By June Mathews
When Elliott Pike, owner of ELM Construction, was named 2023 Remodeler of the Year by the National Association of Homebuilders at its annual awards event in February, the honor was the culmination of hard work, dedication to quality and an overall commitment to excellence.
In other words, Pike said in a half-serious, half-tongue-in-cheek tone of voice, “My goal is to be the Chick-fil-A of remodeling. You can go to Chick-fil-A on any day of the week, and you will generally get the same consistency in quality, no matter which location you go to and no matter what time of day. If you consistently do things right, everything else falls into place.”
Pike’s journey with his own remodeling business began in 2008. A company he worked for that specialized in remodeling apartment complexes went out of business, so he and his wife, LeArden, established ELM.
Pike’s experience in remodeling multi-family housing carried through to the new company. But before long, ELM’s opportunities turned toward single-family residential, and Pike found he liked the new work better.
“Renovating houses is more personal than multi-housing renovation, and we tend to establish relationships with the people we work with,” he said. “So that’s part of it: I love working with people. I also enjoy the entrepreneurial side of remodeling, putting together the puzzle, if you will. Every day is different.”
The best clients, Pike said, are delegators.
“They don’t necessarily want to be involved in the day-to-day processes,” he said. “They don’t want to do their own demolition or painting or any other hands-on aspects of their remodel. They want what amounts to a boring construction project. Exciting designs, great results – but a boring project.”
The best clients, Pike said, also hate surprises, so they’re willing to take the time on the front end to work through the design and scope-of-work processes, putting everyone on the same page in terms of design, cost, estimated timetable and other pertinent factors.
“Any anxiety associated with remodeling is usually due to the unknowns,” he said. “People may not know how to get started. They’re concerned about getting ripped off; they’re concerned about how much time it will take. But if you do your due diligence and plan well, it can be a fantastic experience. And once your project is finished, you’ll be glad you did it.”
Jill Edwards of Vestavia Hills is one of those glad homeowners, and her remodeled bathroom is the reason.
“Oh, heavens, yes,” she replied when asked if she was happy with the results. “We are thrilled with it. We’ve been in the house for 10 years, and we knew when we moved in that just about everything would have to be gutted or touched in some way, so it took a while to get around to the bathroom.”
A huge space, according to Edwards, the bathroom was compartmentalized into his-and-her sides with a separate section for the tub and toilet. Out-of-date, heavily patterned wallpaper dominated the scene.
Now a redesigned, reconfigured bathroom fills the space, and Edwards couldn’t be more pleased with the results.
“The project was a pretty seamless experience,” Edwards said. “It’s a pain to have workers in your house all the time, but, luckily, we were able to move to an upstairs bedroom, so we didn’t have to deal with it so much.
“But the workers were prompt and kept things as clean as possible, and the project manager kept us updated on whatever was going on. Everyone was very professional.”
Advantages of Association
Soon after starting ELM, Pike joined the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders to gain access to its workers comp program. He hardly participated otherwise, thinking he was getting all he needed from the organization. He later had a change of heart.
“I figured I was paying all this money to be a member, so I might as well find out what it’s all about,” he said.
He attended a local meeting and subsequently became active in the Remodelers Council, a subgroup of the association. There, he found mentors who taught him the finer points of the remodeling business.
“I didn’t have a history in construction except my previous jobs, and none of those were single-family residential work,” Pike said. “But it made me want to attend a state meeting, where I met people from across the state. Then I got invited to a national meeting, where I met people from across the country, including some of the best remodelers out there.”
The more Pike got involved, the more people he met and the more he learned. So by the time he received the Remodeler of the Year award, Pike had earned his spot among the best.
The selection process for NAHB’s Remodeler of the Year Award involved an in-depth look at ELM’s business practices, client testimonials and references from industry professionals.
“That’s probably the coolest part about the award,” he said. You’re being recognized by people who are experts in the industry, and having your peers recognize what you do is one of the biggest honors you can get.
But, Pike emphasized, ELM is by no means a one-man show. The company’s continued success, he said, is largely due to an exceptional team of experienced professionals.
“At ELM Construction, we’ve always believed in fulfilling our promises,” Pike said. “If we commit to something, whether it’s a timeline or a budget, that’s what we’re going to do. Our clients appreciate that.”
All that makes his job that much more enjoyable.
“I’ve been blessed to do something that I love doing and to be able to make money doing it,” he said. “It’s a gift.”
