Questions & Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions Katy homeowners ask us before a remodel — answered plainly, the way we'd answer them across your kitchen table.
It starts with a conversation and a site walk. We look at the space, listen to what you want to change, and talk honestly about what the work involves — including the parts that are hard to see from the surface, like structural questions or approvals. From there you receive a written scope and estimate, so you can see exactly what is included and compare it fairly against anyone else you're talking to. There is no charge and no obligation at any point. We would rather you take your time with a clear document than feel pressured by a number quoted on the spot.
We work as a residential general contractor across five closely related services: general contracting for multi-room and complex projects, kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, whole-home renovations, and room additions. There is no minimum project size — a single bathroom gets the same written scope and the same care as a full renovation. The larger and more complicated the project, the more our way of working matters, because coordinating trades, permits, and materials in the right order is most of what a general contractor is for. If you're not sure which category your idea falls into, that's fine — the estimate conversation will sort it out.
It depends on the work — and, in the Katy area, on exactly where your home sits. Homes inside Katy's city limits are reviewed by the city, while homes in the surrounding unincorporated areas fall under county processes, and those jurisdictions have genuinely different rules about what triggers a permit. Cosmetic work like paint and flooring typically doesn't require one; structural changes, additions, and work on plumbing, electrical, or mechanical systems typically do. Part of our job as your contractor is determining which office reviews your specific project and securing approvals before construction starts, so the build isn't interrupted later by a review that should have come first.
No, and the difference matters. HOA architectural approval and a government permit are two separate reviews by two separate authorities. Your HOA reviews the project against the community's recorded restrictions — usually questions of appearance, placement, and materials. The permitting authority reviews it for code compliance and safety. Many Katy-area projects, especially additions and exterior changes, need both, and they need to happen in the right sequence before construction begins. Neither one substitutes for the other: an HOA approval does not make a project legal to build, and a permit does not protect you from a deed-restriction violation. We plan for both from the start.
Yes. IAS is fully insured, with insurance documentation available on request — including general liability and workers' compensation coverage. We'd encourage you to ask any contractor you're considering for the same documentation before work begins, because insurance is what protects you if something goes wrong on your property while a crew is working there. A contractor who hesitates to produce current certificates is telling you something. We provide ours as a normal part of the pre-construction paperwork, alongside the written scope and estimate, so there is nothing to chase down later.
IAS Remodeling of Katy is part of IAS Boutique Remodeling, a residential remodeling company based in Houston and founded in 2019 by Idan Shalom. Same ownership, same team, same insurance — this site exists because Katy is a distinct market that deserves its own attention, not because there is a different company behind it. Katy's housing stock, approval processes, and ground conditions differ from central Houston's in ways that genuinely affect how a project should be planned. Katy and the communities around it sit well within our working area, and projects there are run the way everything we build is run — directly, from start to finish.
IAS manages its projects directly from start to finish — that is the model the company was founded on. The people who walk your home and write your scope are the same people responsible for delivering it, and ownership stays involved through close-out. In practice, that means questions get answered by someone who knows your project, decisions come with their cost and schedule implications explained, and nothing about your project lives only in one person's head. Clear communication isn't a slogan we added later; it is the reason the company exists, and it shapes how every project is structured.
Openly and in writing. Remodeling existing homes means occasionally finding conditions no one could see, and homeowners sometimes change their minds once they can stand in the space. When either happens, we stop, explain what we found or what the change involves, and put the cost and schedule impact in writing before proceeding. You approve it, or you don't — with real information in hand either way. What we won't do is absorb surprises silently and present them at the end, or let a project drift away from its agreed scope. Predictability is a large part of what you hire a general contractor for.
Honestly: it depends on the scope, and any contractor who quotes a firm timeline before understanding your project is guessing. What we can tell you is what actually drives duration — the scope itself, permit and approval sequencing, material lead times, and inspection points — and how we manage it: the schedule is built from the real order of the work, long-lead items are ordered early, and you're kept informed as the project moves. During the estimate we'll talk through the realistic shape of your specific project rather than promising a number designed to win the job.
At minimum: a scope of work detailed enough that a stranger could tell what is and isn't included, a price tied to that scope, a payment schedule tied to progress rather than the calendar, a clear process for pricing changes, and current insurance certificates. That applies to any contractor you hire, including us. A vague scope is where most remodeling disputes are born, because it leaves both sides free to remember the agreement differently. We put these documents in front of you as a standard part of starting a project — and you should expect the same from anyone bidding your work.
Often, yes. Katy's neighborhoods were built across several distinct decades, and the age of a home shapes the work. In an older home, kitchens, bathrooms, and systems are nearer the end of their useful life, so projects tend to be replacement-driven and are more likely to uncover surprises behind the finishes. In a newer home, remodeling is usually about upgrading finishes or reshaping a layout to fit how you actually live. The planning is different, the budget conversation is different, and the questions we ask on the site walk are different. A contractor should know which Katy — and which era of home — they are standing in.