Our world is increasingly overrun by AI-generated content and advanced phishing scams. These and other factors have completely reshaped the landscape of who we trust (or don’t trust).
Learning what companies you can trust increasingly feels like walking through a maze, where everywhere you turn, there are ads that feel either gimmicky or too-good-to-be-true. Everyone seems to be the “premier this,” or the “expert that,” or have a “secret” to sell.
Those doubts are unbearable in the context of renovating your home. You have to be able to trust that the craftsmanship and the trade knowledge will get you the end result you want. It’s also imperative to know that a company will respect your home with cutting-edge safety precautions and cleanliness protocol, and by honoring the timelines and budgets you agreed to while guiding you to the right decision for you every time, not favor what’s easiest for them.
As a homeowner, facing a decision as critical as what remodeler to work with can mean the difference between a transformative renovation and a money-hole fiasco that derails, resulting in unexpected investments of money, time, and spoiled dreams.
Fortunately, there’s one definitive way to identify the most trustworthy, qualified, and skilled remodelers in the U.S., and it’s called the NARI Accreditation.
What is NARI Accreditation?
NARI is the National Association of the Remodel Industry. Sometimes called the “voice of the remodeling industry,” NARI advocates for individual members and the industry as a whole.
Now, imagine a world where you can instantly recognize the most reliable and expert remodeling companies…that’s what NARI envisioned, too. They advocate for standards that guarantee homeowners can trust their projects to be managed professionally, from design to final reveal.
That’s also why NARI created the Accreditation Program: to raise the bar SIGNIFICANTLY from their existing Certification process.
The NARI accreditation is the gold standard for a remodeling business to prove its trustworthiness. NARI membership is available to any remodeling company who pays to be a member…one step up, NARI certification requires a few additional documents to show formal business status. NARI accreditation, however, demands rigorous scrutiny of five critical areas:
- Business management — a NARI accredited company has to prove that its business practices are superior, including a conscious organizational structure, a process library, business plans, contingency plans, a robust marketing program, and more.
- Financial operations and health — a NARI accredited company has to prove that it has financial stability and the required practices in place to manage large renovation projects, to ensure accurate project bidding, and more.
- Craftsmanship and quality of work — a NARI accredited company has to have extensive training in place, plus the hiring processes and job descriptions (and the regular review of skills) to ensure that the quality of construction is always the best, down to every member of the team.
- Ethical and professional — a NARI accredited firm must demonstrate the highest degree of business ethics with how it writes contracts, markets, takes care of clients after the fact (through warranty work and guarantees), and more.
- Client satisfaction — the accredited company must also prove that it has systems in place to collect client feedback, guarantee client satisfaction, and act on opportunities for improvement.
A company has to submit HUNDREDS of pages of internal documents to prove all these things!! A third-party assessor reviews the documents on NARI’s behalf.
Signature Home Services first did that five years ago…and now, we just underwent the re-accreditation process (because accreditation is renewed every five years). The re-accreditation process is key to the success of the Accreditation Program, because it proves that these industry leaders continue to invest in these practices and improve…continually setting the bar higher for the rest of the industry.
The Hidden Advantages of Working with a NARI Accredited Remodeler
These are some of the real-life ways that a NARI accredited company, like Signature Home Services, is better equipped to handle your home renovations and interior design projects:
- You won’t have to manage the schedules of subcontractors, deliveries, and installations, because we have proven superior project management…down to every tradesperson who steps foot in your home and every product delivery. A NARI accredited company has the processes to ensure it all comes together in the most efficient way possible.
- No stress about the “when” of the project management details above, because you’re be given an overall calendar view and provided with personal daily updates as part of our proven project management practices.
- The NARI accredited company’s financial health means finishing your project without unexpected financial hurdles, too; it’s not unheard of for contractor teams without financial security or suitable financial practices to be strapped for cash, which interrupts the timeline of procuring your materials and selections.
- You can trust the budget given to you by a NARI accredited company, because we’ve proven that our bidding process is accurate, reliable, and fair.
- You know that the quality of craftsmanship will live up to or surpass your expectations, because a NARI accredited company has proven technical excellence…on a company-wide and employee-by-employee basis.
- You can believe the company always acts in your best interest because of the integrity that a NARI accredited firm shows in its marketing, sales, and all business decisions.
- Your voice will be heard, because a NARI accredited company has proven client satisfaction practices that collect real feedback from you (by a third-party assessor) so you can share openly about your experience, and trust that the company will provide other homeowners with full transparency to all reviews.
- You’ll also have the satisfaction that your feedback could result in adjustments to the company’s practices if you help uncover anything that could be improved.
Put all of that together, and your renovation becomes transformative journey to loving your home with a NARI accredited firm.
Settling for any less than a company that’s proven these standards could leave you stressed, disappointed, or worse.
Leading the Way in Texas: Signature Home Services, the First NARI Accredited Firm
When NARI introduced its Accreditation Program, Signature Home Services was the first to begin the process in Texas.
We proudly became the FIRST accredited firm in Texas in 2019, a designation that lasted for years. Late in 2023, a second firm in Texas was accredited, right around when our team started the re-accreditation process (since we had been accredited for almost five years).
We continue to stand out between the two accredited remodelers in Texas, because we are the only firm that also has a Registered Interior Designer at the helm…our CEO, Robin Burrill. Robin is also NCIDQ certified and has an “alphabet soup” of other industry accreditations, making us the only NARI accredited firm in the state to offer superior renovations and interior design services.
Our dual expertise ensures that every aspect of your home renovations, from structural change to final décor, is handled with the accreditation standards that set the pace for the rest of the remodel industry.
Your Renovation Decisions
As you plan your next renovation, you’ll have lots of factors to consider. Trust, though, will probably be number one.
NARI accreditation is the remodeling industry standard to identify the companies with a proven commitment to excellence. Signature Home Services, and other NARI accredited companies around the country, are dedicated to upholding the highest standards and delivering unparalleled service.
If you’re ready to talk to someone about your next kitchen renovation, bathroom renovation, or other design/build or interior design project, contact us. Trust a NARI accredited company to guarantee you loving your home…and to ensure a true “return on enjoyment” every day that you’re in it.
Our NARI accredited standards of project management made building this pool cabana rewarding for our team, with award-winning results.
The selections made for this bathroom renovation, equipped with custom cabinetry and a state-of-the-art steam shower by Mr. Steam, also reflect our NARI accredited standards.
Our NARI accredited standards also position us perfectly to manage Vacation Rental Design projects, like this legacy lake home renovation in Possum Kingdom Lake.
Thank you so much, Janet! It is something we’re proud of…and it’s such a great opportunity to educate homeowners.
This is such a great way to ensure a contractor will deliver a top notch renovation experience – too many in the industry are less than stellar. Congratulations to you and Rob on achieving this important designation, Robin!
Thank you, Leslie!! It’s absolutely worth educating homeowners about these distinctions, because these are the differences that protect homeowners. Aside from the professional implications of the expertise that the NARI Accreditation or NCIDQ certification entail, there’s also protecting oneself emotionally…it’s not just frustrating, but ENORMOUSLY disappointing for a homeowner to hire a contractor *thinking* they’re going to have their dream come true with a specific renovation…but then end up having a bad experience.
Robin: this is such a great post and you hit the nail on the head> it IS hard to know who to trust these days.
Thank you for explaining the differences between NARI member, NARI certified and NARI accredited.
Congratulations on SHS achieving this highly coveted status not once, but again!
This post genuinely shows why people can trust you and Rob to handle their renovations AND the interior design of their home, too, given that you, Robin, are an NCIDQ certified interior designer, a designation that is also very difficult to achieve, requiring the passing of 3 very difficult exams.
It’s impressive and I wish you and Rob every continuing success.