PMI Remodeling & Repairs A One-Stop Shop For All Projects, Big And Small
At PMI Remodeling & Repairs, “one call repairs it all.” The family business has been based in Wellington since it was founded by Paul Tonks in 1987.
After working at the old Wellington Club, Paul struck out his own when he saw the need for a remodeling and repair company in the growing community. He currently runs the business with his son, Phil, and the rest of their family.
“We’ve come from being a one-man company to now being a lot bigger than we were,” said Paul, who is originally from England.
Starting in Paul’s garage many moons ago, they have since moved to several different buildings in Wellington’s industrial centers, bringing them to the current office, where they have a showroom full of supplies and mock-ups for clients to come and pick out anything they want, ranging from kitchens and bathrooms to whole house renovations and repairs.
“I came to the business when fax machines and computers started coming onto the scene, so I brought those kinds of technology in, and built the software to run the company,” said Phil, who is destined to one day take over the business.
Though Paul said he is looking to retire soon, Phil pointed out that he has been saying that for the last five years.
Phil is ready and able to take over for his father. He has had his state building contractor’s license for more than 20 years and is devoted to the company.
PMI services include remodeling, commercial services, roofing, gutters, siding, windows, plumbing, electrical, heating, air conditioning, irrigation and painting. Their approach is different from other companies.
“We go out to their place, and we’re a little different because there’s no pressure,” Phil said. “We’ll go out and meet with the husband only, or the wife only, and go through their ideas, come back with a preliminary estimate, send it to them, and if it’s something they like, in the ballpark of what they’re thinking, they’ll come in here to the showroom.”
The showroom, which is more like a designer selection area, allows customers to peruse tiles, flooring, cabinets and other items, which, since PMI will already have the project’s measurements, allows clients to see what fits into their budget.
In addition to four different cabinet companies, with cabinetry at different price points, PMI also has a custom cabinet shop, giving them the ability to not only build custom cabinets for a project, but also the ability to modify cabinets to meet the needs of various projects.
Often people will come in asking for advice. On occasion, they’ll come in with their own decorators and already know what they want. All they need is an estimate from PMI and they’re ready.
Because PMI is able to do all of the work in-house, with electricians, plumbers, tile people, materials and labor, when clients get an estimate from them, it is complete, Paul said, explaining how that is something unique PMI offers clients.
“You can come in here, pick out everything you want, and we’ll make sure it works. That’s the beauty of working with PMI,” Paul said. “We’re not going to ask them to go out and find another company. We’d rather they didn’t; we’d rather use our own people.”
Because of how they work, Phil added, PMI has extensive resources and is able to quickly and efficiently work on a project. For example, where some companies might run into roadblocks that delay a project, PMI has contractors ready to take care of anything, which means the project isn’t delayed.
PMI has the ability to work with anything from appliance repair companies, cleaning companies, window cleaning, pressure cleaning, plumbers, electricians, roofers, and grout cleaning and staining.
PMI works with an architect who draws up plans, Paul added. “It’s a one-stop-shop. It can all be done in-house,” he said.
The entire team works together to accomplish a project that makes PMI proud and customers happy. “It’s important that our subcontractors care about the customers like we do,” Phil said. “We answer the phone every day — it doesn’t go to voicemail. We have an emergency phone after hours that goes to me. We’re here every day from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. We hold a customer’s hand through the project. Also, we decided about 10 years ago to start doing big remodeling projects through the summer months when many customers aren’t here.”
During the summer, they’ll send photo updates, and when the client comes back for the season, the job is done, the house is clean, and they can move right in.
For those looking to take on a remodeling project, Paul suggests that people know what they want and do their homework. “Start early, when you know what you want to do. Get your prices together and work with a company you want to work with,” he suggested. “People try to control the job; it’s very difficult. You have to really let it go to a contractor who can take it, run with it and do it.”
PMI Remodeling & Repairs is located at 3340 Fairlane Farms Road, Suite 6, in Wellington. For more
information, call (561) 798-5722 or visit www.pmi1call.com.
