s the youngest of five boys, and his family has been in the construction industry in the Tampa Bay area since 1956. From that foundation, he has built a team of trusted home builders and renovators, each with decades of experience in their fields.
“I’m fortunate to come from a family who’s been in the construction business in Tampa for over 65 years. We’ve come across a lot of great people who we’ve worked with over the years,” Ramos says. “We have some tremendous vendors that we work with to execute some really elaborate and successful projects.”
And since the table is usually in or near the kitchen, Ramos knows how important that space is to a family. “It’s the center of the home and most used space in the house,” he says. “Updating your kitchen is the single best investment you can make in your home.”
Kitchens are a specialty of Ramos Construction, and like with all their projects, they use a design-build approach — meaning they take care of both design and construction, rather than designing a concept and bidding it out to another builder. Team members on both the design and construction side work collaboratively for one common goal.
“The benefits of design-build, outside of the time efficiencies, would be cost and flexibility,” Ramos explains. “Obviously everyone wants to bring a project in under budget. Then, having a builder work with a designer — like an architect working with an engineer or an interior designer, or all three working together — you’re not only going to have a great design, but you’re going to have lower costs along the way. It’s a much more clean and exact process.”
“Contractors working with designers, they have a pretty good collaboration,” he adds. “Sometimes in renovations, you don’t really know what you’re getting into until you open up the walls. A lot of times we will end up doing demolition before we finish our design plans.”
One of the most overlooked questions that one should get answered prior to hiring a design-builder is who makes up their vendor network. The success of a designer or builder’s work highly relies on the quality of the subcontractors, laborers and manufacturers that support the builder.
“At Ramos, we pride ourselves on our vendor relationships,” Ramos says. “We take care of them and thus they take care of us and our clients. While my family has deep roots in flooring, counters and cabinets through companies all owned by one of the Ramos brothers, we also meet new and up-and-coming vendors all the time.”
Ramos can provide designers with whatever tools they need to execute their vision, from assistance with 3D drafting to simply bringing the designs to life as they envisioned them.
“We can work with a client’s designer or directly with designers, real estate agents and their clients,” he adds. “We have built a process of support especially in the design and pre-construction phase that allow design professionals to take on more work and do more of what they like to do — design!”
Ramos says the remodeling process is a bit like planning a big party. Before you can order the flowers, call in the caterer and schedule the band, you have to understand the client’s budget and vision for their home. He has created a proprietary four-step process called the Ramos Way that highlights the four key elements of a proper home renovation: Explore, Engage, Execute and Occupy.
“Whether you’re a homeowner or a designer, the Ramos Way was created to utilize everyone’s skill sets and abilities to create dream homes from the ground up or within existing construction,” Ramos explains.
Here, learn more about each of these steps and how the Ramos Way will help bring your family back to the table.
EXPLORE
The first step in the Ramos Way is simple but important. After calling for your free consultation, you get to know more about the Ramos team, and the Ramos team gets to know more about you and your renovation goals. “With a renovation, we’re visiting a client at their home. We’re identifying the scope of the project and getting a very high level view of what they’re trying to accomplish,” Ramos says. His team then compiles all those details in a concise one-page letter of engagement, which includes a general budget and timeline.
ENGAGE
At this point, it’s time to dive into the specifics. “For a renovation, we need an as-built of the home, which is a schematic design of the existing structure followed by a design of the new footprint. Both are a prerequisite for a permit,” Ramos says. His team then layers your detailed design choices over that schematic to create a specifications document. “That tells us, do you want hardwood floors? Do you want tile or stone? What do you want the cabinets to look like? How many drawers do you need? All of the things you would expect in a home.” For roughly every day spent in design pre-construction, Ramos says, you save about 15 days in construction.
“After this Engage step is done, you’re going to have a really good recipe for success for the project,” Ramos adds. “You’re going to have a contract with detailed specifications and a solid budget.”
EXECUTE
“Execution is very important because it starts with the plans getting ready for permit and submitted for permit approval, whether it’s with the city or county municipality,” Ramos says. Then it’s time for the Ramos team of dedicated craftsmen and key strategic vendors to go to work. “During that time while we’re waiting, we’re securing all the purchase orders, procuring all the goods for the project, getting more granular costs from our subcontractors, and putting the entire project together to complete it in a very short period.”
OCCUPY
The end goal of any Ramos renovation project is to deliver the homeowner an innovative, luxurious home they can enjoy with their family for years to come. “The Occupy step is the pride of what we do and the best place to be, especially for the homeowner,” Ramos says. His team will complete final cleanings, tie up loose ends and even bring in manufacturer representatives to walk homeowners through the new appliances, air conditioning systems or other highly advanced technologies in their newly renovated spaces. Ramos projects finish up with a home maintenance agreement to keep clients on the path of quality for years to come. Recently, Ramos Construction launched a maintenance division that serves all homeowners, whether they have worked with the company before or not. “With a lot of our clients, we still maintain their homes years after we built them,” Ramos says. “It’s full circle. It’s a lot of fun.”
To schedule your free, no-obligation consultation with Ramos Construction today, call (813) 259-1111, or visit ramoscompanies.com.
